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New Format World Sailing Championships on the Cards as World Sailing Invites Bids

2nd November 2023
Irish Olympic 49er campaigners Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnn Durcan of Royal Cork Yacht Club competing at the 2023 World Sailing Championships in The Hague
Irish Olympic 49er campaigners Seafra Guilfoyle and Johnn Durcan of Royal Cork Yacht Club competing at the 2023 World Sailing Championships in The Hague

World Sailing is looking for a host for its next World Sailing Championships t be held between Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The World body is inviting bids for the massive event following the 2023 edition in The Hague.

The seventh World Sailing Championships – between the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games – will bring a new opportunity for potential event hosts to bid for a split event, according to World Sailing.

In a move aimed at opening up the World Sailing Championships to more Member National Authorities and more cities/regions, potential hosts can bid for one of two sessions of the event.

The first World Sailing Championships were first held in Cadiz in 2003 and have been staged in every Olympic cycle since. As well as being an amazing event in their own right, they are also the main qualifying tournament for the Olympic Games.

The 2023 edition in The Netherlands attracted around 1200 athletes from 80 countries this summer, and a global broadcast audience of millions watched them. This year’s event was also the first edition to include Para events.

David Graham, World Sailing's Chief Executive Officer, said: “World Sailing is committed to growing the sport on every continent. The seventh edition will be the first time the event has been offered to two hosts, creating an opportunity for more of our Member National Authorities to host sailing’s greatest championships.

“The World Sailing Championships are unique. Only the very best in the world will be there, and no other event in sailing combines all of our Olympic classes with four Para events. The medals are shared equally between men and women and, because of the greater athlete numbers, the level of competition is higher than it is for the Olympic Games.

“As we saw with the 2023 event in The Hague, hosting the World Sailing Championships creates a superb platform to promote a city or region to a global audience while also providing a Member National Authority with an unmatched opportunity to develop sailing in their country.”

Further details on hosting the seventh Sailing World Championships can be obtained by downloading the bid document from the World Sailing website or by emailing [email protected].

The deadline for expressions of interest to host the seventh Sailing World Championships is 30 November, 2023 with final bids required by 30 March, 2024. A final decision will be made by the World Sailing Board in May 2024.

Published in World Sailing
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World Sailing Information

World Sailing is the world governing body for the sport of sailing, officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).

Founded in 1907, World Sailing's vision is for a world in which millions more people fall in love with sailing; inspired by the unique relationship between sport, technology and the forces of nature; we all work to protect the waters of the world.

World Sailing is made up of 144 Member National Authorities, the national governing bodies for sailing around the world and 117 World Sailing Class Associations.