HK's top windsurfers are setting sail for troubled waters, unafraid that they are facing a monster of the deep that would prove daunting to Odysseus himself. Honey Tsang reports.

Michael Cheng Chun-leung and Sonia Lo Sin-lam are in high spirits, though aware that Guanabara Bay where the competitions will be held is a cesspool of human waste and the more recent finding that the nearby beaches are contaminated by drug resistant, super bacteria. Experts have warned that the risk of infection is high.

Cheng and Lo are qualifiers in the RS-X class at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.

"We've made five training trips to Rio. We've noticed the water quality has progressively improved. There's less trash bobbing on the water," Lo said. She was speaking of conditions at Guanabara Bay, where the Olympic sailing races will be held from Aug 8 to 18.

After a weeks-long training round in Rio, 25-year old Cheng and Lo, 23, were back home in Hong Kong briefly to meet with local media, before heading back to Rio. It'll be the first appearance at the Olympics for both athletes. They spend the rest of June and all of July in flat out training on the Olympic course.

"The preparation for Rio is so far satisfactory. I hope the training could give full play to the Olympic Games," Cheng said on the media session at the Hong Kong Sea School, Stanley. On the last Rio visit, both of them performed in good forms at the mock races, which they pitted themselves against other Rio-bound windsurfers.

"(The trails) have prepared me with a right tempo ahead of the Olympics," Cheng said. His crewmate, Lo, despite her shoulder injury, topped it off with a top-10 finish.

Being bombarded with questions thrown upon them by the mass media, the two water sports enthusiasts, both with deep tans, reacted with spunk and great spirits.

High-wire act

Windsurfing can be described as a kind of wind-driven high wire act. Board sailors evaluate how the wind blows, and make tactical decisions on which way to steer, while maintaining balance on the sensitive surf board.

"Outside of a fine fettle, windsurfing calls for an athlete's analytical mind to make judgments and plan moves, which all hinge on climatic and geological factors," said Lo, the silver medalist in the RS:One event at the 2014 Asian Games.

Lo believes considerable meteorological knowledge is as important as a windsurfer's power and precision techniques.

"Since I'm new to the Olympics, I have no burden passed on from previous matches. My only focus is to give it my best shot on the course," she told China Daily, adding that her calm and collected disposition might give her a leg up at the Games.

Acting head coach Chan King-yin holds great faith in her capability. In a private exchange with China Daily, Chan said with conviction, "Lo's always known well about her performance and caliber. She never doubts herself. These are innate attributes of being a top player."

Anxiety management plays a critical role for sailors, Chan acknowledged. Psychologists are assessing Lo's and Cheng's levels of strain, and will offer counseling if needed, he added.

Windsurfing has brought Hong Kong world recognition. Our greatest Olympian is Lee Lai-shan, who sailed in the Atlanta 1996 Games and won the city's only gold medal. In Hone Kong where windsurfing has a broad popularity, the duo are aware that people in town are right behind them. They hope to re-echo the success of their lodestar Lee Lai-shan and leave their mark at the regattas.

The Olympic windsurfing class is competitive. Only two berths, one for each gender, are granted to each country or region. Cheng, who was ranked No 2 in 2014, was selected to represent Hong Kong in the RS:X Men class at the Rio Games. "I'll do my level best in the Olympics. My first goal is to contend for the top-10, and get a place in the final," he said.

Cheng's determination is further endorsed by Coach Yu Wing-ho's remarks. "We're confident that both of them can seal a top-8 finish," said Yu. Besides, Lo was ranked No 8 at the 2016 Israel Open RS:X Championship, according to the International Sailing Federation.

Work on the trivia

"Though wind can seesaw at any time, there's a pattern which is detectable, to some degree. No matter how trivial it is, the changes in wind can be instrumental in deciding an athlete's finishing position," said Yu, a seasoned athlete with a clear vision two months before the games, of what challenges lie ahead. The sailors could be better adapted and follow the intricacies of the wind, Yu adds.

The field of play in Guanabara Bay bears a resemblance to the seas around Stanley, partially enclosed by mountains, tending to greater variability of wind conditions.

"The water currents in Rio are stronger than Hong Kong's. This wouldn't create any additional difficulties, as we are acclimatized to the fickle winds and powerful flows at Stanley," said Cheng.

Lo acknowledges she is at her best in light to medium winds. She's confident of having made a thorough study of Rio's climes and topography.

Risks and chances

The polluted Guanabara Bay, the superbugs alongside the global anxiety over the spread of the Zika virus present serious, additional challenges to this year's Olympics. Members of the Hong Kong team say they're not anxious about coming down with any sicknesses.

The sailors will keep their mouths close while they sail. It's a recognized preventive measure. It's "winter" in Brazil. The colder weather may relieve some of the risks of the mosquito-borne Zika virus, the Hong Kong team notes.

"The water quality in Rio is better than expected. The bay is now a field of play that could be considered as sailing-friendly," said coach Chan, the former windsurfing athlete who won the gold medal in the Men's mistral light class at the 2006 Asian Games.

There are plenty of other concerns about Rio. In mid-June, there was a shoot-out between police and gangsters at Rio's largest public hospital, which has been designated as a tourist hospital during the 2016 Summer Games. Crime is a chronic concern in Rio. Some athletes in this year's games already have been robbed at gunpoint.

"We'll stay alert. The athletes are told to leave their valuable belongings in rooms and go out in groups," Yu said in response to Rio's latest spate of crimes.

The breezes pick up and swing into gales, the calm sea turns into a torrent in a split second. The uncertainty isn't a shock for sailors, it's part of the game. In windsurfing psychology, the duo aim to score 10 out of 10 in all manageable factors, and not to be rattled by erratic conditions outside their control.

As the session drew to a close, Cheng and Lo, donned wetsuits, briskly assembled their rigs and set sail from the pier at Hong Kong Sea School. Spectators lined the shore enjoying the games preparations vicariously, as the two athletes skimmed across the water on their tiny boards.

"I'm sure of their abilities. And I'm keen to watch them standing on the winner's podium. The goals will be better set after the final performance assessment at the end of July," Chan said from the pier, looking at the rigs flapping in the wind.

Contact the writer at honeytsang@chinadailyhk.com

(HK Edition 07/06/2016 page8)