Against the backdrop of the beautiful scenery on both sides of the Pujiang River, the white of the sailboats, the blue of the sea and the gold of the Huangpu River bring a different charm to today's Shanghai. On the afternoon of March 26, 15 J80 sailboats, 8 ILCA6 sailboats and 3 catamarans set sail on the Huangpu River, marking the official opening of the 2024 Shanghai Sailing Open.
Wu Minxia, Zhong Angel, Ma Lailai and other sports stars in Shanghai have become honorary captains; world champions and sailing enthusiasts have come from all over the world to compete in Shencheng; citizens have rushed to check in and ...... "sail" in the "Shanghai Le Fan Tian" event village.
From the World Championships to the first "Sailing"
Standing on the banks of the Huangpu River, Englishman Emmett volunteered to take on the role of a tour guide, introducing the cultural characteristics of the city of Shanghai. He was surrounded by 16-year-old Thai teenager and Asian Games ILCA4 champion Vika and Egypt's Kurud Mansi, who will compete at this summer's Paris Olympics.
It turned out that Emmett was a Chinese expert, who had served as the coach of the Chinese sailing team and competed in several Olympic Games. This time, as a coach, the 46-year-old will compete with a group of youngsters, adding another special chapter to his Chinese story. "'Sailing' is a race, but jumping out of the race itself, we can show people the charm of sailing while chasing the waves of the city, and we can also show the charm of Shanghai to the world. ”
As soon as Emmett finished speaking, John Stone, an American, couldn't wait to popularize the development status of sailing in China. When it comes to seniority in China, he refuses to admit defeat: "I have lived in China for 15 years and opened my own club in Xiamen. He admitted that he has witnessed the rapid development of Chinese sailing, from the beginning of people's ignorance of sailing, to now all kinds of sailing events are blooming all over the country, he is very happy to see that sailing is being integrated into people's leisure life.
Johnstone, who has competed in several Olympic sailing classes and is a world champion, is the captain of the J80 Opt Bio Lijia Sailing Team. Of course, it was the first time to come to Shanghai to compete. Standing on the viewing platform, he issued an invitation to the citizens at the scene: "Join the big family of 'sailing' and enjoy sailing." ”
From solo to crowded
As an honorary captain and before boarding the J80 sailboat, Le Jingyi, the 1996 Atlanta Olympic swimming champion, walked around the event village and learned about the history of sailing in Shanghai.
In 1873, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the opening of Shanghai, the British, who were doing business in Shanghai, held the "Shanghai Cup" regatta on the Huangpu River, bringing together six sailboats from six countries to participate. This is the first sailing competition in the history of Asia, and it is also the "first" recorded in modern sailing in China.
In the spring of 2024, Shanghai, which has a century-old sailing history, will restart the trend of the times with the "Sailing" event.
"Swimming, in fact, is very lonely. Diving is also a personal event, although there are dive buddies, you can only gesture underwater. And the sailboat brings Le Jingyi a more special feeling.
In Shenzhen's Daya Bay, Le Jingyi runs a water sports center, and she herself has tried a variety of water sports, including paddle boards, kayaks, and power surfboards. For almost a year, she became obsessed with galleons. "Pull the sails, take the helm, and everyone cooperates together to ride the wind and waves. "I like to experience the team spirit. And today, when she leans on the "four-piece suit" in Pudong and hoists the sails with the crew, there is also a sense of urban pride.
"After 151 years, I am proud of the city's sports construction and development, with more and more Chinese people participating in sailing and more international athletes coming to Shanghai to compete. ”
As an advocate of ocean protection, Le Jingyi also has a mission this time, "After watching the first competition, I plan to change all the pleasure boats to electric and carry out more green water projects." "Maybe in the next session, you can see Le Jingyi among the contestants of "Shangfan".
From competitive sports to recreational sports
"Sailing isn't just a sport, it's a way of life. Zhang Dongshuang, the world champion of the Laser Raider class (now ILCA6 class), took the oath today as a representative of the athletes, from competitive sailing boats to multi-person keel boats, sailing has been completely integrated into Zhang Dongshuang's life.
Sailing on a sailboat and going on a long voyage with friends is the most comfortable state. She and her friends once drove their own galleons to explore the Paracel Islands. In order to explore more beautiful scenery on the sea, Zhang Dongshuang returned to his hometown Dishui Lake, and began to try to operate various sailing boats, and participated in some sailing competitions at home and abroad.
However, driving a J80-class sailing boat, playing in his hometown of Dishui Lake and domestic and foreign experts, in Zhang Dongshuang's more than 20 years of sailing career, "sailing" undoubtedly has a special significance. Among the ILCA6 contestants, many of them are old friends of Zhang Dongshuang in the international arena. "The state of foreign runners is that they can be comfortable with both big sailing and small sailing. ”
Starting from "Shangfan", Zhang Dongshuang hopes to participate in more sailing events this year, "I will continue to participate in the ILCA6 class competition to win glory for the Shanghai team, and at the same time, I will also participate in sailing and promoting sailing." The training of large and small sailboats can be mutually reinforcing. ”
From regattas to the "Mikami" brand
Xiamen City Vocational College, which established the sailing team in 2009, is a veteran powerhouse in the circle. Although they have seen a lot of the world, everyone can hardly hide their excitement to be the participants of the first "Shangfan". "From the registration to the organization, it can be seen that this competition is very high, and the organizing committee has thought through all aspects. Crew member Wang Caijin told reporters. This event gathered well-known domestic sailing teams, which is enough to prove the appeal of the event. "We did our best and the players were very strong. Wang Caijin said.
So, what kind of grand sailing event will the Shanghai Sailing Open be?
It's a cityscape race. Every river is the scenery of the city's flow, the lifeblood of development, and the password for the city's prosperity. The Huangpu River flows through the center of Shanghai, backed by the landmark waters of Shanghai, and is born from the "sail".
This is an independent IP competition. Zhu Junwei, general manager of Shanghai Donghao Lansheng Race Management Co., Ltd., said, "In line with internationally renowned sailing events, this year's 'Shangfan' aims to create an international sailing event that is both professional and public participation, and at the same time attracts the attention of world-renowned brands. ”
This is a platform to highlight the image of the city and convey the spirit of the city, the Shanghai Sailing Open will be side by side with the Shanghai Marathon, which "measures the city's excitement with footsteps", and the Shanghai Rowing Open, which vividly demonstrates the effectiveness of Suzhou Creek governance with rowing as the carrier, to work together in low-carbon environmental protection and sustainable development, to convey the values of sports and sustainability to promote each other, to lead sports events to attach importance to the concept of green environmental protection, and to advocate citizens to jointly protect the beloved home of the earth, and bring "Sanshang" The power of the brand contributes to the construction of a world-famous sports city.
Passes the body through a set of beautifiers
Take you to witness the wonderful moment of the opening of "Shangfan".
Source: Shanghai Sports