Foreigners help Zhuhai sailors to win gold medal

The Zhuhai Hobby Sailors Club is the Group B gold-medal winner in the FAREAST 28R class of the Nov 20-24 Jiuzhou Cup Blue Route Sailing Championship competitions.

The first gold medal had been awarded earlier to Group A's Argonavis Sailing Club from Qingdao, China's sailing capital.

Although newly established, the Zhuhai team proved strong, but gives due credit to members of the boat's crew who came from Russia and the Netherlands.

Tasked to complete a specified route within the shortest time, the Zhuhai team was more skillful than nine others. Their precise and stable steering of the FAREAST 28R keelboat enabled smooth sailing from Haibin Beach in Jida to waters around Yeli Island in Xiangzhou. Three buoys marking difficulties brought with changing wind directions were bypassed as requested.

Medal presentation for Group B team [Photo by Zhu Xi / Zhuhai Daily]

The skipper, surnamed Martin, said he was impressed by the beautiful sea surface and that he was looking forward to next year's race.

The sailing competition tailored for worldwide amateurs attracted more than 100 competitors in 19 teams for its debut, many of them from overseas. Domestic crews performed well, including those from Shanghai, Fujian, Hainan, and Guangdong provinces. The other two Zhuhai teams also showed competence, a reflection of the foundation Zhuhai has laid in marine sports, claimed an executive.

According to organizer Jiuzhou Navigation Culture, the success will lead to more self-created competitions in Zhuhai. Anticipated Jiuzhou Cup races include an Optimist Class sailing regatta using small and single-handed dinghies.

Jiuzhou Holdings Group sponsored the event in the wake of the 2017 China National Windsurfing & National Sailing championships, also held in Zhuhai, wanting to appeal to amateurs this time.

The company is committed to satisfying the increasing spiritual and recreational needs of local residents by expanding the water sport industrial chain, which is based on the ever-growing marine economy.

A Zhuhai official said that combining sports and tourism is another approach to developing Zhuhai as a cultural tourism city.