The 2026 World Sailing Annual Conference and World Sailing Awards will be held in Qingdao, China, from 16 to 21 November. More than 400 international delegates are expected to attend the annual gathering, which brings together sailing's governing bodies, athletes, administrators and industry leaders to discuss the sport's future.
As regular Afloat readers know, the 2025 conference was staged in Dun Laoghaire.
Known as China's sailing capital, Qingdao hosted the sailing events at the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games and has remained a major venue for international competition.
World Sailing CEO David Graham said the organisation was "delighted" to bring the event to a city with a strong sailing heritage. "The Annual Conference is always a special occasion, one where the global sailing community is able to come together, discuss proposals, celebrate our successes and share suggestions to improve the experience for sailors at all levels," Graham said. He added that the conference provides an opportunity to address challenges facing the sport and create new opportunities for growth worldwide.
Graham described the World Sailing Awards as "the highlight of the year", recognising athletes and those supporting innovation and development across the sport. The conference programme will include open sessions, which will be streamed live on World Sailing's YouTube channel.
Further details, including agendas, submissions and supporting papers, are available through World Sailing.
