By Xie Zhijun
The 2015 Shanghai Yacht Cultural Festival & the 20th China International Yacht Show (Over-water Exhibition Area) raised the curtain on April 9. Dozens of luxury yachts from home and abroad gathered in the harbor basins in the Star Bund, enabling citizens to closely feel the fashionable, healthy and green lifestyle on the water. Qian Yuanyun, Deputy District Governor, attended the opening ceremony.
On the opening ceremony, the “Extremity 40” twin hull sailing craft, which is renowned as “offshore F1”, came to China for assembly for the first time and attracted wide attention of visitors. Yacht racing, as one of the four major internationally-recognized sports, also brought fashionable sports elements for this yacht cultural festival.
The Star Bund has two artificial dug-in harbor basins, which have never been seen in China before. These harbor basins were connected to Huangpu River, and could hold a concentrated exhibition for nearly one-hundred yachts. Visitors were enthusiastic to participate in the festival with the concepts of “Close to people and river”. Many young people arrived specially to see these wonderful yachts.