Adelaide is playing host to the best sailors in the globe with the Laser Class Sailing World Championships getting underway at West Beach today.
The Adelaide Sailing Club is hosting the event – attracting world class athletes such as Tokyo Olympic gold medallist Matt Wearn from Western Australia – as they prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The event comes hot on the heels of a successful start to the year for major events, following the Adelaide International and Santos Tour Down Under – providing an expected multi-million-dollar boost to South Australia’s visitor economy.
The ILCA 7 World Championships follow the National and Oceania Championships which were held 1-8 January 2024 and precede the Masters World Championship from 2-10 February.
More than 150 sailors from 53 countries are in Adelaide for the week-long event.
The top 20 sailors in the world are all competing, and every Olympic team has representatives here.
Organisers anticipate the three world-class events will inject $16 million into South Australia’s economy and generate an estimated 45,000 visitor nights.
The Laser class is one of the most popular sailing classes in the world and has been part of the Olympic Games since 1996.
Australia has had great success in the Laser class, winning the last three Men’s Olympic gold medals (2012 & 2016) and most recently by Matt Wearn in Tokyo 2021.
