2010 Splash Worlds get underway off Takapuna Beach
5:12 AM Sun 3 Jan 2010 GMT
The 2010 Splash World Championships, the first World sailing championship of the new decade, got underway off Takapuna Beach today with sailing of two Practice Races.
77 competitors from 12 countries are competing in the event which has been dominated by New Zealanders since 2000 - winning five of the 10 world championships sailed in that time.
Event Director Grant Cunningham says the regatta is the ninth world championship staged at the club since new club facility was established in 2005, and used for th Int14 Worlds in that year. Each regatta puts over a million dollars economic benefit into the local economy, he says.
Last year the venue hosted the 2008 World Championships for four Olympic classes, including the RS:X Mens Worlds, won by Tom Ashley, who went on to win the Gold medal in the same event in the 2008 Olympics in Qingdao, China.
Around 100 people are involved in the on the water organization, with a further 35 or so involved on shore.
Primary supporters for the event are SPARC, the North Shore City Council and the Lion Foundation.
The world championship will consist of 13 races starting tomorrow, Monday, and concluding on Friday 8 January starting at 1100hrs each day.
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com
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