The Whitsundays Set to Host the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race For The Fourth Time

The Whitsundays’ own Platinum Global Gold Anchor Marina, Coral Sea Marina, will host the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race for the fourth time in January 2024.

Yachts will sail into The Whitsundays from 15th January, with the race starting again on 22 January. The ‘race of your life’ participants will spend their days at Coral Sea Marina resting, preparing for the next leg of the race, hosting public open days and offering an insight into the race through their Fan Zone.

The courageous crew board their yachts at the end of August from Plymouth, UK, to begin the epic race around the globe and will visit 50 ports in the 40,000-mile, eleven-month-long race.

The Clipper Race has been running since 1996 and is the brainchild of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. Different from any other yacht race, Clipper organisers provide eleven racing yachts crewed with an experienced skipper and first mate to guide a crew with limited sailing experience on each leg of the race. Coral Sea Marina’s Chief Executive Officer Kate Purdie explains, “We are proud to be named an official host port for the Clipper Round The World Yacht Race in 2024. Coral Sea Marina is the perfect homeport for crew to stay, play and explore the beautiful Whitsundays and the world-renowned Great Barrier Reef. We look forward to bringing the local community together to welcome the crew to our iconic destination, and to see firsthand what it takes to circumnavigate the globe on a racing yacht. We hope it will be an inspiring experience for everyone involved.”

Tourism Whitsundays Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton acknowledged the significance of being a host port for the fourth time.

“The Clipper Race chooses the ports themselves and do so to design a unique race each year; for the race to make it here four times in the last eight years is a credit to Paul, Kate and the team at Coral Sea Marina and a celebration of the accolades they have worked hard to achieve.

“The Whitsundays is a must-visit destination for many international travellers, and to have an international race of this calibre make this region a homeport, reinforces the appeal of The Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef around the world,” Mr Hamilton said.