Gdynia to host Olympic class sailing world championships

The World Sailing Championships, the world’s second most important and largest event in sports sailing after the Olympic Games, will be held in Poland in 2027. The regatta will be hosted by Gdynia, where around 700 sailors from all over the world will come to compete for medals and Olympic qualifications.

13 countries representing all continents competed for the right to host the event. The Championships will be organised by the Polish Sailing Association in partnership with the City of Gdynia, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism and the Self-Government of the Pomorskie Voivodeship.

The World Sailing Championships are held once every four years during the Olympic period, the four years between the Olympic Games. It is the first and highest-ranking qualifying event for the Olympics. The hosts of previous editions of the championships have been as follows: Cadiz (Spain) in 2003, Cascais (Portugal)- 2007, Perth (Australia) – 2011, Santander (Spain) – 2014, Aarhus (Denmark) – 2018 and The Hague (Netherlands) – 2023.

The upcoming edition of the event, for the first time ever, will be held under a new formula. Until now, regattas in all Olympic competitions have been held at one venue. Experience, costs, logistical and organisational considerations have led to a correction of the format and the division of the championships into two parts – the first will be held in 2026 in Valencia, the second in 2027 in Gdynia. This is undoubtedly the biggest event in the history of Polish sailing and the highest-ranking sporting event in Gdynia.

– The new format will enable sailors to compete more effectively, placing less of a budgetary burden on the hosts and allowing them to meet their own strategic objectives as well as World Sailing’s expectations. The main factors are sustainability, where we take into account a list of environmental guidelines such as decarbonisation, recycling programmes, water conservation, use of green energy, as well as parity issues – the IOC’s enforced gender equality policy. Both Gdynia and Valencia approach the above issues with full responsibility. ‘I am looking forward to the World Championships being held in cities with great sailing potential,’ says Quanhai Li, President of World Sailing.

In Gdynia, sailors of the two-man classes will compete: 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17, 470 and sailors with disabilities. Valencia will host single-handed competition sailors in the windsurfing iQFoil class, kitesurfing Formula Kite and ILCA.

– I would like to congratulate everyone who contributed to the World Sailing Federation’s decision to organise the Olympic Class World Championships in Gdynia. Sailing in our country is developing intensively. Polish sailors are winning medals in the most important events, with the Olympic Games at the forefront, we have very talented young people. Hosting the championships will additionally be a great promotion for our country and a great impulse for the development of Polish sailing itself,’ says Sławomir Nitras, Minister of Sport and Tourism.

The World Sailing Championship is the biggest ever sailing event in Poland. The work on the application itself took many weeks and a large group of people were involved in preparing the application. In addition to the Polish Sailing Association team, representatives of the City of Gdynia and the Gdynia Sports Centre, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the local government of the Pomeranian Voivodeship and external consultants took part in the preparations.

Source: PortalMorski.pl