This year’s Para World Sailing Championships, a competition for sailors with disabilities, will be held in Sheboygan on Sept. 16-22 as the event’s first time ever to be held on a Great Lake.
Hosted by World Sailing, Sail Sheboygan, and the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan (SEAS), the week-long event will be the fourth competitive sailing event that Sheboygan has recently hosted.
The city hosted the Women’s Match Racing World Championship and Blind Match Racing World Championship in 2016 and the Blind Fleet Racing World Championship in 2017.
“We have developed a reputation for sailing and hosting competitive events that is second to none,” Tom Atkins, president of Sail Sheboygan said. “It puts Sheboygan in the spotlight and provides good vibes for the community that we are hosting literally a world-level sailing event.”
Sailing as a sport can be adapted and its equipment can be created to assist people with disabilities, which makes competing in the sport accessible to them, Atkins said.
Over 80 sailors from 39 countries participated in last year’s Para World Sailing Championships held in Germany.
“Sheboygan has an excellent track record of hosting major international sailing events,” said Para World Sailing manager Massimo Dighe. “The team on the ground and the town know what it takes to welcome top class sailors. The facilities are exceptional and I am sure the sailors attending will receive a warm welcome.”
As Para World Sailing is currently pushing for its reinstatement into the Paralympic Games Sports Program for the 2024 Paralympic Games, the 2018 championship is an important event, Dighe said.
