After more than 20 grueling days at sea, all the Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race entries have arrived in Qingdao as their journey from Singapore to the city concluded on Feb. 23.

The sailors were received at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in a spectacular ceremony of champagnes, flowers, fireworks and live performances.

This is the fourth time the city received the Clipper Race fleet as a race destination. Qingdao recently signed a contract to sponsor two more races until 2016 to build on its legacy as the sailing venue of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and to continue to strengthen its brand as China's sailing city.

During the stopover in Qingdao, an array of diverse cultural activities awaits the crew and skippers of the ten-strong fleet. More than 50 crew members will meet local families to experience Chinese culture.

The Clipper 11-12 fleet will be hosted by Qingdao until 4 March, when they will set off from China onto its longest section of the 40,000-mile race – across the Pacific Ocean to California, the U.S.

The Clipper 11-12 Round the World Yacht Race started from Southampton on the south coast of the U.K. on July 31, 2011 and will end there on July 22, 2012 after taking 51 weeks to travel over 40,000 miles, visiting 15 ports of call on six continents.