On August 16, the "Liu Gong Island" Cup 2015 Weihai International Sailing Race concluded successfully. This event set three historic records in Weihai’s sailing history: the largest scale, the most diverse events, and the highest number of participating vessels. With athletes' spectacular competition and the organizers' ingenious race design, it received widespread acclaim from all sectors of society. As the sole sponsor and title sponsor of the race, the Liu Gong Island Management Committee provided meticulous and comprehensive services as well as full-scale race support, ensuring the smooth running of the event. The thoughtful and high-quality service, along with the stunning scenery both on and off the island, left a deep impression of "Liu Gong Island" in the minds of the participants — Liu Gong Island is no longer just an island.
It is understood that at the beginning of the race preparations, accommodation was once a headache for the organizing committee. Preliminary estimates indicated that the event needed to accommodate nearly 200 people. During the peak tourist season, hosting such a large number of guests is no easy task for any hotel. After careful consideration and evaluation, the organizing committee ultimately designated the Liu Gong Island Hotel as the accommodation provider for athletes and judges, taking full responsibility for lodging and meals. Despite the heavy burden, it did not disrupt the work rhythm of the Liu Gong Island Management Committee and hotel staff. They handled check-ins for athletes and judges in an orderly and efficient manner, and provided timely meals during the competition to ensure the athletes maintained good physical condition. Moreover, the Liu Gong Island Management Committee also went above and beyond to assist in the preparation of the opening and closing ceremonies and other tasks.
After a day of racing, taking a stroll around Liu Gong Island became the choice for many athletes to relax and unwind. The island at night, unlike the hustle and bustle of the day, is exceptionally tranquil and reserved, with only the occasional waves on the sea pulsating with the vitality of life. This year, the sailing race introduced a breakthrough in its format by holding an island circumnavigation race for the first time. According to the organizing committee, the sea conditions around Liu Gong Island are relatively complex, with frequent sudden gusts of wind, which particularly test the sailors' maneuvering skills, making the race even more challenging and thrilling.
"Liu Gong Island has a long coastline, high-quality sandy beaches, and relatively vast surrounding waters. Could we build a sailing base here?" said one athlete after the island circumnavigation race.
In fact, as early as the beginning of the last century, the British fleet had established the "Weihaiwei Mandarin Duck Sailing Club" on Liu Gong Island, hosting annual sailing competitions in the summer and bringing Western sailing sports to Weihai, making it one of the earliest regions in modern China to see the emergence of sailing. The reason Liu Gong Island became the site of the sailing club is inseparable from its unique natural advantages — its pleasant temperate maritime climate, distinctive harbors, and 14.95-kilometer-long coastline all provide ideal conditions for sailing training. The southern side of the island also features several high-quality sandy beaches, suitable for mooring sailboats. Today, the Liu Gong Island Scenic Area, as Weihai’s only AAAAA-level tourist attraction and a memorial site of the First Sino-Japanese War, combines a patriotic education demonstration base with island scenery and historical cultural heritage, attracting numerous domestic and international visitors. Coupled with the city’s convenient land, sea, and air transportation, it can closely connect with sailing enthusiasts from cities such as Qingdao, Dalian, Shanghai, Xiamen, Hong Kong, as well as from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and other countries, all of which are advantages for building a leisure and training sailing base.
It is believed that in the near future, Liu Gong Island will be surrounded by a forest of sails, and with the joint efforts of all parties, it will eventually become a world-renowned and even globally famous sailing tourism destination.