The four-day 2024 MGM Macao International Regatta kicks-off today and runs through Sunday, with the event featuring 37 teams from 31 countries and regions competing across three categories.
Details of the sailing event, which has attracted around 300 sailors, were announced during a press conference at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau yesterday.
The event’s Macau Cup International Regatta category will have 11 teams competing, including the defending champions from last year, Big Boys Sailing Team, 2023 runner-up ExeQute Racing, and 2020 third-placed Vivat Sailing.
The Greater Bay Area Cup Regatta category, meanwhile, features 11 teams from the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau. Among them are last year’s champions, Zhongshan Sailing Team, 2023 runner-up Guangzhou Nansha Sailing Team, 2019 and 2020 runner-up BLU Team from Hong Kong, and RAMPAGE, also from the neighbouring special administrative region (SAR), the 2023 China Coast Regatta’s IRC0 and Round-the-Island Race category winner.
Lastly, the International Catamaran Invitational Race features 15 teams, including 2023 champions LC Sailing Team and 2022 champions Dream Team of Wan Ning, both from the mainland, and 2020 champion and 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Team Yacht Racing of Thailand, as well as 2014 Asian Games gold medallist Team Jeonbuk from South Korea.
In his speech, Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun said that the regatta aimed to “deepen exchanges and cooperation in the field of sport among cities within the Greater Bay Area [GBA] and internationally”.
Pun added that the competition will be live-streamed on multiple platforms. Side activities including the Family Fun Day at the Kun Iam Statue Waterfront Recreation Area – Star on Coast this weekend, and a themed photography contest, will also be held, he said.
Moreover, after the press conference, Pun told reporters that the event is larger in scale this year as it has attracted a sizeable number of vessels from different parts of the world. He added that the city has the conditions to develop maritime sport and hopes that the regatta can be developed into another iconic sporting event in the city.
More details can be found on www.macaoregatta.com
Sports Bureau (ID) Pun Weng Kun (centre) delivers a speech during yesterday’s press conference at Artyzen Grand Lapa Macau as President and Executive Director of MGM China Holdings Limited Kenneth Feng Xiaofeng (left), and Ursa Major Sailing Event Management Chairman Ma Man Wai look on. – Photo: Rui Pastorin
