The 2013 Extreme Sailing Series Qingdao opened last night. LIU Jingmin, Vice Chairman of Education, Science, Culture, Public Health and Sports Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Executive Vice Chairman of BODA, declared the opening. Present at the ceremony were Patrice CLERC, President of OC Sport, LUAN Xin, Vice Mayor of Qingdao, LI Xuehai, Vice Chairman of the Qingdao Municipal Committee of the CPPCC, and ZANG Aimin, Executive Vice President of Qingdao Olympic Sailing City Development Association and Vice President of Qingdao Major International Sailing Events (Festivals) Organizing Committee. Mr. CLERC and LUAN Xin delivered a speech respectively.

The Extreme Sailing Series have been run in Qingdao for three consecutive years. It is recorded that the fastest sailing speed reaches 75km per hour in the series, thus honored as “marine F1”.The competition this year sets eight stations and has its third one in Qingdao. It will last for four days, and draw eight top sailing teams around the world including Chinese team; and many of 40 sailors are Olympic champions.