Sailing carnival to kick off Nov. 6

Writer: Chen Xiaochun  | Editor: Holly Wang  | From: Shenzhen Daily | Updated: 2019-10-23

The 13th China Cup International Regatta will be held from Nov. 6 to 10, gathering over 1,100 sailors from 32 countries and regions, including the U.S., the U.K., France, Russia, Australia, Spain, Denmark and New Zealand, to compete in a sailing carnival in the waters of Shenzhen’s Daya Bay.

In total, there will be nine groups in six categories, the event’s organizer said at a conference yesterday.

The entirety of the 13th China Cup International Regatta will take place in Shenzhen, replacing the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Rally Race that started off the regatta in the past. The change in the race structure is a result of the rapid development of the maritime industry in Shenzhen and the popularization of water sports in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. It is also a response to the decision to make Shenzhen a globally renowned ocean-centric city, the organizer said.

Those who have made their names known in the Olympics, America’s Cup, The Ocean Race, Copa del Rey MAPFRE and all the Rolex-titled yacht races will be returning to the 13th China Cup, including Laurie Jury of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Lucy Jackson of LV Yachting, Tim Thubron of Royal Ocean Race Club, and Julio Bernardeau Navarro who led the team at Copa del Rey MAPFRE.

According to Liu Hailan, vice president of China Cup International Regatta Management Co., this year’s sporting event will enjoy three highlights, namely a new theme for the event, a zero-waste event and an exhibition of traditional Chinese sailboats.

The English-language theme for the event this year is “Keep Sailing” while its Chinese theme can be translated as “Embracing blue water, Zero-carbon sailing.” China Cup aims to use the event as a platform to enable more people to embrace the ocean, learn more about ocean culture and learn how to coexist with the ocean and nature in a harmonious and environmentally friendly way.

China Cup aims to deliver not only a phenomenal and luxurious experience to competitors and crews, but also an environmentally conscious sporting event. All of the waste produced in the race village will be collected and sorted. Recyclable materials will be made into T-shirts. There will be a pre-order sale during the regatta and all profits earned will be donated to ocean protection organizations.

In addition, there will be various ocean protection-related interactive activities in the race village for spectators who are willing to contribute more to China Cup’s ocean protection initiative. Activities include fishnet regeneration workshops, an environmental protection family forum and more. As the sailors utilize the wind for the competition, the spectators will leave no dent on the event’s environmental legacy.

Traditional Chinese sailboats carry on China’s long-standing sailing culture. Over the past 13 years, China Cup has dedicated itself to the inheritance and promotion of the sailing spirit. This year, China Cup will continue to work with China Traditional Boat Association to exhibit traditional Chinese sailboats both on shore and in the water. Additionally, craftsmen of traditional Chinese sailboats will share stories behind sailboat making with the public.

The China Cup International Regatta, initiated in Shenzhen in 2007, is co-organized by the Water Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, Chinese Yachting Association and Culture, and Shenzhen Municipal Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau.