China hoisting its sporting spinnaker

It is said nowadays the economic success of a coastal city is judged not by the number of chimneys but yacht masts.

Three more arrived to soar above the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen last Sunday as it rigs up for the inaugural China Cup International Regatta in October.

Three Beneteau First 40.7 (feet) yachts were handed over to Chinese owners at an auspicious ceremony at the Longcheer Yacht Club in Shenzhen.

They will line up with seven other Beneteaus for the regatta's one-design class competition, an elite yachting race founded by China's fledgling sailing community.

The first China Cup, organized by the Aquatic Sports Administrative Center of the State General Administration of Sports and the Shenzhen Municipal Government, will be staged from October 19 to 21 on Daya Bay east of Hong Kong.

The purchase of 10 First 40.7 class boats by mainland businessmen from sailing's most famous manufacturer recently broke the world record for the biggest number of vessels and price tag in a single order.

But the China Cup International Regatta Management Co promised it would invest a further 200 to 300 million yuan in the event and advanced training in a bid to fast track development of the high-level leisure sport in China.

Its first showpiece in October will feature five classes of competition - racing, IRC, bareboat charter, one-design and sports boat.

The boats that will tack and veer for the China Cup differ from those of Olympic competition.

The former are larger, at about 12.5m in length, and equipped with state-of-the-art navigation, meteorological and comfort devices in high demand in international sailing circles.

By October more than 100 yachts from 10 countries and regions will be hoisting their sails on Daya Bay.

Among them will be crews from the United States, France, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Britain, Japan, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Macao and the Chinese mainland.

Earlier this month during the America's Cup, the world's most prestigious yachting race, off the coast of Spain, China's maiden voyage finished last.

But the team is plotting a glorious future after the spotlight turns from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

China has swiftly expanded its tally of medals across a range of sports in recent years, as it prepares to host the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

But the Chinese people's lack of interest in, and knowledge of, sailing pose big challenges, though nothing an Olympic medal won't overcome.

"Yachting requires a lot of money," vice-secretary of the Chinese Yachting Association Liu Weidong told the media last month.

"You can't force it simply because you want to promote the sport, because you have to take economic means into consideration."

But with a thriving economy within 18,000km of coastline, and strong support from the governing body, the spinnaker is about to be hoisted on the good ship of Chinese sailing.

"The center will spare no effort to promote the yachting race and other ocean sports in China," director of the Aquatic Sports Administrative Center Wei Di said.

"A successful hosting of the China Cup will set an example for others. I am fully confident for the sport."

As for a lack of yachting knowledge, Wei said the Chinese Yachting Association would start promoting the mainly middle-class sport among white-collar workers.

"We will not only promote Olympics sailing among the Chinese citizens, we will also work to raise interest in the sport by running training camps and pushing promotional events," he said, adding that 1,040 smaller sailboats had already been supplied to middle-school students from Qingdao in partnership with local government.

Qingdao is to host the Olympic yachting regatta next year and is, according to Wei, an ideal base for yachting's growth in the north.

Support for Team China has so far largely come from China's upper socio-economic sector - companies, wealthy executives, entrepreneurs and celebrities.

Vice-director of the China Yachting and Sailing Association Li Quanhai said the China Cup would eventually put the Asian giant on the sailing map, at a level commensurate with its status as a rising global economic power.

"We will look to the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race and build our own yachting race brand," Li said.

The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Offshore Race will open the China Cup Regatta on October 19, followed by two races on territorial waters the day after and another two the next day.

(China Daily 08/03/2007 page22)