Aarhus World Championships
Invoking the twin legends of their Viking ancestry and more modern Olympic exploits, Aarhus welcomed the world of sailing on Thursday evening for the opening ceremony of the Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus 2018.
The flag-bearers of the 85 nations competing paraded in between the welcoming speeches and music from the local favourites, Michael Learns to Rock with the citizens of Aarhus 50-deep in the harbour. The ceremony also opened the maritime festival and 400,000 visitors are expected to visit Aarhus during these World Championships to enjoy the sailing and a hundred different side-events.
Jacob Bundsgaard, the Mayor of Aarhus, himself a keen sailor, reached back into the history of this city of sails. “Welcome to Denmark – and welcome to Aarhus, the ancient capital city of the Vikings,” he said.
“Over 1200 years ago, the Vikings settled right here on this spot – by the shore and the forest, the perfect place for a harbour town.”
“Now “the Danish sailors – with fiery Viking blood in their veins – are once again fighting for honor and gold, this time on their home turf.”
“Aarhus is ready – well-prepared and dedicated. We’re proud to be hosting the world championships – and we’ve really pulled out all the stops to give you the experience of a lifetime.”
Kim Andersen, the Danish president of World Sailing, continued the theme.
“It is an honour for me to welcome so many of you to my home country Denmark, and to the beautiful city of Aarhus,” he said. “To host these World Championships in Aarhus, a legendary sailing city, is a very special feeling.”
Paige Railey, the USA flag-bearer, in her star-spangled dress turned heads but the image of the night was Bryony Shaw, carrying her 14-month year-old son, Jaddek, in front of her. It was a moment that celebrated the many mothers in this 1,400-strong fleet.
The biggest teams here are the British and French teams, with 83 sailors each (although registrations are ongoing), but the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for the powerful Danish team. They will be a handful on home waters.
How to Follow:
ENTRIES
RESULTS
- Results will be available when race commences here - https://aarhus2018.sailing.org/results.
WATCH
- Videos from the Hempel Sailing World Championships are available here - https://aarhus2018.sailing.org/watch
- Click here to subscribe for live notifications.
- Sailing will be shown live on World Sailing’s YouTube and Facebook Channels from 2-12 August.
SAP SAILING ANALYTICS
- Live tracking, sailor analytics, live weather data and racing status will be available here.
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Follow the event on World Sailing's social networks and get involved in the conversation using #Aarhus2018.
- Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/worldsailingofficial/
- Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/worldsailingofficial/ / https://www.instagram.com/aarhus2018/
- Twitter - @worldsailing / @aarhus2018
NEWS
- All World Sailing international press releases throughout the duration of the World Championships, including the latest news and reports, are available to read here - https://aarhus2018.sailing.org/news
LIVE ALERTS
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ABOUT THE HEMPEL SAILING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AARHUS 2018
Held every four years, the Sailing World Championships is one of the biggest global sailing events in the world and the principal qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Hempel Sailing World Championships Aarhus Denmark 2018 will include all 10 Olympic boat classes. Kiteboarding will be added to the programme for the first time. The ambition is to make the championships in Aarhus a unique and spectacular event, where sailing is made more popular and accessible than ever before.
The Championships will be held from 30 July to 12 August 2018 and 1,400 sailors from up to 85 nations will race in up to 1,000 boats.
Held simultaneously with the Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, a large festival will provide opportunities visiting families to get out on the water. The event expects to draw 400,000 visitors to Aarhus.