Sport-heute: Sailing - Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2010

10. Juli 2010, 22:27

Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2010

The world's top youth sailors celebrated the start of the 40th edition of the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship this evening, with an Opening Ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey. The 344 sailors, coaches, family members and event staff all packed into the ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel due to the adverse weather, which plagued the practise day.

Brüttisellen, 9.7.10 Red. (mk) Each of the 60 nations carried their flags proudly and poured water from their homeland into the communal collecting bowl in the Mixing of the Waters Ceremony. The event was officially opened with speeches from ISAF, the Turkish Sailing Federation and Volvo Cars Turkey before the ISAF flag was raised, symbolising the start of the regatta.

After the ceremony the competitors posed for a group picture, before Turkish sailors Iber Gunduz and Deniz Gokmeral poured the mixed waters into the Bosphorus.

Practise day

The practise day today gave the competitors a chance to sail the new boats they have been given for the event and test the waters of Istanbul. The conditions gave them a taste of what is in store this weekend with driving rain and a twenty knot breeze, but this did not faze the keen sailors.

Sam Batton from Great Britain, who sails the 29er with Henry Lloyd Williams, is excited to be at the event, "The Youth Worlds is probably the number one event that I have done so far and probably the most important event of the year. It is referred to as the Olympics of Youth Sailing."

For Jasia King, the Laser Radial sailor from St. Lucia, sailing at the Volvo Youth Worlds is a very important part of her year. "This is the main event I can do. It is really amazing because it's not often can I come to an event, which has over 350 sailors and 52 Radial girls.

"I don't normally sail with that many boats, so that is an experience for me and that is what I am looking for." Jasia is part of the Athlete Participation Programme (APP), which allows young sailors to come to the event from nations which cannot fund them.

Tomorrow the sailors will be training on the three courses off the event site, and racing commences in earnest on Sunday.

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Deniz Gokmeral and Ilber Gunduz from the Turkish sailing team perform the ceremonial pouring of the water from all the nations competing into the sea. Picture Volvo Ocean Race

Deniz Gokmeral and Ilber Gunduz from the Turkish sailing team perform the ceremonial pouring of the water from all the nations competing into the sea. The Opening Ceremony at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey.Copyright: Dave Kneale

The Opening Ceremony at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships 2010 in Istanbul, Turkey. Copyright Volvo Ocean Race.