The 2002 Penghu Sailboard Race, a stop on the Asian Cup tour, set off yesterday with about 110 domestic and foreign athletes from 12 countries participating.
The race is part of the Penghu Sailboard Cobia Tourism Festival, which combines various activities, including sailboarding and tasting of dishes featuring cobia -- a locally caught fish that is a member of the ling family -- during the four-week period to try to stimulate tourism on the offshore island.
Penghu County Commissioner Lai Feng-wei (賴峰偉) welcomed the athletes from Australia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, the US, Britain, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, France and the Republic of China.
Lai said that the seas around Penghu are recognized by world-class sailboarders as one of the top three areas for sailboard sports, together with the Caribbean and islands off the coast of southern Spain. Penghu residents are very proud of their seas, he added.
He said that the winter wind in Penghu is usually strong and affects various industries, although it provides perfect sailboard conditions.
He also noted that BBC has for the past two years broadcast the race, introducing the natural beauty of Penghu to the world at the same time.
Penghu's winds are generated seasonally by the Northeast Monsoon system, which creates massive air movements from high pressure centers in northern climes to equatorial lows.
As the winds pass through the trough of the Taiwan Strait and between the mountains of Taiwan and China, they accelerate.
What keeps the water flat enough to sail is the land barrier of a curved string of islands in the Penghu archipelago. They create a massive bay of 11km in length and about 5.5km in width.
Statistics have shown winds are between 17 knots (31kph) and 40 knots (74kph) for 71% of the season and more than 40 knots for another 13%.
Only 15% of the season is a boring, and what the locals consider unsailable. Local crazies will go out in winds of 55 knots (102kph).
Racing over the next three days will take place in four divisions, Formula One, Men's Open, Women's Open and Masters.
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