ChinaSpirit comes in 2nd for its first race; 13 May 2013, Hong Kong.
13 May 2013, Hong Kong
ChinaSpirit,the full Chinese performance sailing team, sanctioned and based in Shanghai, China, finished its first race ever in 2nd position, in partnership with Phil Robertson as skipper.
For the first time since its inception in 2012, ChinaSpirit participated in its first race at the Hong Kong match racing event (1O1O 4G Match Racing) over 3 days with skipper Phil Robertson, ranked #3 worldwide, to reach 2nd place. ChinaSpirit and Robertson were well positioned for an overall win when at the last instance, a New Zealand team recorded 2 straight wins to give ChinaSpirit the silver plate.
“We are very excited about this first result for ChinaSpirit”, said Ms. No?lleSmulders, ChinaSpirit CEO. “This is the first time that we race as a team and this is a great start for this new team from China. And we still have a long way to go to reach our vision”
ChinaSpirit aims to become the full platform Chinese sailing team, competing in multiple races on various boats and formats, to position China back where it belongs. “ChinaSpirit is about China retaking its position on the world’s oceans.Centuries ago, China ruled the seas under Zheng He, and we believe the country is ready to regain that vision and passion to be part of the best in the world when it comes to sailing. ChinaSpirit is about striving to be the best on the sporting side, to promote marine conservation and to become the catalyst for a new marine industry in China” added Ms.Smulders.
ChinaSpirit will continue its close partnership with Phil Robertson throughout theAlpari World Match Racing Tour (AWMRT, www.wmrt.com) as they compete together throughout the year over 7 events in 7 countries. The next race will be in Germany this coming weekend.
At the same time, with the support of the AWMRT organization, ChinaSpirit is setting up a local Chinese Match Racing Tour in partnership with local Chinese Yacht Clubs, to promote sailing and raise the skillset of Chinese sailors throughout the country. This initiative is combined with the goal to participate in world-class sailing events with crews consisting of the best international sailors and Chinese athletes who will have been trained specifically for each race type.
“Putting together a true Chinese multi-platform sailing challenger for world-class sailing events requires that we work with the best in the world and in China” added Ms. Smulders. “These efforts will lead to a foundation to create a prospective Chinese challenger capable of competing with the best sailors in the world in most international world-class regattas”.
ChinaSpirit is the exclusive Chinese Performance Sailing Team, based out of Shanghai and endorsed by the government. ChinaSpirit is about a new approach to sailing in China, combining sailing excellence in international regattas, developing Chinese sailing at the grass-roots level, educating on marine conservation and supporting underprivileged youth. ChinaSpirit is about showcasing China's strengths in sports, technological innovation and leadership, all at the same time. ChinaSpirit is about building a Chinese sailing team capable of winning the world’s top regattas such as the America’s Cup and improving children’s lives through education and sports. And ChinaSpirit is about sailing, winning and exceeding all expectations. Above all, ChinaSpirit is about excellence.
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