We are in a boat in the middle of Dianshan Lake, a vast stretch
of water 45 minutes drive from downtown Shanghai, when all of a
sudden the engine cuts out and we begin drifting gently along into
a dead calm.
?
The waters sparkle in the afternoon sun.
Two sailing enthusiasts enjoy the tranquil moment in the middle of
the Dianshan Lake.
?
"Listen," says skipper Alistair Skinner, "can you hear that? No
traffic, no horns, no noise of the city anywhere -- this is what
sailing is really about: pure tranquility."
His eyes twinkle in thought as he surveys the silent horizon far
ahead. The waters sparkle in the afternoon sun. Nothing more needs
to be said.
Moments like these lie at the very core of what makes the
Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club (SBYC) unique. It is a non-profit
organization, founded in 2001 by a small group of sailing
enthusiasts who found themselves landlocked in the city, yet
wishing for open water.?
Their mission was simple: to create a community of sailors
living in the city and to promote the activity of sailing to
newcomers. In doing so, they also happened to create a club with no
commercial or political motive, and soon found themselves
surrounded by eager people from all walks of life who wished to try
out their sea legs -- many for the very first time.
"We are one of a kind," says Rick Bland, the commodore for the
SBYC. "Other companies just want to make money and hire out their
yachts. What we want to do is bring people together who love
sailing and to encourage new people to get involved."
And by getting involved, Bland doesn't just mean turning up on
Sunday morning, when the club members regularly meet, and then
taking a leisurely coach ride out to the Dianshan Lake, the 76
square kilometers freshwater lake in the Qingpu District of the
city. Far from it.
The SBYC wants people to become passionate about sailing, to get
stuck in with the chores on maintenance days, to learn the ropes of
sail racing, to understand the necessity of safety, and to meet up
for their monthly pub evenings and membership dinners.
Since its inception, the SBYC now has members from many
different backgrounds, and rotating positions are offered within
the club, from social secretaries and bosons (those responsible for
a fleet of boats) to trainers and PR representatives.
"We encourage interaction," Bland said. "We have English
members, Chinese members, French, German and Italian members. We
have young and old, families and singles. Everybody is welcome and
everybody can take part. And just think, 10 minutes from now, when
we get out on the water, all your troubles will be forgotten, all
your stress will disappear, and you'll find yourself in a different
world. What other activity in Shanghai can guarantee that?"
What other, indeed.
A genuine spirit of camaraderie exists at the club that seems
distinctly absent from other sports-related social clubs. There is
a warm generosity in the air as the members gather at the Shanghai
Water Sports Center, opened by the government in 1983, for sloppy
sausage sandwiches and foul-tasting coffee, and there is also a
visible affection between the sailors. Perhaps this spirit exists
because, for all its thrills and exhilarating pleasures, sailing
remains a risky sport.
Rick Bland (right), the
commodore for the Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club, is sailing on the
Dianshan Lake near Shanghai.
The SBYC, which is affiliated with the International Sailing
Federation, is always aware of the dangers.
"The weather is everything to a sailor," says Peter Schlienkemp,
an experienced seaman who sails his catamaran on most weekends.
"You can get lost on the Dianshan Lake, and capsize, and then how
long can you remain in the water? One hour? Two hours at most? So
safety is everything."
Nobody is allowed to climb aboard any of the club's 20 dinghies
or racing boats without first being provided with a personal
flotation device, or lifejacket. And seasoned sailors are never out
of sight.
When presented with the argument that sailing, and yachting in
particular, is seen by most of the public as a "gentleman's sport",
and an expensive one at that, Bland is keen to dispel the
myths.
"There is some truth that it is an exclusive sport," he admits,
"but you certainly do not need to be rich to enjoy sailing. Our
club works out to be very inexpensive because it is run entirely by
volunteers and we strive to keep the fees down as much as
possible."
The fees, to be fair, seem honest and affordable. Considering
the SBYC is a non-profit enterprise, there is a joining fee of 500
yuan (US$65), which goes into the general upkeep of the boats and
facilities. A single annual membership is 2,000 yuan (US$260),
while a family membership is 3,000 yuan (US$390) for up to four
people. Students can also get a 1,000 yuan (US$130) discount with a
valid ID card.
The club is eager to encourage more Chinese people to join in.
"The expatriate community can be quite transient in a city like
Shanghai," explains Bland, who has lived and worked in Asia for
many years, "but we hope that Chinese people will take up at least
20 percent of our membership within the next five years."?
Although recreational sailing in Shanghai dates back to the 19th
century, modern sailing has become an attractive leisure activity
in China over the past decade.
The recent 2007 Shanghai Boat Show demonstrated that the demand
for yachts, as well as sailing equipment and ocean know-how, has
grown steadily across the Chinese?mainland's seaboards. There
has been much talk about growing the Yangtze Delta Region into a
world-class marina, with Shanghai as its central hub.
"In some cases, people have the wrong impression that China is
only interested in the luxury end of the market," says Bland, who
recently registered the SBYC in Hong Kong as a legal entity.
"However, with this interest comes all kinds of support and
development from many different levels of sailing, from the
41-meter motor yachts to the 6-meter dinghy. It will be the
consumer that decides how the market evolves."
The SBYC is convinced that sailing will grow in China, and
especially in Shanghai. The questions are, how and when?
"Ten years ago, people would never have imagined that China
would be hosting the Olympic Games in 2008, therefore the only
thing we can be sure of is that change is in the air for
sailing."
Experience of the water is what it's all about. As skipper
Skinner starts up the engine again and heads for land, he recalls a
magical memory. "Sometimes," he says, "you can be out here at night
on the open waters, miles away from anywhere, and above your head
will be a sky of glittering stars." He draws slowly on his
cigarette, then turns the wheel with a single word:
"Perfection."
By Jake Hamilton
(China Daily May 22, 2007)
