Serenity Coast Round Hainan Regatta 2017 commences on March 17th

SANYA, China - Serenity Coast 8th Round Hainan Regatta 2017(The RHN Regatta) will take place on March 17th. During the past seven years, the RHN Regatta has demonstrated remarkable achievements and made positive, profound and lasting impact on the sport of sailing, not only in its home country, China, but also worldwide. The RHN Regatta is by far the multiple-day endurance sailing race with the longest route in China and one of the most competitive. The event is considered by the world's leading media organizations as the top offshore race in China.

Already in its 7th year of preparation as part of an effort to transform Hainan Island into an international tourism destination
Seven years ago, at the end of 2010, China's central government issued a proposal document under the title The State Council's Suggestions on Facilitating the Construction and Development of Hainan International Tourism Island, outlining six steps that could be taken with that goal in mind, the second of which laid out the strategic steps that needed to be taken in order to build out the necessary facilities that would turn the island into a world-class recreation destination. In these suggestions, emphasis was put on the rapid development of "a sun-filled tropical island destination" in winter, with water sports and near shore tourist products associated with such destinations including diving. Today Hainan Island has developed an enviable tourism business during winter, on the back of the region's superior climate and geography which had created just the right conditions for the development of a thriving water sports sector. Sailing is big draw in terms of water sports and is a necessary component of a comprehensive tourism development plan. Many of Hainan Island's yacht marinas have partnered with the real estate developers who built the island's hotels and condominiums, resulting in a higher membership and groundage fees, making it too costly for the average holiday maker who would like to participate in sailing. This has limited the popularization of sailing in Hainan. In mature island recreation clusters, including East Asia, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, public marinas can be found everywhere, providing low-cost access to the sea for water sports. The good news is that on October 14, 2015, Hainan Province's government authorities issued a document entitled Policies and Measures to Promote Cruise Yacht Industry in Hainan Province, proposing that Hainan Province step up efforts to build public-access yacht marinas and international cruise terminals in Haikou and Sanya. The province plans to build 23 public-access yacht marinas with 14,325 berths by 2025. Hosting international regattas such as the RHN Regatta on the back of the government's efforts to promote the build out of a public infrastructure for the yachting sector, will provide an excellent model for the sport of sailing in Hainan Island as well as for all of coastal China. These first steps can be expected to lead to the formation of a world-recognized Hainan Island brand, positioning the island as a first choice for international travelers seeking an ocean-side tropical paradise for their getaway or vacation.

Step by step, the international impact of the brand of the regatta is expanding
In 2016, nine Chinese ministries including the State General Administration of Sports and the National Tourism Administration jointly issued a report entitled Development Plans for the Water Sports Industry. The report, in a section headlined, To Provide with More Games, pointed out that the RHN Regatta is the only national-level professional sailing race nominated in the One Item, One Brand list of games. a positioning that can be attributed to the RHN Regatta's decision to make long-distance offshore racing its main focus from day one, and its insistence on highly professional requirements for the management team, security and the race participants. Through the successful events of the past seven years, the RHN Regatta management team has not only accumulated the necessary experience for the successful hosting of a race event, but also achieved recognition and been the recipient of favorable commentary from both athletes and the press. The organizing committee plans to heighten the visibility of the brand during this year's RHN Regatta and step up investment in publicity, management and in attracting high-level sailing athletes. In recent years, the quality of sailing teams in mainland has been continually improving. In 2016, sailing teams including Seawolf, Ubox and Noahs Sailing Team, have time and again rewritten the history of international offshore races. As the top brand of offshore regattas in China, in addition to inviting high-level sailing teams from across mainland China, the organizing committee is also attracting similarly qualified teams from Hong Kong and other countries. The biennial Hong Kong-Sanya International Sailing Race has created excellent conditions for learning and communication. Based on the achievements of the past seven years, the organizing committee plans to gradually expand the international impact of the brand and eventually transform the RHN Regatta into an internationally influential professional race.

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