Saturday 28 February 2009

WMRT: World Class Sailing Heads to Aarhus, Denmark


The Danish Open will be in Aarhus in 2009. Image copyright Per Heegaard/World Match Racing Tour.

by Yvonne Reid

The Waters around Aarhus, Denmark's second largest City, continue to attract world class sailors. In the centennial year of the Denmark Exhibition in 1909, the area of Marselisborg will again host another great sailing event, the World Match Racing Tour will hold the Danish Open 2009 in Aarhus.

The city of Aarhus will host the event from September 9-13, 2009 and will be sailed in the DS37 Match Racer. The Danish Open is the 7th event of the 10 scheduled events on the World Match Racing Tour 2009. The overall winner of the Tour will be crowned as the official ISAF Match Racing World Champion.

”It´s a real pleasure to see that Aarhus has been chosen to host a significant international sailing event again. In 2008 we successfully hosted the ISAF Youth World Championship. Without doubt we are moving into the superliga of event-organizers within sailing, by hosting yet another spectacular event” said a smiling City Alderman of Sports and Culture Jacob Bundsgaard Johansen.

The Danish Open 2009 will be organized by Sailing Aarhus, Sport Aarhus Event and the Royal Danish Yacht Club.

”Royal Danish Yacht Club is impressed by the great enthusiasm the City of Aarhus, Sailing Aarhus and Sport Aarhus Event have shown in getting great events to their fine City. We are indeed proud to be able to present World Class Sailing with our partners in Aarhus to the sailing community in Denmark.” commented CEO of Royal Danish Yacht Club, Morten Lorenzen.

The Event will be held at Marselisborg Harbour, where spectator stands and facilities will be available for all to experience action packed sailing right in front of the Club House.

”To bring an event like the Danish Open to Aarhus, and to co-organize this event, are strengthening our strategy of attracting International Events to the Bay of Aarhus. We are bidding for the ISAF Worlds for the Olympic classes in 2015, and hosting a stage on the World Match Racing Tour will only make us even more attractive.” says Thomas Capitani Nielsen, director of Sailing Aarhus.

”Taking the Danish Open to Aarhus presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase the thrills and spills of the Tour in a new venue. The support of the City of Aarhus combined with the experience of the Royal Danish Yacht Club is sure to culminate in the delivery of a spectacular festival.” said Tour Director Craig Mitchell.

World Match Racing Tour

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