Fri, 08/14/2020 - 09:27

 

From 14 to 16 August, the competition in the Optimist boat class will take place on the River Daugava near the Vanshu Bridge. In the framework of the “Riga Sailing Cup 2020” more than 40 young teams from all over Latvia will compete in the mastery of wind and river power. The new yacht port infrastructure, built by the Freeport of Riga Authority within the framework of the EST-LAT Harbors project, will be symbolically opened with the competition of young sailors. After the infrastructure improvements in the port of Riga, yachtsmen will be provided with a significantly higher level of service - lounges, saunas, modern and fast internet, which is especially important for European sailors.

The Riga Sailing Cup 2020 with participation of children and young people under the age of 15 will be launched on Saturday, August 15 at 12.00. Fans will be able to see yachts sailing in the waters of the River Daugava from August 14, but the solemn closing ceremony and awarding of the winners will take place on August 16 at around 4.30 pm. Simultaneously with the youth race in the Optimist boat class, on the Daugava near the Vanshu bridge from August 14 to 16 there will also be a competition for sea yacht teams - LAT LYS LOA yacht class, sports yacht class Beneteau PLATU 25, STAR and youth yacht class Laser 4.7 and Laser Radial.

The Riga Cup is an excellent opportunity for young sailors to determine the best team meeting the conditions of good and fair competition. The Riga Cup will be an exciting adventure for both young sailors and their fans, standing on the embankment and on the Vanshu Bridge, because due to the current and changing wind, sailing near Vanshu Bridge requires not only good training, but sometimes even intuitive subconscious reaction. Spectators will be able to watch fierce competition and beautiful Riga panorama, as well as to understand that anyone can learn to sail.

Participants of the Riga Sailing Cup will be among the first to be able to appreciate the opportunities provided by the improved infrastructure of the Kipsala yacht port. Within the framework of the EST-LAT Harbors project, a yacht sewage collection system has been built in Kipsala yacht port, navigation sign infrastructure has been improved, a floating platform with a boathouse has been installed and a breakwater has been built to protect the marina from waves. There are also information signs and a video surveillance system installed. The two-storied building on the pontoons, which has been built using modern materials and technologies, will house such important for sailor’s services as a sail mending workshop, sanitary facilities, sauna, conference rooms for a sailing school and recreation facilities.

The Freeport of Riga Authority, together with 9 other Latvian yacht ports, is involved in the ERDF project “Improvement of sailing infrastructure and yacht harbours network building in Estonia and Latvia” (EST-LAT Harbors). The aim of the project is to create a unified network of yacht ports in Latvia and Estonia, diversifying and expanding the range of sailing-related services, which would foster sailing tourism development in the future, attracting more and more foreign sailors, thus promoting the increase in the number of yachts entering the ports.