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2007 Qingdao International Regatta to Set Sail

One thing is certain when considering the future of Qingdao: sailing will be an important part of it.

Qingdao, a beautiful city located on the shores of the Yellow Sea on East China's Shandong Peninsula, is an Olympic co-host city that will be the site of the 29th Olympic Sailing Regatta in August 2008. It will also host the following Paralympic sailing events.

Qingdao’s commitment to sailing, however, runs deeper and wider than the singular Olympic and Paralympic events. Visitors to Qingdao will encounter sculptures, posters and banners featuring sailing all over the city. And students in Qingdao get at least one sailing class every week. Posters and banners carry such slogans as “Meeting in Beijing and Sailing in Qingdao” and “Sailing with Heart, Sailing to Success,” which are as much about the city and its self-conception as any athletic event. So when people from around the world are greeted before and after 2008, they will sense Qingdao’s growing confidence in its future in sailing, both competitively and recreationally, and that it will stage the best-ever Olympic sailing competition.

The city’s preparations for 2008 are highlighted by important test events that have been organized by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) and the Sailing Committee (Qingdao) of BOCOG, including the “Good Luck Beijing International Regatta,” to be held on August 11–24, 2007, that is entering its second year.

Based at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, the 2007 Qingdao International Regatta will be organized as closely as possible in accord with 2008 Olympic Sailing conditions and rules. Even the same race courses and procedures will be employed, as during the first regatta that was a huge success in August 2006. The regatta allows the Sailing Committee to test every aspect of its competition organization, including transportation, crowd management, safety, weather forecasting, receptions and accommodations of athletes, coaches and the domestic and international media who are strongly drawn to this important international sailing event.

Even before the Closing Ceremonies for the 2006 event, the city was looking ahead to the 2007 regatta and anticipating changes that would be made to make it better than 2006 and good enough for the 2008 Games. For instance, in 2006, ISAF Vice-President David Kellett suggested strengthening the teamwork of International Technical Officers (ITOs) and National Technical Officers (NTOs). This year’s regatta will test the implementation of those suggestions.

The stunningly beautiful Qingdao Olympic Sailing Centre, which will become a deep-water marina open to the public, perhaps even cruise liners, after the 2008 Games, was completed in 2006 just in time for the 2006 test regatta.

Organized by the Chinese Yachting Association and the People’s Government of Qingdao, the test regatta closely follows guidelines established by the sport’s Olympic authority, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). The 11 Olympic sailing events included: RS:X(M), RS:X(W), Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, 470(M), 470(W), Star, Tornado, 49er and Yngling-class wind-surfing boards or sailboats competing in nine Olympic-level classes.

All the world’s top sailors will gather at the 2007 regatta to learn from their rivals and to study the venue conditions. More importantly, it will be the final opportunity for athletes from around the world to get tickets for the 2008 Games sailing event.

Last summer, the hospitality and friendliness of the people of Qingdao and the regatta's volunteers left a deep impression on Kellett’s mind. “The on-shore organization of all the volunteers was beyond our expectations. The people of Qingdao have been very warm and friendly toward all the sailors. The organization was first-class and far beyond what we expected. I think by the time the 2008 Olympics come around, the city of Qingdao will be celebrating.”

Despite the great success of the Qingdao test regatta, Mayor Xia Geng spoke humbly of the 2006 event. “It’s a big challenge for Qingdao to host the 2008 Olympic Sailing Regatta, especially since Qingdao has never held large scale international regattas in the past and has a shortage of experienced technicians in this field. Our people still have much to learn about the Olympic Sailing Regatta and about the modern sport of sailing. Therefore, the process of preparing for the 2008 Olympics Games will also involve popularizing sailing knowledge among our residents.”