Shandong's Qingdao is hailed as the sailing capital in China. [Photo/WeChat account: qd12301]

The 2023-24 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race arrived at the Qingdao stopover on March 22, and the fleet headed to the next stop in Seattle, the United States on March 27. With the arrival of the Clipper Race, fervor for sailing among the public in Qingdao has reached a peak.

As the host city of the Olympic Sailing Regatta, Qingdao has been promoting sailing activities in schools since 2006, including initiatives such as sailing outreach programs, with over a million citizens participating in sailing activities.

Qingdao's sailing outreach program in schools began in 2006. Wendenglu Primary School was one of the first schools to participate in the program. Wang Ziqi, a crew member of the 2023-24 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and a full-time crew member of the Qingdao team for the 2023-24 season, previously attended this primary school and was one of the beneficiaries of the sailing outreach program.

The sailing classes at certain schools, such as Dunhua Road Primary School, include using sailing simulators, teaching aids like "OP Little Superman" instructional cartoons, and simulating training scenarios at seaside docks. Through activities such as home-school cooperation and speeches by sailing athletes, students are able to learn a lot about sailing.

"The sailing promotion practices in Qingdao are worth promoting throughout Asia," said former International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.

In Qingdao, the calendar is packed with sailing events, educational training, and experiential exchange activities, making it easier for novices to get started with the sport. According to local sailing sports authorities, schools began teaching students about sailing in 2019, following the sailing outreach program in schools, and sailing-themed schools in all nine districts and county-level cities across the city now teach it.