Twelve adventurers selected to represent Qingdao on Clipper 2025-26 Race

After an intense selection week, twelve QingdaoAmbassadors have been chosen to represent China’s sailing city in the upcoming edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. The Ambassadors will be flying the flag for China and Qingdao as they cross the world’s oceans on the sailing event’s upcoming edition which sets sail next summer.

Qingdao is the Clipper Race’s longest standing Host Port and Team Partner, with the Clipper 2025-26 Race marking two decades of collaboration. The Clipper Race has been pivotal in developing Qingdao’s global image as China’s Sailing City. The first year of partnership and inaugural Qingdao stopover in 2005 showcased the city’s ability to host large-scale international competitions, which led to it hosting the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ sailing events.

The Ambassador Programme is integral to the partnership and has so far trained dozens of Chinese adventurers to become ocean racers. Most notably, these include Guo Chan, who became the first Chinese person to sail around the world and Vicky Song, the first Chinese woman to sail around the world. Several Qingdao Ambassadors now sail professionally, with the Clipper Race providing the start to a professional pathway in the industry.

This year’s selection week saw over 30 shortlisted candidates from all over China, along with a number of Qingdao locals, travel to the Olympic Sailing Centre to compete for a spot on the Clipper Race. Following three days of interviews, presentations and team-building tasks both on and off the water, twelve Qingdao Ambassador Crew were chosen. Professions of the successful candidates include student, doctor, meteorological algorithm engineer and gym owner, all with varying levels of sailing experience. They will now embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

The Clipper 2025-26 Race Qingdao Ambassadors are:

Jia Wang, 40, management consultant from Qingdao

Tingting Zou, 37, CrossFit gym owner from Qingdao

Jingming Jan, 26 senior meteorological algorithm engineer from Qingdao

Yongen Chen, 25, student from Guangzhou

Kaidi Sun, 30, global travel blogger from Shanghai

Dong Liu, 34, university graduate from Qingdao

Zhan Zhou, 26, doctor from Shenzen

Hanwei Fan, 20, student from Beijing

Jun Lan, 30, sailing coach from Shanghai

Yhong Tian, 43, bank employee, from Beijing

Yue Shen, 37, head of digital programming, from Shanghai

Xangtong Wang, 26, PhD student from Beijing

Izzy Ponting, from the Clipper Race Partnerships Team, who led on the Ambassador selection, said: “We’ve had an incredible week here in Qingdao, with a very high standard of applicants for this edition making our selection a difficult task. The twelve Ambassadors chosen will have the opportunity of not only crossing the world’s oceans but also promoting Qingdao’s unique sailing heritage. They’ll also be advocates for Qingdao as destination rich in history and culture, and a fantastic place to visit.”

Laura Ayres, Managing Director of Clipper Ventures added: “The opportunity of being an Ambassador is wide-reaching. Ambassadors have the ability to train to become an ocean racer and join a unique sailing pathway, along with promoting and sharing Chinese culture with crew from around the world.

“We have seen a number of success stories over the two decades of partnership with our friends in Qingdao, with a number of alumni crew going on to race offshore professionally or become sailing instructors in Qingdao. This has been integral to growing the sport in both the sailing city and all over China. I look forward to meeting this year’s Ambassadors and following their adventure.”

The Office of Qingdao Major International Sailing Events (Festivals) Organising Committee said: “Warm congratulations to all the brave sailors who have been successfully selected as Qingdao Ambassador Crew in the Clipper 2025-26 Round the World Yacht Race! You have stood out from many excellent candidates to become the representatives of Qingdao. You will carry the important responsibility of promoting maritime culture and Qingdao's reputation as the "Sailing City" during this fascinating circumnavigation. We firmly believe that through your efforts and perseverance, you will write a glorious chapter for both the Qingdao yacht and China. May the Qingdao team achieve even greater success in the Clipper 2025-26 Round the World Yacht Race! Let's look forward to seeing your growth and triumphs!”

The Ambassadors will be undertaking four stages of rigorous Clipper Race Training next spring in Gosport, and on completing the intense programme, one Ambassador will have the opportunity to take on the entire 40,000nm circumnavigation, with eight allocated a leg of the Clipper Race and a further three as reserves.

Hear from some of the new Qingdao Ambassadors on the adventure ahead:

Yue Shen: “I am really proud and excited! It’s something I’ve been dreaming about for so long. I feel honoured and didn’t expect to be chosen. The selection was quite intense, with early starts, then lots of presentations and media interviews as well as sailing practice but I enjoyed the process.”

Jia Wang: “I want people to know that Qingdao not only has great beer, but also has great sailors!”

Jun Lan:I was excited to see that I was selected to be a Qingdao Ambassador, I know how tough the race will be, and I am already thinking about how I can face these challenges. I am most looking forward to a new adventure, but also to help inspire more young people in sailing, especially young women.”

Zhan Zhou: “I am super excited! It feels like a dream, but the dream now is coming true. My family and friends are really happy for me, and I am so happy about it too. My ambition is to cross an ocean, but I want to promote the sailing culture and talent. I am experienced on land adventures, and now I am going to face the vast oceans. My team and I are going to push our boundaries!”

Xantong Wang: “It feels so unreal. I have a little sailing experience, but I’d like to do offshore racing. I see the ocean every day on my computer at university, but I really want to see it with my own eyes. I always want to bring my friends sailing, and I think that the Clipper Race will enable me to inspire people, and let people know about the Clipper Race and other sailing opportunities.

Tingting Zou: “My family and friends are really proud of me. Sometimes I feel that in Qingdao there’s so many sailing opportunities and good sailing conditions, but not everyone knows this, so I hope I can inspire more people to get involved.”

The 2025-26 edition marks a significant milestone in the co-operation between the Clipper Race and Qingdao, as it prepares to celebrate 20 years of working together over ten race editions. The Qingdao stopover is always a highlight on the race route, featuring a huge welcome and spectacle in store for the fleet’s arrival. The yachts will arrive in Qingdao in spring 2026 for what promises to be a huge celebration to mark this partnership anniversary.