Sailing championships clear way for Zhuhai local regatta

Zhejiang's sailing and windsurfing teams dominated the 2017 China National Windsurfing & National Sailing Championships in Zhuhai from Nov 11 to 19, taking home nine of 22 titles up for grabs.

Meanwhile, crews from Guangdong, Shandong, and Fujian provinces pocketed three titles each with Sichuan taking home two. Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities each earned one gold medal.

The closing ceremony was held after the conclusion of the last Women's Laser Radial (one-person dinghy) sailing battles at the International Maritime Cultural Center & Regatta Service Center off the coast of Xianglu Bay on Central Lovers Avenue and Haibin Beach in Jida.

Standout performers had to overcome challenges from 400 competitors from around the country, some of whom had won international honors. Participation was high as the weeklong tournaments became China's largest and highest-level sailing competition and major domestic windsurfing contest. 

Winners raise trophies [Photo by Zhu Xi / Zhuhai Daily]

Other sailing events were the Men's and Women's 470 classes, Men's Laser, and Men's Finn. Windsurfing competitions were held in the Men's and Women's RS:X, and Men's and Women's T293.

The fighting spirit and perseverance shown during the rounds were praised at the ceremony by Zhang Xiaodong, deputy director of the National Sports Administration's Water Sports Management Center and president of the Chinese Yachting Association.

Zhang said that Zhuhai's competency as a host city was fully displayed in organizing, coordinating, reception, media promotion, and emergency response. She encouraged full utilization of the coastal city's natural advantages to further promote aquatic sports, growing together with related national industrial systems. 

Jiuzhou Holdings Group, the organizer of the championships, stated that Zhuhai's local sailing event that it had pioneered will soon debut, and is expected to be even more original and lively. Publicity will be doubled to popularize navigation, in the city's efforts to construct and optimize the tourism-sports-combined industrial layout.  

Guo Caiwu, member of the Standing Committee of the Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee, also attended the closing ceremony.