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Following Beijing, sailors with Olympic dreams are shifting their focus to Western Australia as it prepares to host the 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships, the principal qualification regatta for the 2012 Olympic Sailing Competition.
Western Australia bid against seven other nations to win the rights to host Olympic sailing’s most prestigious regatta outside of the Olympic Games.

In announcing the decision to award the next event to Western Australia, ISAF noted sailing conditions and venue facilities as top priorities in selecting the host city and highlighted Perth and Fremantle’s strength in these areas with the infamous winds affectionately known as the ‘Fremantle Doctor’ providing ideal sailing conditions and a high level of existing sailing infrastructure.

ISAF also commended Western Australia’s bid on the strength of financial and political support it had secured from both the Western Australian and Commonwealth Governments.

The 2011 ISAF Sailing World Championships will be a key qualification event for the 2012 Olympic Games in London and will once again showcase Western Australia as a premier international sailing location.

More than 5,000 visitors, including 1,500 sailors, are expected to visit Western Australia for the two week competition to determine the world champion for each of the ten Olympic sailing classes.

Combined with its natural beauty, Western Australia’s summer will ensure that ideal wind and weather conditions will provide a worthy test for sailors and guarantee a world-class display for spectators.

In a program that is central to ISAF’s long-term objectives, the event will also assist emerging and developing sailing nations through a program that will offer assistance to athletes from less affluent nations to attend pre-event training and the main event.

The program will boost the number of participating nations at the World Championships and provide emerging nations with an opportunity to gain qualification for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

(Source: ISAF)