sailing e-zine - Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
WIND · WATER · BOAT
WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?
SAILIN G
E - ZI N E
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TEAM 4 DRAONGS
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MAY 2009
G O O D DAY A L L
Welcome to the second edition of the re-vitalized 4 Dragons EZine.
2ND CHINA
(SHANGHAI) INTERNATIONAL
BOAT SHOW
CHARITY REGATTA
1
TOUGH TIME IN
THE MARINE
MARKET
3
From this issue we will split and provide a Chinese version if
you wish. Just respond to this mail and we will forward you the
e-zine in Chinese and transfer you to the Chinese mailing list.
NOT ALL YACHT
CLUBS ARE THE
SAME
3
Biggest sailing news in China this edition is of course the recent China (Shanghai) International Boat Show Charity Regatta where a record number of Chinese entered boats competed in champagne sailing conditions, helping a little understood ailment, autism, while they had fun on the water.
THE REAL PICTURE OF CHINA
SAILING
4
JUST WHO DO
THEY THINK
THEY ARE?
5
NOT SAILING
BUT..
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SNUB TO CHINESE GOVERNMENT BY CHINA
BOATING’S
AWARD
6
Our aim is to provide news and scuttlebutt from around China
and reaching out to the world – to inform you, the reader, and
bring back news to China.
Alistair Skinner
[email protected]
SPECIAL POINTS
OF INTEREST:
E-Zine Continues
The no. of entries in
the past charity regatta broke the record
on the Dianshan Lake
Truth sharing about
the China’s sailing
Your opinion is welcome
2ND CHARIT Y REGATTA IN SHANGHAI
The second running of this event broke records once again. Last year’s event, the first charity
regatta in China had 28 entries, at the time the biggest grass roots inland regatta in China. This
year the figure was surpassed with 35 crews competing on the water, from Optimists to Quarter
Tonners.
It was true champagne sailing with the wind providing quite a contrast to last year’s almost drifting
conditions.
With up to 17 knots at the masthead crews were taxed, sometimes beyond the limit with several
capsizes, mainly among the multihulls providing the rescue teams plenty to keep their attention
occupied.
(next page for more)
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WIND · WATER · BOAT
WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?
Last year, in the Optimists the furthest travelled competitor Julian Qu
from Iron Rock Sailing Club took runner’s up slot. This year his return
visit was all the more meaningful as he topped out the event with an
overall class win.
The multihull fleet was small but provided plenty excitement with
multiple capsizes. Dirk Weiblen of SBYC proved that to finish first,
first you have to finish (staying upright helps greatly in this endeavour)
The monohull fleet was by far the biggest with 24 entries and the
starts were a gourmets delight with dicing, carving up and even a tbone.
Bird of Prey had the best of the starts with the Red Dragon 5.8 Black Pearl at times snapping at their heels as the event video was
to show. The Jolly Roger, the D5.8, showed good pace upwind but it
was the Bolero ,Four Dragons that seemed to get into the groove
best of all, especially with their seemed ability to pick the shifts to
move through the fleet, especially in Race 3.
Back down the fleet there were multiple private battles taking place
but it was these four boats that were really on the pace.
It just goes to show that part of the role of a skipper isn’t just to drive
the boat but also to recruit the right crew.
It is fair to say though that we each had a ‘ringer’ on board, 2 young
sailors who can normally be found charging around the Solent in the
Big Boat Fleet most weekends and each with a sailing CV most people would be envious of..
To save arguments they don’t sail together, Kirsty – she prefers
“Kizzy” - does ‘keyboards’ (that’s Pitman to you or me) on a Farr 45
while boyfriend Frank calls tactics or trims the main on a number of
different boats.
Kirsty, who is actually my daughter, was on board with Li Li. She is
Marine Accounts Manager with The Wild Group whose graphics
products adorn, amongst others, the Clipper Fleet and most of the
Little Britain entries and even decorated SBYC honorary member
Mike Golding’s Ecover.
Dianshan Lake’s own David Littler made up the crew who I am told
sold himself way short when he describes himself as ‘just ballast.’
I had her boyfriend Frank, who is a salesman with North Sails (or is
that sailsman) whose products adorn… well just about every top racing boat on the planet calling the tactical shots and William from Saimeng who recently returned from being part of China Team at the
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.
These four filled the top of the leaderboard in all 3 races with Bird of
Prey filling the top spot overall followed by Jolly Roger and Black
Pearl in 2nd and 3rd with Four Dragons just missing out on the silverware.
The real winner of the event, and rightly so however, was the Silent
Angel Kindergarten, Shanghai’s only such establishment specializing
in the treatment of autistic children with many sailors adding a bundle
of money into the donation box and many media leaving with a little
more understanding about this challenging ailment.
Thanks go firstly to Shanghai International Boat Show and organizers CMP Sino Expo for having the vision to include the event in their
programme, to Saimeng Water Sports Club for providing the venue
and the race officers, to AGS Four Winds for sponsoring the transport to the venue on Dianshan Lake, and most of all (and I don’t think
I am being biased here) to Li Li of Team 4 Dragons for having the
energy and putting the long hours and hard work to make sure that
the event happened in the first place.
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WIND · WATER · BOAT
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WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?
DECORATI ON NO MORE!
Over the past few months many people have given me a bit of a
ribbing that the boats (4 Dragons and Bird of Prey) had appeared to
be fixtures, either on the hard or alongside their pontoon berths.
Well, as reported above in the E-Zine for the Shanghai International
Boat Show Charity Regatta they came out to play instead of being
the exhibits they were at the last year’s show and although lightly
crewed they more than did justice to Li Li and I.
Resplendent in their North 3DL sails and had the crew on Four
Dragons flown the kite on the last leg of each race just like Bird of
Prey, who is to say a 1-2 would have been impossible.
Be assured that the work is now all but finished and the two boats
will not be decorations on the hard or the pontoon for the rest of the
summer as they will be put to good use to train and teach people in
the arts of big boat sailing with perhaps entry of a crew in The China
Cup a possible target.
Let me know if you are interested in being considered for the team,
last year was a blast and this year we intend to get people used to
working with each other with a couple of days before the event getting used to the intricacies of dip-pole gybing on a Beneteau 40.7.
TOUGH TIMES IN THE MARINE MARKET
It is not just the like of General Motors that are suffering with the biggest boatbuilder in
the world Brunswick showing sales down 45% but still selling US174Mn in Q1 (some still
have money). The mighty Beneteau are shedding around 600 jobs and even Nautor
Swan have let people go.
Some companies are holding quite well and not discounting with J-Boats saying
USD40k is what a J-80 is worth and we won’t drop – and when you compare to a Fling
Tiger at USD70k plus they may have a point.
Others, like Sunsail, the charter company, where a week per person in Phuket normally
costs USD350 on a 35 footer are now showing 15-25% discounts across their whole
range.
Like everything else though, things will recover and bargains do exist. Ferretti, the luxury
boat builder has just been bought back from the Private Equity company that bought it a
few years back – and at a bargain price, Oh and guess what – banks lent Mr Ferretti and
the senior managers money for the purchase, so money is still available for the right
deal.
NOT A LL YACHT CLU BS ARE THE SAME
Recently, 2 sailing clubs which both claim to be run “by members for members” had
similar decisions to be made.
Both clubs, or rather the committees of both clubs, which had identical structures in that
they were companies limited by guarantee felt they needed new ‘club boats’ to help develop the clubs by providing non boat-owning members boats they could sail.
One club notified their membership of what was going to be discussed and called an
Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of the membership with due notice. At this EGM
the only subject to be discussed was the potential purchase of the boats.
Said committee even posted a business plan to the club’s website so all members could
view the rational and formulate any questions in advance if the EGM.
The other committee decided, with no reference to the membership, that they would
spend a good portion of the club’s financial reserves in the purchase of some new boats.
These boats would be procured through a company run by the club commodore and
club bosun.
Like I say, not all yacht clubs are the same!
TOUGH TIME HAPPENS SOMETIMES!
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WIND · WATER · BOAT
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WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?
Some months ago an article was published about the growth of sailing in China.
Sure there have been a number of high profile events. The Olympics, almost to spite the naysayers wasn’t a complete drifting match. Indeed most of the criticism seemed aimed at a number of medal races, especially the 49er that
was likened to a demolition derby but my answer to those detractors is surely we should be able to sail in many different winds and not just the perfect window for any particular class. The Finns and Ynglings sailed on the same
water and on the same day and no one criticized their races.
Before the Olympics the Clippers came visiting Qingdao and earlier this year the Volvo circus - well at least part of it
- visited Northern China.
Why Volvo didn’t visit the metropolis of Shanghai which, with a GDP of around Euro50Bn would have delighted the
sponsors is a story that only a few seem to know about. We may tell it one day.
Perhaps next time around the VOR will get their act together a little better to ensure more adequate exposure in Asia
for their potential sponsors.
Then in the south of the country 2008 saw the second running of the China Cup International Regatta with amongst
the 50 boats competing, 30 Beneteau 40.7s hitting the start line together.
So several events benefiting Chinese Sailing. Well sailing in China perhaps but Chinese Sailing – I’m not so sure.
If you look a little deeper at the above – how many Chinese actually took part.
The Clipper fleet of 10 boats of around 14 or 15 crew each had about 2 or 3 Chinese sailors in total – so 2 or 3 out of
140 to 150.
The Olympics, even if you assume the full compliment of Chinese sailors across the events, had 18 Chinese sailors
out of around 400.
The VOR entry Green Dragon, in part sponsored by a Volvo AB invested company in China had a token Chinese
crew member in media Specialist Guo Chuan. Out of the 55 sailors that made it to China.
The China Cup entries were a little more balanced. The Beneteaus had around 1/3 of the crews registered in China
but even a couple of these were crewed primarily by expats.
So why is the growth of sailing below the headlines not quite as fast as would appear from the number of marinas
being built?
Two words sum up the major problem – “Meg-Rich”
It is assumed by many in the Chinese boating community, or rather people hoping to benefit from the Chinese boating community that boating is an activity of the seriously rich of the world.
They have been taken to the likes of the Monaco Boat Show, wined and dined, preached to by the likes of China
Boating that boating is something you need to be a millionaire to take part in.
Aside: China Boating’s average content is at least 30% expensive cars, watches and other toys of the rich and it is
rare to find a boat of any sort under 15 metres.
We all know that, while sailing is not a sport for the poor, many people who take part give up other pleasures to be
able to afford, sometimes barely, to take part in the sport they love.
One of the first marinas in China, Longcheer in Shenzhen has already changed hands for around USD26m, a mere
fraction of its build cost. Another, 9 Dragons just outside Shanghai has a lock gate that I am told is only accessible 2
hours either side of high water and water 50m deep only a 100m or so to its seaward side making anchoring to wait
for the lock a dubious option.
Other clubs expect initial membership fees of RMB1m – about USD140,000 or GBP100,000 so overall there is little
surprise that boating has been slow in its take up in China.
Mooring fees in places, border on the perverse. In one bay in the middle of China’s Coastline moorings have been
laid where the quoted cost is USD1,500 per month (USD18,000per annum) for a 40 footer.
To put this in perspective, a pontoon slip at Hamble Yacht Services, where many of the UK’s top racers hang out is
about 2/3 of this cost. This is a direct comparison including tax on two boats of identical length – oh and the water
taxi out to the boat in China is 50 RMB a time.
Even when this is compared to more local costs – lets say Hong Kong. The same mooring in HK would be USD300
per month and the water taxi HK$5.
And both these facilities (Hamble and Hong Kong) have state of the art maintenance facilities catering for every aspect of boat maintenance and repair on site. In China the chap who turns up to bleed your diesel most likely had a
truck engine as his last patient.
Ironically the cheapest place I have discovered to store your boat in China and go sailing from is Shanghai, the country’s engine room and primary driver of their economy but even here the storage costs for a sailing dinghy is likely to
draw a sharp intake of breath from people used to European prices.
(read next page for more…)
CHINA SAILING-THE REAL PICTURE
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WIND · WATER · BOAT
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WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?
CHINA SAILING-THE REAL PICTURE(CONTIUNED)
What of the longer term? There are a few more enlightened
people around, willing to look to the longer term rather than trying to kill the fatted calf and starve in the meantime. What needs
to happen is that they are listened to instead of those who have
little or no real knowledge of the sport whether they are in the
manufacture, organizational or media industries, or indeed active participants in the sport itself.
Less attention needs to be paid to real estate developers who
think they know all about the needs of the yachtsman or sailor
but in reality are just trying to sell their investment at an unrealistic profit as their marinas remain empty, less credibility needs
to be given to media editors and that write about the sport with
hardly 5 minutes even spent taking part. Or journalists that no
so little about the sport that they consider a Whitbread 40 to be
a “Whitbread Boat” – sorry chap – a whole different animal.
I have said before that there is no reason why sailing and boating cannot be as big in China as any country with a significant
coastline but not the way these people are choking its development.
The future - Annual China Club Challenge Regatta in Xiamen!
JUST WHO DO THEY
THINK THEY ARE?
The America’s Cup is still in stagnation and all due to one
person or group of people.
Ernesto Bertarelli, SNG, Alinghi, America’s Cup Management – they are all the same camp.
Just my opinion!
NOT SAILING, BUT……
31st April 2009, it was an honour and a privilege to be sat in a
room at Natural International Yacht Club with approaching 2
dozen autistic kids, their carers and parents and a bunch of generous Chinese (there was only me and one other foreigner present) for the culmination of the China (Shanghai) International
Boat Show charity effort.
The trouble all started, as if you didn’t know, when SNG
‘accepted’ CNEV, the Spanish so-called yacht club as the
challenger of record. The two of them then put together a
protocol that was biased towards the defender as never
before in the 150 year history if this great event, in actual
fact the oldest international sports trophy in the world.
Some 50-60 guests dug deep for the ensuing Charity Auction
and raised just short of 70,000 RMB – and average of over 1,000
RMB per person.
Who would stand up to them?
The event was the culmination of the efforts of CMP SinoExpo
and Team 4 Dragons AND many others which has resulted in
the raising of funds approaching six figures in RMB.
Not the syndicates that relied on sponsorship, they needed
ANY kind of America’s Cup to keep the ball rolling and stay
in a job. The only one that seemed to have enough financial
muscle to fund an appeal and not need sponsorship was
BMW Oracle owned by multi-billionaire Larry Ellison.
Mecedes Benz watches, Buddhist Scripts and an ancient poem
and even picnic baskets saw their price rapidly rise, all in aid of
people less fortunate than themselves.
I am sure no-one ever expected Mr. Ellison to ever be a
white knight but for the aficionados of The Cup he has become just that.
The Cup went to court, one battle won by one side, the next
won by the other. Finally The New York Appeals Court
judges decided that Larry was right and CNEV wasn’t a
qualifying yacht club and Alinghi had to face BMW Oracle in
February 2010 – job done!
Not quite, Alinghi have now declared the match will be in
May 2010 so it’s back to court with a contempt of court
charge.
In my view, not just contempt of court but contempt for The
Cup itself – just who does Bertarelli think he is? A spoilt rich
kid methinks.
Blaze on Dianshan Lake years ago… I have been missing her...
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WHAT MORE DO WE NEED?
SNUB TO CHINESE GOVERNMENT
B Y C H I N A B O AT I N G ’ S A S I A B O AT I N G AWA R D S ?
As I scanned down the list of winners fromthis year’s Asia Boating Awards
driven by China Boating I was not surprised to see 8 motor awards and only 3
sailing awards. I was surprised to see the Longtze Premier, clearly a sportboat
by definition and racing under the IRC Sportboat Rule winning a prize in the
“Sailing Yacht Category”.
Wonder what happened to the craft coming out of McConachy’s yard – perhaps
something to do with the fact they don’t advertise with China Boating or that
magazine’s sister publication.
No surprise and well deserved award to Frank Pong of Hong Kong, his efforts to
help sailing in China certainly deserve the plaudits.
The award that surprised me most was the China Cup Regatta winning the
award for “Best Regatta Event of the Year.
Were the judges asleep for the whole of August then the Olympic Circus descended on Qingdao for an event that surprised even the nay-sayers with some
exciting racing, a 49er medal race that proved the Olympic Spirit and brought
China her first sailing Gold Medal in the Ladies RS:X?
Compare that to the China Cup Regatta where over 60% of the boats were a
one class charter fleet (and some of them had to be lent out free to fill them) and
the award to the China Cup organizers does seem somewhat unusual.
Another Regatta missed by China Boating??
NOT BIG BUT STILL FUN
BOOK REPORT
During the last week of April the Shanghai Fisherman’s Club held a small regatta at Grand Nature Yacht
Club.
I almost feel like I am doing a piece of homework for my English
teacher when I write this bit but this month it is really worth it in many
ways.
You can view the event of just 3 boats or 100% fleet
turnout depends on your attitude.
When, as a sailor, you see an autobiography written by arguably (well
some will argue about anything) the greatest yacht designer of the 20th
Century, you have to read it – out of curiosity if nothing more.
The backup team are still learning and time was limited as marks were inflated and laid.
Racy it isn’t, self glorifying it most certainly isn’t.
Halfway through the first race things didn’t seem quite
right and a check of our transits showed us that the
committee boat that had an anchor that wouldn’t have
been out of place on a boat half the weight had started
sailing downwind almost as quick as the Platus and
the leeward mark was almost on the beach.
In fact it is incredibly self effacing when the gentleman who wrote it had
every right to shout Mohamed Ali’s words “I am the Greatest” from the
rooftops.
2 toots, AP up and reset the course and with all the
anchor line out on the committee boat things held fast.
Patrick Fu Qiang, Chief Fisherman, got a brilliant start
but just 4% too brilliant as the first 35 cm or so of his
boat was OCS so back he went.
Enough clues yet? The book is called “All This And Sailing Too” and
the author is one Olin Stephens II.
He caught the right shifts in the wind that was flicking
about on the course plus some strange estimates of
VMG (Velocity Made Good) by one of the other competitors brought him back into it.
A bullet in the second race secured his overall victory
on countback with a group of Swedes (people from
Sweden not turnips) coming second.
Not a National Championships perhaps but they had
fun, were patient with those on the committee boat and
learned a little, everyone is a beginner at some point in
their career and we look forward to the Fisherman’s
Club’s continued forward progress, certainly with Patrick’s energy enthusiasm this club will not be going
astern.
He lived to be 100 years old and died just last year which prompted me
to belatedly purchase the book of his life.
For those of you who don’t know, Olin and his brother Rod designed
more America’s Cup defenders than any other designers, some of the
greatest ocean racers of all time and were responsible for the design
powerhouse Sparkman & Stephens (S & S) and had an influence on
what was right in yacht design right up to his death last year as sensibly, the rules committees respected his knowledge and views well beyond when he put down his pencil and drew his last line on a drafting
board.
As a read, I have to confess it is a bit dry as Mr. Stephens didn’t flower
up his deeds and achievements in any way, but as an account of a
piece of sailing history it is riveting stuff.
Well I’m all wrote out for this one, time to hand it over to Li Li to
do her layout magic. This coming weekend we are back out on the
water in Bird of Prey, across to help out the Fishermen once
more. Think we’ll sail over there, then we have our own committee
boat and there are a couple of other projects in the offing – more
about them when we have the news. See Ya on the Water!
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