A participant hoists the jib at the fourth China University Sailing Championship in Qinhuangdao, North China's Hebei province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Xiamen City University team defied expectations and emerged victorious at the fourth China University Sailing Championship in Qinhuangdao, North China's Hebei province, on Aug 30, sailing at a speed of six to 11 knots. 

Qingdao University of Science and Technology and Naval University of Engineering followed closely behind. 

Huang Zhiwei, leader of the championship team, said that he felt honored, and dedicated the award to all his team members as well as all the other teams who dedicated time and effort to the event. 

Hopes were high for the Xiamen University team, which ultimately settled for fifth place. Xiao Huajie, a team member, said their failure was due to a lack of experience, which led to many unexpected problems. But he added that they will focus on targeted training after the race and are hopeful for a win next year. 

Wu Feiteng, executive vice secretary-general at the marine sports branch of the Federation of University Sports of China, said the disparity between strong teams and weaker teams reflected the long path ahead for China in cultivating competitive teams. 

"As we continue to host the event, more students will engage in the sport and help China reach new heights on par with the some of the best universities from abroad."