Qingdao offers world a grand sailing feast

The annual Qingdao International Sailing Week and Qingdao International Marine Festival wrapped up at the city's Olympic Sailing Center on Aug 19.

This year’s event, which opened on Aug 11, staged around 40 activities and attracted 600,000 visitors across the world to enjoy the grand sailing feast.

As well as three routine sailing events - the "Mayor Cup" International Sailing Rally, the "Mazarin Cup" Qingdao International Sailing Competition, and the Qingdao International Optimist Sailing Camp & Sailing Competition, this year’s festival also saw the International Top University Regatta and the Shandong Kayaking Competition.

The International Top University Regatta (ITUR), held from Aug 11- 15, attracted sailing teams from 12 universities from around the world, including Oxford University, Cambridge University, Saint Petersburg State University and Tsinghua University to compete for the crown. After four days of closely fought sailing, Oxford University defended its title while the local team from Qingdao University came in ninth place.

This year's festival also featured a series of cultural exchange activities and a sailing boats show.

On Aug 10, the world's fastest sailing ship, Pallada from Russia, visited Qingdao to honor this year's sailing week. Visiting sailors made exchanges with local young sailors from the Qingdao International Optimist Training Camp and local residents were invited to go aboard the renowned sailing ship to see it for themselves.

Qingdao, venue of the sailing events for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, has staged the international sailing week every year since 2009.

The closing ceremony for the 2018 Qingdao International Sailing Week and Qingdao International Marine Festival is held on Aug 19 at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

College students make race preparations during the International Top University Regatta on Aug 11. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

One of the largest sailing vessels in the world, the Pallada arrives at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center in the eastern Chinese port of Qingdao, Shandong province on Aug 10 to honor Qingdao International Sailing Week. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]