The qualification system for the 2018 Sailing World Championships set to be held in Aarhus, Denmark from 30 July to 12 August 2018 has been released.

The Sailing World Championships are held every four years and is the largest gathering of Olympic class sailors. At the 2014 edition in Santander, Spain, more than 1,100 sailors from 82 nations attended with hundreds of thousands of spectators taking to the promenade and spectator dune.Aarhus 2018 is the first and most significant qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games with 40% of the nation quotas places available across the ten Olympic events.Second only to the Olympic Games, the 2018 Worlds, organised in collaboration between World Sailing, Dansk Sejlunion, Sailing Aarhus, Sport Event Denmark and the City of Aarhus aims to become a record breaker. More than 100 nations are predicted to compete in the 2017 European City of Culture with new standards to be set for both sailors and spectators.Aarhus 2018 will also see Men's and Women's Kiteboarding introduced into the championships for the first time.Alastair Fox, Director of Events at World Sailing commented, "Excellent progress continues to be made by the Aarhus 2018 Organising Committee and the local authorities. The team have set ambitious targets that will make the championships memorable not only for the attending sailors but also to spectators and those following the event around the world."The qualification system for the Aarhus 2018 Worlds offers every World Sailing Member National Authority one entry per event. This will enable Aarhus 2018 to attract a record number of nations."Klaus Natorp, Head of Aarhus 2018 Sailing World Championships added, "All four partners behind the event: The City of Aarhus, Sport Event Denmark, The Danish Sailing Association and Sailing Aarhus are setting all sails in their efforts to make the Aarhus 2018 Sailing World Championships a truly memorable event that will combine world class sailing and a maritime festival for thousands of sailors and spectators."Our teams of volunteers are fully engaged in their training and education programme and they are showing great enthusiasm and professionalism which reflect Denmark's long track record of executing world class sailing events."It will be fantastic to host teams from up to 100 different nations and share the celebration of the city's return to the sea with the brand new sailing centre at the tip of the urban development of the docklands of Aarhus."More on Aarhus 2018 at http://www.aarhus2018.com/ The Sailing World Championships is the principal qualification event for the Olympic Sailing Competition.The largest congregation of Olympic sailors converged on Cadiz in southwest Spain for the first World Championships from 11-24 September 2003.From 28 June-13 July 2007, Cascais, Portugal hosted the second edition of the Sailing World Championships. Building on the success of Cadiz four years earlier, 1,350 sailors and 900 boats represented 76 nations in the biggest Olympic sailing event yet.Perth, Australia hosted the third Worlds in December 2011. 1,200 sailors from 79 nations took part, racing for world championship glory and Olympic qualification. As the principal qualification event for the London 2012 Olympic Games, 75% of all national places were decided.Santander, Spain hosted the 2014 Worlds from 8-21 September 2014. The 2014 Worlds served as the first Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition qualifier with 50% of Rio 2016 places awarded.Aarhus is a lively and young city bustling with energy and innovation as well as a sense of history. A rich and multifaceted cultural life flourishes with small, experimental theatre groups, art galleries, offbeat shops and trendy cafes. The scale of the city makes it easy and quick to get around and the atmosphere will make you feel welcome.The Competition Venue will be established at the existing Aarhus Yachting Harbour and at the neighbouring city quarter, Aarhus Ø. Aarhus Yachting Harbour is an extensive recreational area which is home to numerous leisure organisations, with diving, rowing, kayaking, yachting and motorboat clubs as well as angling associations. The Harbour is ideally situated within easy walking distance of downtown Aarhus and has several thousand daily users.The harbour is also a favourite leisure destination for many Aarhus citizens, who enjoy the restaurants and shops or simply the atmosphere, natural setting, clean bathing waters, fishing and the fresh air.