The Dutch city was confirmed as hosts of the event in four years' time at World Sailing's Mid-Year Meeting in London.

A World Sailing Evaluation Commission evaluated both bids and recommended The Hague as their preferred venue.

This was rubber-stamped by the sport's worldwide governing body during the meeting at Stamford Bridge, the home of English Premier League club Chelsea.

"World Sailing received two final bids that were of the highest quality," said World Sailing President Kim Andersen.

"The Hague and Auckland presented ambitious visions for the Sailing World Championships with the sailors, spectator experience and world-class organisation at the heart of their bids.

"The Hague showcased an outstanding city based venue, experienced Organising Committee and established partners, who are all committed to raising the bar on previous Sailing World Championships.

"We look forward to welcoming the team to this summer’s Hempel Sailing World Championships in Aarhus, Denmark to learn from the event and take it to the next level in 2022."

The event in The Hague, the third largest city in the Netherlands after Amsterdam and Rotterdam, will be organised by World Sailing, the Royal Netherlands Yachting Union, the municipality of The Hague and TIG Sports.

It will offer the sailors the chance to earn qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Second only to the Olympic Games in the sport, the World Championships are the International Federation's flagship event.

It is the largest event globally and showcases all 10 Olympic events.

The World Championships are held every four years - two years after the Olympics.

The most recent edition of the Sailing World Championships was held in Santander in Spain in 2014.

Aarhus in Denmark is due to host the event this year from July 31 to August 12.