QINGDAO, Nov 2 -- The Chinese coastal city of Qingdao has renewed its contract with the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race until the end of 2020, meaning it will be the first city in the world to host the prestigious sailing event for the eighth straight time, Qingdao sports officials announced on Wednesday.

The biennial Clipper Race has visited Qingdao for six times in a row since 2005 and will return in 2018 and 2020.

The race has boosted Qingdao's tourism by bringing in thousands of crews, visitors and business partners.

The participating Chinese yacht Qingdao has since 2005 visited London, Britain; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Cape Town, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; Seattle and New York, the United States.

Qingdao officials said the Clipper Race has also boosted the city's ship-building industry. Twelve 70-foot Cipper Race yachts were built by a Qingdao shipyard.

The Clipper Race was launched by British legend Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, who circumnavigated the globe solo, without stopping, in 1968-1969 to become the first mariner in the world to achieve the feat.

The next edition of the Clipper Race will leave Britain in late August 2017 and reach Qingdao in March 2018.

Yachts line up for a sail-by at the Olympic Marina prior in Qingdao to the start for the 10th leg of the 10th race of the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race on March 18, 2014. [Photo/IC]