Sailing Aarhus

Sailing Aarhus is a non-profit, sport event organization and the largest organization for water sports in Denmark with 3000 members. The mission statement is to promote and encourage sailing by attracting and organizing regattas, events and related social activities. The organization has and will host a number of European and world championships in different ship classes of the International Sailing Federation. Headquarters is located in the sports-political centre in Idrættens Hus Vest at the Stadium of Aarhus.[1][2]

Sailsports in the Aarhus Bay, 2014

Sailing Aarhus was founded in 1999 by initiative of the five yacht clubs in Aarhus, Denmark: Kaløvig Yacht Club, Egå Yacht Club, Aarhus Yacht Club, Yacht Club Bugten and Marselisborg Yacht Club and the City of Aarhus (Sport Aarhus Events) and the Danish Sailing Association. The first comprehensive project was to prepare and complete a bidding campaign for the ISAF Sailing World Championships 2003 in Aarhus (The World Championship for all Olympic classes). Aarhus did not win the bidding round but was outmatched by Cadiz, Spain but in 2014 it was awarded the world championship in 2018 for all 10 olympic class.[3]

The organization has an extensive network in business and the world of yachting and has close relations to the City of Aarhus within the fields of education, development and environmental research as well as a number of additional authorities and organizations. Sailing Aarhus has a performance contract with The City of Aarhus to attract and host international sailing events and the association is cooperating with the City of Aarhus, the Danish Sailing Association and Team Denmark to manage the “Danish Olympic Elite Training Center” – also called Team Denmark Kraftcenter Aarhus.

In 2014 the A.P. Møller Foundation donated DKK 36 million to the construction of Aarhus Internationale Sejlsportscenter on Aarhus Docklands, which will become the new national watersports stadium.[4][5][6]