The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race has revealed details of its fourth generation fleet, named the CLIPPER RX. The new fleet consists of twelve 72-foot ocean racing yachts, which are currently under construction at a shipyard in Qingdao.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Chairman of the Clipper Race, stated:"The Clipper RX is an all-new, innovative design marking a significant evolution for our race fleet. This is the second time we have chosen to build our hulls in Qingdao, marking the pinnacle of our two-decade partnership with the city. This year marks the Clipper Race's 30th anniversary, signaling our continuation and the start of our fourth decade dedicated to enabling non-professional sailors to race across the world's most challenging oceans. As the planet's toughest endurance challenge, we are immensely proud to build this great achievement with Qingdao."

The current fleet of Clipper 70s, used this season, were built in Qingdao between 2012-2013. This fleet is currently about to depart Australia to begin the latest edition's fifth leg, which will finish at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. Since the Clipper Race first visited in 2006, Qingdao has participated in the event ten consecutive times as an official Host Port and Team Partner.

Zhang Min, Executive Secretary-General of the Qingdao Major International Sailing Events (Festivals) Organizing Committee, said:"We are delighted to have built such a long-term partnership with the Clipper Race over the past 20 years. This has not only raised the profile of Qingdao and China on the global stage but also developed our skills, facilities, and invaluable boat-building experience in ocean sailing. We look forward to welcoming the Clipper Race fleet back to Qingdao in a few weeks and seeing the completed new Clipper RX yachts."

The new Clipper RX design concept was developed in-house by the Clipper Race team, drawing on 30 years of unparalleled industry experience and feedback from over 7,000 crew, including Chinese sailors. The result is a fast and seaworthy design where exceptional safety features are perfectly integrated into a high-performance 72-foot ocean racing yacht, purpose-built for the novel and extreme sea conditions of the Clipper Race.

The design project was spearheaded and coordinated by the legendary sailor Sir Robin Knox-Johnston (the first person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world in 1968-69). Sir Robin founded the race's operating company, Clipper Ventures plc, in 1995 and now serves as its Chairman, jointly managing the company and race alongside Co-founder and CEO William Ward.

William Ward OBE, CEO of Clipper Ventures plc, said:"Today, we operate a world-leading event that attracts participants from across the globe eager to embark on a life-changing adventure. We have drawn on this wealth of experience for a significant investment project to design and build a new fleet that will take us into our fourth decade. We have built a strong partnership over the past 20 years with Qingdao, China, and are constructing our latest fleet of CLIPPER RX race yachts to the highest quality standards at globally competitive prices."

The hulls of the new generation fleet will be shipped to the UK this year, with the new fleet expected to enter service for the 15th edition of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, starting in the late summer of 2027.