THE HKDA meets Lily Xu (CHN): Event Ambassador for the 2027 Hong Kong Dragon World Championship.
Lily Xu (CHN): Event Ambassador for the 2027 Hong Kong Dragon World Championship.
The Hong Kong Dragon World Championship will be held in Hong Kong in 2027, co-organised by the International Dragon Association and the Hong Kong Dragon Association.
Olympic gold medallist Lily Xu Lijia has been announced as the official Event Ambassador. After a celebrated career in the Laser Radial, winning bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and gold at the 2012 London Olympics, Lily has recently embraced Dragon sailing, competing in Europe and Hong Kong, including the 2025 Dragon Gold Cup.
We sat down with Lily to discuss her passion for sailing, the significance of the 2027 Dragon Worlds, and her dreams for the future of the sport in Asia.
The HKDA meets KARL KWOK (HKG), OFFSHORE SAILOR AND EVENT AMBASSADOR.
Mr Karl Kwok: Event Ambassador for the 2027 Hong Kong Dragon World Championship.
As we prepare to welcome the world to the 2027 Dragon World Championship in Hong Kong, the first time this prestigious event will be held in Asia in its 95-year history, we sat down with one of Hong Kong’s most iconic sailors and event ambassador, Mr Karl Kwok.
Mr Kwok is a seasoned offshore racer with a remarkable international record. He skippered his yacht to overall victory in the 1997 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, won the 2009 Transatlantic Maxi Yacht Cup, and claimed victory in the China Sea Race twice, once setting a course record that remained unbeaten for over a decade. Most recently, he returned from Cowes, where he earned second place at the legendary Admiral’s Cup.
He is the first Chinese skipper in history to win these prestigious offshore races, personally leading each campaign and gaining worldwide recognition for his skill and sportsmanship. His achievements have significantly raised the international profile of Chinese sailors and helped build Hong Kong's reputation as a leading global sailing city. Despite his many accolades, Mr Kwok remains a humble and gracious ambassador for the sport.
In this exclusive interview, he shares his sailing journey, his deep passion for the sea, and his vision for the future of sailing in Hong Kong and across Asia.
The HKDA meets Tony Leung (HKG), actor, singer and dragon sailor.
Your personal love for sailing: How has this passion shaped your life and experiences?
I love sports that involve interaction with nature. Sailing is such a sport and has helped shape my awareness of life and my realisation that we are part of it. When you are surrounded by water and exposed to the elements, it can only deepen your connection to nature. Practicalities such as anticipating changes in wind direction or reacting to gusts whipping around a small island are some of the tasks in the sport that excite me. […]
The HKDA meets Quanhai Li (CHN), President of World Sailing.
Your personal love for sailing: How has this passion shaped your life and experiences?
Having grown up by the seaside, my unique upbringing fostered a deep affection for the ocean. After graduating from university, I was extremely fortunate to have the chance to become directly involved in the service and management of sailing.
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