SAILING Champions League expands to Asia Pacific
by Lisa Ratcliff, OCC 2 Dec 2019 18:35 AEDT
Sailing Champions League Final - Winning team of David Chapman, Finn and Charlie Alexander and Zac Quinlan © Sailing Energy
SAILING Champions League Gmbh and the National Sailing League - Oceania are pleased to announce the creation of the SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific.
With the great success of club vs club league sailing throughout Europe, the concept is now establishing pathways for Asia Pacific sailing clubs to compete on the world stage and have the chance to be a SAILING Champions League winner.
The best sailing clubs from Asia Pacific can compete in qualifying rounds to gain entry to the SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific Final (previously the NSL Oceania Final) which will play out April 3-5, 2020 on one of the world's most iconic waterways - Sydney Harbour.
The top ranking clubs from the SCL - Asia Pacific Final can look forward to a ticket to the SAILING Champions League Final in Europe, to represent their club at the ultimate 'club versus club' battle.
The new Asia Pacific series will be run by organisers of the National Sailing League - Oceania, which launched successfully in April with a three-day final event that drew good support from multiple Australian states and New Zealand. Winner of the inaugural series, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS), went on to triumph at the SAILING Champions League Final in Switzerland and be crowned 'best sailing club in the world'.
Asia Pacific League Director Mark Turnbull - "We are very excited with the enthusiasm shown towards league sailing in our region, and this was substantially heightened by RSYS winning at St Moritz. To expand to Asia Pacific in our second season is huge, and we look forward to the participation of six Asian clubs joining Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands for the upcoming season.
"The winner of the inaugural NSL Oceania Final taking out the prestigious SAILING Champions League - Final shows we have the talent in this part of the world. Expanding beyond Australian and New Zealand shores means more sailors can enjoy step-on step-off fleet racing on supplied one design boats.
"We look forward to creating SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific qualifiers in both Oceania and Asia in the 2021 season as we ultimately aim to create multiple club and National Sailing Leagues."
SAILING Champions League Managing Director Oliver Schwall - "With the launch of the National Sailing League - Oceania our format finally reached the southern hemisphere and we enjoyed great success for league sailing. To announce a SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific expansion just half a year later shows the potential as the format continues to grow and more sailors, clubs and fans worldwide want to become a part of it."
The upcoming 2020 season of SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific includes one northern and one southern qualifier. In addition to the six clubs from both the southern and northern qualifiers that gain entry to the 2020 SCL Asia Pacific Final, a further six clubs from Asia and six from New Zealand and the Pacific will be invited to compete. The approaching season also marks the introduction of a SCL Asia Pacific Women's & Youth Regatta, an invitational event in Newcastle, NSW in March 2020.
For the 2021 season, the plan is to add Asian and Pacific qualifying regattas to the circuit so the top clubs from each region qualify for the SAILING Champions League - Asia Pacific Final as the pathway to the SAILING Champions League - Final in Europe.
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