Sailors blow in to Qingdao to compete in races

The 13th Qingdao International Sailing Week and the Qingdao International Marine Festival were held in the coastal city in Shandong province from Oct 10-16, attracting sailing enthusiasts from across the country.

A vast array of events including races, a training camp, and opportunities for the public to try their hand at sailing were held during the week.

Qingdao cemented its name as an international sailing city in 2008 when it hosted the sailing events for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Zang Aimin, vice-president of the organizing committee of Qingdao's major international sailing events and festivals, thanked the attendees for their continued support for the sailing festival, during the opening ceremony.

Zhang Xiaodong, president of the China Sailing Association, praised how well sailing has developed in Qingdao and said she is looking forward to Qingdao further consolidating its status as a world-class sailing sports destination and a national-level sports center.

During the closing ceremony on Oct 16, the winning teams of all the events were awarded.

Officials from the Qingdao city government have said that the coastal city will continue to take advantage of its image as a sailing city and hold yet more sailing-related events in the future, as well as promote fishing and marine tourism, and related industries.

Yu Dongquan, deputy secretary-general of the Qingdao city government, said that with the joint efforts of all parties, the 2021 Qingdao International Sailing Week was a complete success.

The festival has stood as a broad platform for exchanges and cooperation. It further deepened the popularity of sailing sports, built up Qingdao's brand for such sports events and boosted the integration of various industries, Yu said.

Qingdao has 817 kilometers of coastline. There is over 12,000 square kilometers of sea area that surrounds the city, approximately 1,000 times more than its land area.