China's first statute on yachting training -- the Shandong provincial regulation on yachtsman training, test, evaluation and certificate awarding -- went into effect on March 1.

Sources from a press conference of the Shandong provincial bureau of maritime safety held here Wednesday said the provincial regulation is a breakthrough in China's law on yacht management.

According to the bureau, yachtsman training developed slowly in China in recent years because of a lack of relevant laws and regulations.

Qingdao, Shandong's major port city, will host the sailing competition during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and more than 400 assistant yachtsmen will be needed in the province in 2008.

The bureau said the new regulation will offer specific legal guidance on all yachtsman training affairs, and will surely promote yachtsman training in the province.

Shandong's first yachtsman training center also opened in Qingdao city on Wednesday.

The Qingdao Yinhai Yachtsman Training Center will not only undertake to train professional yachtsmen for the 2008 Olympic Games, but also offer training to sailing fans in the province.

The training center, which cost 300 million yuan (36.2 million US dollars), has more than 20 coaches and 30 boats. It can offer training to 1,000 to 1,600 people each year.

Shandong province in east China enjoys a long coastal line of 3,024 kilometers, about one-sixth of the country's total. In recent years, sailing has become a new popular sport there.

Source: Xinhua