All sails set for 2018 ISAF Sailing World Championships

(l to r) Mr. Jacob Bundsgaard Mayor of Aarhus, ISAF President Carlo Croce and Mr. Rabih Azad-Ahmad Cultural Mayor, Departments of Culture and Citizens Services, City of Aarhus © ISAF / Aarhus

(l to r) Mr. Jacob Bundsgaard Mayor of Aarhus, ISAF President Carlo Croce and Mr. Rabih Azad-Ahmad Cultural Mayor, Departments of Culture and Citizens Services, City of Aarhus © ISAF / Aarhus

The ISAF Sailing World Championships in Aarhus in 2018 will be the biggest World Championships ever. This was the message when the contract was signed today between the organisers and the International Sailing Federation, ISAF.

It will be a World Championships of records when the Bay of Aarhus forms the backdrop for the World Championships in 2018 for all Olympic boat classes. In terms of both the number of sailors and the number of participating countries, this will be an event that will surpass the sailing competition at the Olympic Games.

"This is a huge event, and it will leave its mark on the city and the bay. Once again, the Sailing World Championships place Aarhus and Denmark among the best event sites. The many participants and travelling companions will create life and atmosphere in the city and on the water, and it will be a unique experience for the city's citizens and the many visitors," said Mayor Jacob Bundsgaard and Councillor for Culture and Citizen Service, Rabih Azad-Ahmad, who have signed the contract together on behalf of the Danish organisers.

The 2018 ISAF Sailing World Championships are organised in collaboration between the International Sailing Federation, ISAF, Dansk Sejlunion, Sailing Aarhus, Sport Event Denmark and the City of Aarhus. The parties share a joint ambition about ensuring that the event becomes the biggest World Championships ever for Olympic boat classes.

ISAF President Carlo Croce said, "The ISAF Sailing World Championships is one of our pinnacle events and it's very complicated to run, you cannot do it by yourself. The Danish organisers are highly competent and the team convey the feeling that they are a strong, united group. The legacy of sailing in Aarhus is fantastic and there is a great opportunity ahead. We are very happy to be taking the event to Aarhus in 2018.

"ISAF is looking for universality and having 100 nations and upwards of 1,600 sailors competing on the Bay of Aarhus in 2018 will be amazing for the sport."

Lars Lundov, Director at Sport Event Denmark, adds, "The World Championships for all Olympic boat classes will head towards Denmark in 2018, and we have set all sails even now together with Aarhus and Dansk Sejlunion in order to establish new standards for the event".

The goal is to set a new record with upwards of 100 participating nations. The World Championships are to attract spectators from Denmark and abroad and set completely new standards for both sailors and spectators. The 2018 World Championships are to bring sailors and spectators closer together and spread enthusiasm both at sea and on land.

The ISAF Sailing World Championships are held every four years, and without comparison, they are the largest event that has the participation of all 10 Olympic boat classes. The distribution of national places in the Olympic Games will start on the Bay of Aarhus. This is where the dream about Olympic medals in Tokyo in 2020 begins for the greatest stars in sailing. As something completely new, kitesurfing has also been added to the World Championships programme.

For decades, Denmark has been among the best sailing nations in the world. A large number of World Championship and Olympic medals won over the years speak of sailing as a sport in which Danish sailors repeatedly manage to deliver top performances when it matters most. It is therefore only natural that Danish sailors look forward to competing in their home territory.

"The ISAF Sailing World Championships will make Aarhus an international brand in sailing once and for all. From the moment the Olympic flame is extinguished in Rio in 2016, every sailing nation in the world will start focusing on Aarhus. Over the next two years, a steady and ever increasing stream of sailors and coaches will visit Aarhus to get to know the World Championship waters. However, nobody knows the Bay of Aarhus better than the Danish sailors, and we look forward to demonstrating our skills to a home audience," says Hans Natorp, Chairman of Dansk Sejlunion.

The ambition is that the World Championships in 2018 will, in several ways, be bigger than the most recent World Championships in Spanish Santander.

In Santander, 1,167 sailors from 82 nations took part. The area for the sailing finals was visited by 285,000 people, and the event was covered by 196 journalists. The local authorities assess that the financial effect of the World Championships amounted to approx.37.18 million Euros.

"The 2018 World Championships are a clear victory for sailing on the Bay of Aarhus. The event will place Aarhus on the 'world sailing map' once and for all, and Sailing Aarhus is ready with a strong and experienced crew," says Mette Rostgaard Evald, Chairman of Sailing Aarhus.

The 2018 ISAF Sailing World Championships will be launched in August 2018.Second only to the Olympic Games, these ISAF World Championships are the most important event for the Olympic boat classes. The ISAF World Championships are held every four years – during the even years between the Olympic Games – most recently, they were held in the autumn of 2014 in Santander, Spain. All other years, the World Championships are spread out as separate events for the individual boat classes.