2012 City Clubs Open Regatta to kick off in Qingdao
The 2012 City Clubs Open Regatta (CCOR) is to run from May 4 to 7 at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center, East China's Shandong province.
More than 40 large sailing boats from 30 sailing clubs will participate in different races, categorized into three classes, including FAREAST 26, BENETEAU First 40, and Fly Tiger 30, according to Qu Chun, deputy secretary general of the Chinese Yachting Association.
"Top sailors from home and abroad will gather in Qingdao to race against each other, including the 2008 Olympic sailing RS-X level female champion, Yin Jian, and the first man to sail around the world with no motive power, Zhai Mo," Qu told China Daily.
In addition to the regular fleet race, a new race pattern, Around Island Race, will take place at this year's regatta and make the game more thrilling, Qu said.
Marine related activities will also be held during the regatta, such as a fashion show of top European sailing clothing brands Gaastra and Slam, a sailor party and onboard sailing experiences for the audience.
After hosting the Beijing Olympic sailing regatta, Qingdao has since been a regular host of the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and the Extreme 40 Sailing Series, and is also close to getting the Sailing World Cup, further consolidating itself as a "Sailing Capital".
City Clubs Open Regatta, known as CCOR, is a professional keelboat regatta, which started in 2010. Authorized by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF), CCOR is the first annual regatta in China that has been put in the ISAF Regatta Calendar.
