Zhu Chengqing delivered a speech at the ceremony.
Vice Mayor Wang Xiulin of the Qingdao Municipal Government
made a speech at the ceremony.
Yao Xingpei, Secretary General of the Asian Yachting Federation and
the Chinese Yatching Association declared the set-sail start.
Leaders and guests watched the set-sail of the Sailing Rally.
At 10:00 am yesterday, the set-sail ceremony for the 2010 Mayor s Cup" Dalian-Qiangdao Sailing Rally, sponsored by the State General Administration of Sports, the Qingdao Municipal Government and the Dalian Municipal Government, was held near the City Century Sculpture in Xinghai Square. Yao Xingpei, Secretary General of the Asian Yachting Federation and the Chinese Yatching Association, Qingdao municipal leaders Zang Aimin and Wang Xiulin, Dalian municipal leaders Zhu Chengqing and Dong Changhai, relevant leaders and guests from the Water Sports Administration Center of the State Sports General Administration, the Qingdao Municipal Government and Sports Bureaus of other cities attended the ceremony. Zhu Chengqing and Xiu-Lin Wang respectively delivered speeches.
This is the second time that Dalian and Qingdao co-organized the Mayor s Cup" Sailing Rally, with the participation of 21 sailing ships in two classes: unified design class and open class. The unified design group is the Bonnardeau First40, consisting of 10 sailing boats from China, France, Britain, Russia, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong, China; for the open class, there are 11 36 ft racing keelboats, with nine from China and two respectively from the United States and Japan, with eight professional athletes in each boat. All of the boats will enter the inshore sailing venue in Dalian for the games and then sail across the Bohai Gulf along the scheduled routes -- about 320 sea miles towards the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center for the Closing and Awards Ceremony on Aug. 28.
On behalf of Dalian`s 6 million people, Zhu Chengqing welcomed guests, athletes, coaches and staff and wished the games great success. Wang Xiulin appreciated the active participation and cooperation of other cities on behalf of Qiangdao City. He said that the Mayor s Cup" Sailing Rally by both Dalian and Qiangdao creates our own Chinese brand of sailing event.
At about 10:15, Yao Xingpei, Secretary General of the Asian Yachting Federation, declared the set-sail start. Then, the relevant leaders watched the games in the inshore sailing venue, observing from yachts and escort vessels, and returned to Laopian Island after sending off the sailing teams.
