The 2023 China Family Sailing Championship kicks off on Saturday in Ningbo, Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2023 China Family Sailing Championship started on Saturday in Ningbo, Zhejiang province where sailing-loving families across the nation set their sails for fun.

The two-day event boasts three disciplines of Hobie Getaway, Hobie T1 and Hobie T2 for participants of different levels. For the past five years, a total of 41 legs of the events have been staged in 18 cities across the nation, attracting more than 4,000 families.

"Tianfei Lake, as the host place for the event, boasts great views and a suitable wind situation, which makes it a great choice for the event and a vacation location for all families. This is the second year that Tianfei Lake has hosted the event, which is gradually becoming a must-come event for sailing-loving families," said Fu Danqing, a vice-president of the Chinese Yachting Association.

"This year, Ningbo will become a co-host city for the Hangzhou Asian Games, and the overall sports atmosphere in the city is great. The event will further encourage more people to embrace the sport and join in the national fitness campaign."

With the growing fame of the event, more people have been attracted to the event. Among them is Wu Jingjing, who will compete in the event along with her family for the first time.

"Tianfei Lake is as beautiful as its name, and it has been a great experience to join in the event. My kid is learning sailing, and I know that there are many family sailing competitions in foreign countries. I always wanted a chance to join in the event with my kid," said Wu.

"This is a rare chance for me. And the organizers have provided us with training during the competition for rookies like me. This is great. I encountered so many problems, but the coaches helped me through. I'm a better sailor and I have learnt here."

The Ningbo event is just the first leg of this year's family sailing championship. More events will be staged in more cities this year to provide multiple chances for competing and communicating for sailing-loving families.

Editor: Xiao Da