FIT FOR A KING

An agreement has today been reached between Nyborg Municipality, Nyborg Sailing Association and Shorthand ECM on the international sailing event Vegvisir Race, which takes place during the cultural festival, Norden in Nyborg, in the first weekend in September.

It looks like the perfect match when the international sailing event, Vegvisir Race, this year for the first time has the old royal city, Nyborg, as host city. Nyborg has an optimal location in relation to sailing in general and in particular in relation to an adventure sail race such as Vegvisir Race, where coastal sailing is combined with real off racing. In addition, the city's central location in the middle of Denmark will attract many Danish sailors, but even more international participants, especially from Germany, Sweden and Norway.

- I am proud that Vegvisir Race starts from the old royal city of Nyborg. Here the event gets the opportunity to develop its full potential. I look forward to working with Nyborg Municipality and Nyborg Sailing Association, where I have already met lots of enthusiasm and drive. Sportingly, we strengthen the Vegvisir Race concept with courses that will be challenging for participants and spectacular for spectators and which this year include crossing the Great Belt Bridge, says Morten Brandt, who is behind Vegvisir Race.

Unanimous committee backs

With its commitment, Nyborg Municipality has landed one of the few major sailing events of international caliber for the city. It ensures attention and publicity in foreign media and among participants from all over Europe, which at the time of writing counts 10 nationalities. Furthermore, the municipality's citizens and the many visitors during the cultural festival Norden in Nyborg, the North in Nyborg,  will have the opportunity to see the many exciting boats in the harbor in Nyborg before and after the race, as well as lots of action during the starts in the harbor basin on Thursday and Friday afternoon.

- For many years there has been a great desire in Nyborg Municipality to utilize our coast for water sports and sailing and this project is the perfect occasion. It is an exciting event with an international angle, which we can run in collaboration with our local associations. When we can even combine it with Norden i Nyborg, I think the citizens of the municipality have something to look forward to, says the Social Democrats' deputy chairman of the Culture and Leisure Committee, Jesper Nielsen.

And he is supplemented by the committee's chairman Erik Rosengaard, from the Liberal Party who says:

- I am very happy that a unanimous Culture and Leisure Committee supports to host Vegvisir Race in Nyborg. I am pleased when we, in collaboration with Nyborg Sailing Association, Nyborg Marina and the other associations in the marina, can hold such a large international event. As a side benefit, the event generates good revenue in the city's shops, restaurants and hotels. Finally, participants and guests will have the opportunity to experience Nyborg's lovely waters and coastlines, as well as the renovated facilities in the Marina.

And there will be a great opportunity to get acquainted with the diverse opportunities that exist for practicing water sports as a citizen in Nyborg Municipality. This is because the port's clubs in collaboration with Nyborg Marina have decided to hold the nationwide event, Vild med Vand, Crazy about Water, which is sponsored by the Nordea Foundation on Saturday 4 September.

Nyborg sailing association in a key role

Nyborg Sailing Association plays a key role during the event, where they take care of the many logistical tasks associated with handling approximately 300 sailors in 200 boats. And there is a prospect that they will both enjoy and benefit from the collaboration. There is both an economic carrot associated with the effort, and the association gets the opportunity to show the citizens of the municipality what modern sailing is all about. It can give new members to the club and it can give the association the opportunity to invest in a development of adventure sail racing in the region.

- It is a fantastic opportunity for Nyborg Sailing Association to have such a large and international sailing event come to the city. We have good experience of arranging smaller regattas, and we know that it is good for uniting the members of the association. In addition, there is a need for new and different offers for keelboat sailors, where there has been declining interest in racing in recent years. Here, Vegvisir is a unique opportunity with the different courses of varying difficulty, says the association's chairman Marianne Holmer.

There will be much more practical information about Vegvisir Race 2021, Wild with Water and about the Nordics in Nyborg and the opportunities to have a meaningful weekend as a participant or as spectators as soon as the practical work takes shape.