Sailing enthusiasts take to the water in numbers

Accessible to all

Sailing, which originated in the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries, was introduced to China in the 1950s.

In 1954, competitive sailing events were launched in the port city of Qingdao, Shandong province.

Four years later, in Hubei province, a sailing performance competition was held on Donghu Lake, Wuhan, in 1958, with competitors coming from that area, Shanghai, Qingdao, Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, and Harbin, the Heilongjiang provincial capital.

In 1980, China held its first sailing championship, with such competitions being staged every year ever since.

When the Qingdao International Regatta 2006 was staged in August that year — the first trial event for the 2008 Olympic sailing competition — the sport was attracting ever-increasing attention, according to the Chinese Yachting Association.

Sailing clubs and associations promoted development of the sport, with training taking place mainly in coastal provinces and cities such as Shandong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Hainan and Shanghai, as well as in Hubei.

Training for the Optimist Class sailboat, a single-handed dinghy used by those in the 7 to 16 age group, has also grown rapidly nationwide in recent years. Such courses are held at athletics schools in coastal cities such as Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang, and Xiamen, Fujian.

Queena Liu is among the young sailors who have trained for the Optimist Class sailboat. She began learning entry-level sailing in Beijing in 2020, when she was 10. She said the training opened the doors to a new world for her.

During the summer vacation that year, she attended a sailing camp in southwest Beijing. Instead of living at home in a downtown apartment with her parents in Dongcheng district, she stayed at the camp for two weeks with her peers, studying sailboat theory, identification of wind direction, and tacking skills.

Queena is bright, spirited and willing to explore any new sport. The camp she attended is based at a sailing training center launched by Zhai Mo, a well-known Chinese navigator, and it has been staged at the center every summer since 2019.

When summer arrived in 2020, Queena packed her bags, before being driven to the sailing center by her mother. She then set sail on the lake.

Queena enjoys staying at the camp with other children, where she helps them improve their sailing skills.

"When sailing on the lake, I have to determine which way the wind is blowing, in order to control my boat based on any change in wind direction, which is great," Queena said. "I like this feeling, and when summer ends, I look forward to my next sailing trip."

Now a junior high school freshman at Beijing No 2 Middle School, Queena said her classmates have taken up a range of sports.

"Some have learned horse-riding, while others go skiing or skating in winter. I don't view sailing as a sport with limited access, but I do hope to continue sailing for a long time and spend more time training," she said.

Queena also took part in the Beijing International Sailing Regatta on Jinhai Lake on Sept 11 and 12. As one of three young female sailors, the competition made her aware of her shortcomings in the sport.

"A young contestant was ahead of me in the race. He had all the techniques required for sailing — even learning a new skill during the competition by watching other participants. I couldn't match that, but I hope that next year I attain a good ranking in the competition," Queena said.

Parent-child activity

Fan Guotao, a trainer at the Zhai Mo International Sailing Center in Beijing, said the number of people taking up the sport rose significantly in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic saw more families seek interesting and accessible sports in and around the capital.

"Dozens of primary and secondary school students took part in our sailing camps in 2019, but the number rose to more than 100 in the summer of 2020, and over 200 young participants took up sailing this year," Fan said.

Families in Beijing have also started to view sailing as a way to nurture closer parent-child relationships.

Xu, the construction manager who sails at Jinhai Lake, said his two children — one in junior high school and the other at primary school — are taking Optimist Class training.

"My daughter, who is in primary school, has taken part in several sailing regattas with me. I don't expect to train her as a professional competitive sailor, but I hope to expand her horizons and get her to know more about nature," Xu said.

"A competitive sport is not that easy, and learning to protect yourself is important. I hope my kids master the skills, view sailing as a rewarding activity, and fully enjoy this sport."

xinwen@chinadaily.com.cn