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According to the Shandong Provincial Bureau, yachtsman training has 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 volunteers will be needed in the province in 2008.

The bureau said the new regulation will offer specific legal guidance on all yachtsman training issues, and has been put in place to help 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 provide training for the local volunteers involved in 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, and have the capacity to provide training for 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 popular new sport there.