From July 30 - August 12, 2018, the Aarhus International Sailing Center will welcome 1,500 sailors from around 100 countries and an estimated 400,000 visitors. The sailors will be fighting for two prizes - medals in Aarhus and qualification for the Olympics. The Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 is the first big qualification event for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and Enoshima (sailing).

The Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018 is organised in collaboration between World Sailing, 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.

The 2018 World Championships are to bring sailors and spectators closer together and spread enthusiasm both at sea and on land.

The 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.