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A renewed foundation for the road to an Olympic and Paralympic Games for 2017-2020
Over its
nine-year history, the Sailing World Cup has provided the foundations for the
road to an Olympic and Paralympic Games, offering a glimpse of what will
happen at the grandest stage in the sport.
As the focus begins to shift from Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian waters to
the Japanese city of Tokyo for the 2020 Olympic Games, World Sailing has
unveiled its strategy for the Sailing World Cup with a renewed vision:
The Sailing World Cup Series
will continue to showcase and develop Olympic Sailing, it will be a key part
of a sailor's Olympic campaign, integrate Para World Sailing, help create
heroes and engage sailing sports fans, excite sponsors and broadcasters and
conclude with a Final at which the winners in each event are crowned.
As part of the strategy, Miami, an existing and popular Sailing World Cup
Round has been awarded a series Round each January from 2017 through to 2020.
Miami will host the first Round of the upcoming 2017 series which will be
shortened to allow a switchover to a new calendar. Hyeres, France will follow
in April before a European Final in late June / early July. Sailors attending
the 2016 Sailing World Cup Final in Melbourne, Australia will automatically
qualify for the 2017 series with the remaining places awarded based on the
World Sailing Rankings.
After the shortened 2017 series, the Sailing World Cup series will run from
October to July every year, incorporating three Rounds and a European Final
at the end of June / early July. For sailors to qualify for the Final, they
will have to commit to the full series.
Japan will host a Sailing World Cup Round each October from 2017 through to
2019 before holding the Final in July 2020, just weeks before the Olympic
Games. Qualification regattas for the 2017/18 season will be announced
by the end of October 2016.
World Sailing CEO Andy Hunt commented, "After Rio 2016, a clear vision
is required for the Sailing World Cup to capitalise on the success of one of
the most thrilling Olympic Sailing Competitions in recent history.
"We now aim to develop a sustainable, long term, annual elite series
that supports an Olympic campaign, drives our commercial and sponsorship
activities and takes the sport to thriving venues with world famous sailing
conditions.”
The 2017-2020 Sailing
World Cup series of events:
2017: Miami (January), Hyeres (April) + European Final (late June/ early
July)
2017/18: Japan (October 2017), Miami (January 2018), Hyeres (May 2018) +
European Final
2018/19: Japan (October 2018), Miami (January 2019), Europe Round (May-June)
+ European Final
2019/20: Japan (October 2019), Miami, (January 2020) Europe Round (May-June)
+ Japan Final (July 2020)
World Sailing are now inviting Host Cities in Europe to bid for the Sailing
World Cup Series Final in 2017 -2019. Click
here for the Bid Documents.
By Daniel Smith - World
Sailing
Attention Sailing Organizations & PR Agencies:
Add us to your distribution list, contact us today
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