With 123 sailors from seven countries and regions participating, the 2023 ILCA (International Laser Class Association) Asian Open Championship set sail in Ningbo, Zhejiang province on June 8.

The 2023 ILCA Asian Open Championship, which is slated to run until June 14, is a major sailing competition in Asia. It is the first high-level international sailing competition to be held in China in three years.

The week-long competition includes men's and women's sailing races such as the ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes. The ILCA 6 and 7 classes are included in the Olympic Games, while the ILCA 4 competition is an Asian Games event. The competition underway in Ningbo is also an Asian Games trial for Chinese sailors.

The competition is being held at Dongqian Lake in Yinzhou district. In celebration of the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games, a sports party has also been launched. Visitors can experience various sporting events, such as hockey, fencing, golf, cycling, and cuju (ancient Chinese football), and buy products featuring mascots for the Hangzhou Asian Games. 

In recent years, Dongqian Lake has advanced its development by integrating the tourism and sports industries. Several sailing bases, including the China Youth Sailing Demonstration Base and the China Inner Lake Sailing Industry Experimental Base, have been built in the area.