Qingdao WETA Sailing - 2009 Autumn Regatta

The regatta was held on November 22nd, 2009 on Fushan Bay, outside Qingdao's Olympic Sailing Center.

Race briefing at the Skippers' Meeting

Six boats with 12 WETA sailors were on the starting line, in this, the first dinghy regatta in Qingdao with all participating boats owned by private individuals.

On racing day the temperature was (considering the season) a pleasant 10°C (50°F). Wind was in excess of 12 knots at race start, and gentle waves made the conditions ideal for the very mixed skill levels on the six participating boats.

With only two laps per race and the course kept short, the intensity was high in each race lasting approx. 15 minutes.

Du Fei and Steven (almost) getting airborne

A practice race was held to give everyone a chance to familiarize themselves with the starting sequence and the course. After that, three races were held in quick succession, and everyone could then get back on land before the cold could get to their feet and fingers.

A Chinese friend, Li Ming, volunteered to take photographs on the day, and these came out GREAT. Having only spent very little time on boats before, it was a big challenge for Li Ming not to get seasick while busy looking through his camera lens. Li Ming later told me he didn't feel good again until four hours after being back on land. His efforts were greatly appreciated.

Robert and Alistair in a tense moment

The regatta was very well received by Qingdao's "WETA warriors", and everyone learned a lot while having great fun in the process. Feedback has been very positive and we're all highly motivated to get on with regular WETA sailing activities during 2010.

THANKS to everyone who participated, volunteered their time helping out on the day, and otherwise supported the event.

Alan taking a rest after the day's final race

2009 Autumn Regatta Result

Rank	Sail #	Skipper / Crew
1st	029	Du Fei, Steven Gao
2nd	198	Yuzo Tobisaka, Harue Araki
3rd	278	Tony Liu, Hou Shuai
4th	266	Robert Woodall, Alistair Monument
5th	269	Alan Flood, Sven Ekholm
6th	305	Henrik Georgsen, Arcangelo Scialpi

See also:
sail-world.com: Full 2009 Autumn Regatta report with photos
On January 17, 2010 the major sailing news website Sail-World.com published the race report from our "Qingdao WETA Sailing - 2009 Autumn Regatta". Click on the header above to read the report and watch some of the amazing race photos.

zenfolio.com: Photos from the WETA 2009 Autumn Regatta
Most of the photos taken by Li Ming has been uploaded to this photo WETA gallery at Zenfolio.com

To come…

Clipper Round the World Yacht Race: Don't forget to absorb some of the action during the Clippers' stop-over in Qingdao, February 20th to March 2nd.

Sailing part will take place in the Olympic Sailing Center, while a good pick for meeting up and socialize with skippers, crew, and support staff would be Lennon Bar at #20 Zhuhai Rd.

Qingdao Boat Show 2010 (venue and schedule change): Please note that this year's boat show will be held during the second half of August (and not as usual in May). The organizer has confirmed that the Olympic Sailing Center will be the venue for this year's show, however, the show dates have yet to be finalized.

Read also,
the previous bulletin Qingdao Sailing - December 2009/January 2010,
or check the headlines of other sailing bulletins by year: 2008 | 2009 | 2010

Qingdao sailing questions?
Call 138-8463-7870 (Jeppe) or email

This bulletin was published in;
Qingdao Expat Magazine (February 2010)

Top of page