Aarhus on track for excellent 2018 Sailing World Championships

Rio bronze medallist Anne Marie Rindom sailing in Aarhus © Mick Anderson / www.sailingpix.dk

Less than two years out from the Aarhus 2018 Sailing World Championships, World Sailing, the world governing body of the sport, is pleased with the excellent progress being made by the Aarhus 2018 Organising Committee and local authorities.

Set to be held in Aarhus, Denmark from 30 July to 12 August 2018, the Worlds are second only to the Olympic Games and will be organised in collaboration between World Sailing, Dansk Sejlunion, Sailing Aarhus, Sport Event Denmark and the City of Aarhus.

From 4-5 October 2016, senior World Sailing officials including Chief Executive Officer Andy Hunt, Chief Commercial Officer Hugh Chambers, Director of Events Alastair Fox, Events Manager Alistair Dickson and Olympic Classes Representative Corinne McKenzie visited the Danish city to undertake a full site visit.

Over the two-day period briefings were held on race management, supporting emerging nations, broadcasting, marketing and media, city activities and commercial operations.

As part of a lasting legacy of the Sailing World Championships and Aarhus becoming the 2017 European City of Culture, the development of the port area shows encouraging progress. Set to be completed in 2017, the work will enable the city to cater for the world's best sailors for both the 2017 Test Event and the 2018 Worlds.

World Sailing CEO Andy Hunt commented, "The Aarhus 2018 organising committee have shown outstanding progress to date, outlining their ambitions to make the 2018 Worlds memorable for the competing sailors and the general public.

"Their vision and plan will ensure sailors compete on a world class field of play surrounded by exceptional facilities as they prepare for Tokyo 2020. Furthermore, their plans to engage spectators and the general public will ensure that the event is not only viewed with excellence in Aarhus and Denmark, but around the world."

The Sailing World Championships are held every four years and is the largest gathering of Olympic class sailors. At the 2014 edition in Santander, Spain, more than 1,100 sailors from 82 nations attended with hundreds of thousands of spectators taking to the promenade and spectator dune.

Aarhus 2018 will continue where Santander 2014 left off, bidding to set new standards for both sailors and spectators.

Klaus Natorp, Head of the Aarhus 2018 Sailing World Championships added, "It was a great pleasure welcoming the World Sailing Executive team and the Olympic Classes representative to Aarhus and we were delighted to show that the preparations of the Sailing World Championships 2018 are making good progress.

"Our commitment is to make the 2018 Sailing World Championships the most spectacular sailing event ever, bringing world class Olympic sailing right into the heart of the city of Aarhus."

As part of a lasting legacy of the Sailing World Championships and Aarhus becoming the 2017 European City of Culture, the development of the port area shows encouraging progress in advance of completion in 2017, enabling the city to cater for the world's best sailors.

World Sailing officials will return for the next formal in March 2017 to further review progress ahead of the test event. Additional site visits will take place every six months thereafter, leading into the Championships.

More on Aarhus 2018 at www.aarhus2018.com