​The Clipper 2023-24 Race Champion is…

The Clipper 2023-24 Race Champion is...

With over 40,000nm of racing, six ocean crossings, fourteen races and eleven months away on the ocean race track, the winner of the Clipper 2023-24 Round the World Yacht Race is Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam!

In one of the closest ever Clipper Race editions finishes, it was a fierce fight between three teams for the podium spots on Race 14, which came right down to the wire.

Going into Race 14, just three points separated Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam and second-placed Perseverance, with third placed Zhuhai just four points behind Perseverance, making for an extremely tense final race of the edition. For Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam to consolidate its win, the team could not afford to finish more than three places behind Perseverance.

In the closest finish ever, Bob Beggs and his crew onboard Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam took victory after the course was shortened earlier in the day due to light winds impacting the arrival of the fleet into Portsmouth tomorrow. When news was shared with the teams this afternoon that the race would be shortened and finish tonight at 18:00 UTC, Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam was in eighth place and Perseverance was third, meaning an overall win was in sight for Perseverance.

However, in a nail-biting effort by the crew on Bob Beggs' team they trimmed themselves back into fifth place over the course of the afternoon, reducing the difference in positions on the Race 14 leader board down to two places, enough to secure the overall win of the 2023-2024 race by one single point overall, clinch the trophy and become CHAMPIONS.

Bob said: "It gives me great pleasure to join a highly motivated, organised team such as the crew on Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam. Ably assisted by my first mate Cameron McCracken. Emotions have been running high all day on the anticipation of receiving news of our podium position on arrival in Gunwharf Quays. I'm indebted to the whole team for welcoming me with open arms and allowing me to join the team."

First Mate Cameron McCracken added: "I can't quite believe what we've done today. To win this race with this unbelievable team is not something I thought would happen when I joined the boat in Airlie Beach. The crew of Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam have showed time and time again that it's not over 'til it's over and are incredibly gutsy in their collective character. They've shown that today and they deserve this win more than I. Finally, I want to congratulate Perseverance and Zhuhai for their excellent podium achievements as well and thank them for making it so incredibly nerve wracking!"

Clipper Race Director Mark Light congratulated the team on its win: “Huge congratulations to Bob, Cam and the entire Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam team for an absolutely brilliant and epic achievement to become Champions of the Clipper 2023-24 Round the World Yacht Race!

“It was so, so close at the end and the racing throughout the whole circumnavigation has been gripping us all the way. Very well done to all the teams and crew who have achieved something utterly fantastic and special. You will have memories for life should all be really proud of yourselves.”

For Bobb Beggs, this is his second Clipper Race win, after he led his Bristol team to victory in the Clipper 2000 Race. This was also the last time the Clipper Race finished in Portsmouth prior to the current edition.

The overall Clipper 2023-24 Race standings are:

1^st Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam 138 points

2^nd Perseverance 137 points

3^rd Zhuhai 134 points

4^th UNICEF 116 points

5^th Dare To Lead 107 points

6^th Qingdao 102 points

7^th Our Isles and Oceans 98 points

8^th Yacht Club Punta del Este 90 points

9^th PSP Logistics 73 points

10^th Washington DC 53 points

11^th Bekezela 41 points

The Grand Finale is to be held in Portsmouth tomorrow (27 July) where the teams’ achievements will be celebrated out on the water with a Parade of Sail and a homecoming heroes’ welcome for the intrepid crew. To find out more, check out the event details here.

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