OLYMPICS/ Qing dao
Qingdao sailing into salubrious era
By Zhao Ruixue (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-08-09 11:06
Xia Geng has the wind in his sails.
In the countdown to the 2008 Olympic Sailing regatta, the mayor of Qingdao has sounded his intentions to make the coastal city one of the world's elite aquatic sports centers.
The 2007 Qingdao International Sailing Regatta, the last yachting test before the 2008 Olympic sailing competition, begins today at China's newly appointed center of nautical excellence.
"What we have been doing is to make Qingdao, as a sailing city, more charming and more competitive," Xia said.
"We will combine hardware with software to make the sailing city exert greater influence in the world."
The coastal city in east China's Shandong Province has done all it could possibly do to quickly morph from a seaside tourist destination into a "sailing city".
It hosted a stage of the America's Cup Sailing Competition last September and, after the Olympics, is set to welcome a stage of the prestigious 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race during its only stop in China.
Qingdao has also launched a series of marketing promotions in Japan, the Republic of Korea, France, Germany and the United States.
Footage spruiking it as a "Sailing City" has been circulated at home and abroad to disseminate its image among potential business partners as public interest increases sharply ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
In 2006, Qingdao held promotions in inland cities in Qinghai Province, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and other inland municipalities.
The inaugural International Regatta, which took place in August last year, was contested by about 500 athletes from 40 countries and regions.
This year's tournament is set to attract more than 700 competitors and officials from 60 countries.
According to Xia, sailors from more than 32 countries and regions have formed exchanges with their counterparts in Qingdao, 15 more than in 2002.
"Qingdao is vigorously popularizing aquatic sports and developing sea tourism and oceanic economy," Xia said.
"Qingdao will make full use of the natural conditions - a long coastline, numerous fleets and suitable wind, waves and water temperature to improve infrastructures and environmental constructions."
More than 1,000 school children now sail regularly after sailing was introduced to the curriculums of primary and middle school students.
Yacht clubs have been founded in recent years, creating new opportunities by attracting large numbers of crews from around the world.
Xia believes the Olympics will leave the city a legacy for y
ears to come.
"As for the people's Olympics, we will transfer the center into a museum to keep the heritage of sailing culture in Qingdao, even in the world," he said.
"After the Olympics, Qingdao will be developed into a comprehensive leisure center of aquatic sports combining training, competition, education, scientific research and sightseeing via infrastructure, such as luxury yacht quays, international yacht clubs and seaside leisure centers."
Rising interest in sailing has dramatically boosted the local yachting industry.
Foreign manufacturers have invested in Qingdao to build yachts and other related infrastructure.
Qingdao has held several International Aquatic Sports and Boat Shows during which more than 200 enterprises exhibited the latest sailing boats and paraphernalia.
These shows have significantly promoted sailing, spurred top-end consumption and upgraded manufacturing facilities.
Asia's best
In a bid to hold a successful Olympic sailing competition, the Qingdao government converted its dockyard into a unique first-class marina.
The center covers 45 hectares of land, comprises 30 hectares of competition area and 15 hectares for future development.
All essential facilities, including Qingdao Olympic Village, the Athletes Center, Administrative Center, a Media Center and Logistics Center are located in the competition area.
The total investment in the center is about 3.28 billion yuan ($433 million), of which 1.78 billion yuan ($235m) was used for moving the dockyard, and 1.5 billion yuan ($198m) for building.
During last year's Qingdao International Regatta, the venue earned praise as "the best Olympic venue in Asia".
Apart from the Olympic village, which will be finished at the end of 2007, all of the facilities began operation during the regatta.
In future the center will be capable of holding world-class sailing competitions of different classes and scales.
After the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Disabled Olympics, Qingdao will double as a thriving sailing and tourist site.
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