The Gangwon Association of Cruiser Yachts said in an inauguration ceremony to promote PyeongChang’s bid for the 2014 Games, its yacht team is preparing to sail from the eastern coastal city of Gangneung, 237 kilometres east of Seoul, To Guatemala City, where the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is selecting the 2014 Winter Games host city.
The Pyeong-Gang yacht, named from the first syllable of the two cities PyeongChang and Gangneung, will set sail in early April to make the 19,300-kilometre trip in more than 90 days.
Seven or eight sailors, including three expert sailors and several volunteers to be recruited later through an open competition, will sail to Guatemala before the end of June and will post the progress of their journey on their website every week throughout the trip.
Meanwhile U.S. Winter Olympian Toby Dawson was appointed Tuesday as honorary ambassador for PyeongChang’s 2014 bid. Dawson was born in South Korea and won a bronze medal at the 2006 Turin Olympic Winter Games in the mean’s freestyle moguls.
Dawson’s role will help to raise the international profile of PyeongChang’s bid and increase awareness of its world-class facilities.
At the age of three an American family adopted Dawson. Dawson recently found his biological father and just arrived in Korea where they will be reunited on Wednesday.
The PyeongChang bid committee has appointed 52 international and local celebrities as honorary ambassadors, including world-famous golfer Michelle Wie.
