Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Getting going again: you have to start somewhere

by Guy Nowell, Asia Editor 19 Sep 2020 02:13 PDT
Good to be back on the water? Oh yes! RHKYC Autumn Regatta 2020 © RHKYC / Guy Nowell

Sailing in Hong Kong has been substantially hampered over the last few months as a result of Government restrictions and prohibitions in the name of social distancing. It’s been somewhat the same everywhere, we know that. Restrictions on numbers (of crew/passengers) on boats, restrictions on numbers on pontoons even. There was a ban on all “organised sporting activity” at one point. What some of us could never quite grasp was how a fully stuffed double decker bus (147 people + driver) or a rush-hour MTR train (250 pax per carriage, up to 10 carriages) was acceptable under prescribed social distancing measures, but a dozen people on a 50ft yacht racing in Victoria Harbour was not.

Even more odd, it was ok to go cruising, but not racing. Usage of even small boats was banned. You might think that a one-person dinghy offered the ultimate in socially distanced sporting activity, but (apparently) there was always the fear that he or she might meet someone else on the pontoon and stop for a chat. Anyone who has seen a bus queue in Causeway Bay will wonder why sailors on a yacht club pontoon were required to congregate in groups of 4-max, and with 1.5m between groups. The whole thing became so arcane that it was almost impossible comprehend. If you thought that “because I say so” is something reserved for five-year olds, think again. Around here, all you really had to understand was: NO.

There were some who got around the regulations with a little imagination. There was an event, not exactly ‘organised’, which involved starting (anywhere), sailing as far and as fast as possible (anywhere), and recording the miles. Or something like that. A raft-up at the end, at a pre-arranged anchorage, seems to have been an integral part of the racing, although the friend who revealed this to me couldn’t remember who had won – and couldn’t remember why he couldn’t remember. Suffice to say, a good time was had by all.

Another imaginative solution to “no racing” involved a gate start for a small fleet that just happened to be milling around a spot marked X, followed by everyone cruising around the same course and taking their own times at the end. Not an “organised sporting activity”. Certainly not. This was made even more ‘compliant’ by the fact that there were no more than two crew on any boat.

There is light at the end of the tunnel: last weekend the RHKYC was allowed to hold its annual Autumn Regatta, the event that marks the opening of the sailing season. This weekend 19-20 September, the Aberdeen Boat Club follows suit. Both Hebe Haven Yacht Club and RHKYC have resumed Sail Training activities, albeit on a restricted basis.

However, it’s a light that can be snuffed out all too easily – and that doesn’t apply only in Hong Kong. We can guess that when C-19 started at the beginning of the year, governments everywhere imagined that it would hang around for a couple of months (like SARS in 2003) and then disappear. Everyone was wrong on that count; however, it is worth remembering there are many equally infectious and dangerous diseases at large in the world that do not engender the same reactions as Covid-19. The real question is whether the ‘cure’ – lockdowns, damaged economies, bankruptcies, suicides, emotional trauma and more - is worse than the illness and death rate caused by the disease itself. Remember, 40 years ago we were being warned that AIDS would kill 30% of the population of the world. It hasn’t, and there is still no vaccine for it, either.

In the meantime, go sailing! Get out in the fresh air away from close-packed buses and crowded shopping malls. Do a bit of social distancing on a cruising yacht – sail or motor, you choose – and if you go racing please make sure that you keep boats 1.5m apart, especially at the turning marks!

Guy Nowell, Asia Editor, Sail-World.com

Related Articles

Room for industry optimism for the rest of 2025
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America Despite varying economic factors across all states, the latest data from NMMA's Monthly Recreational Boating Industry Data Summary report offers a tempered view of the recreational boating market. Posted on 11 Jun
More confusion as tariff decisions overruled
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America On May 30, President Donald Trump announced that Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum will double from 25% to 50%, effective Wednesday, June 4. The announcement was made during a speech at U.S. Steel's Mon Valley Works-Irvin Plant. Posted on 4 Jun
Event updates, new products and more
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America The 2025 American Boating Congress (ABC) concluded last week in the nation's capital, bringing together marine industry leaders and policymakers for high-level discussions on the future of recreational boating and marine manufacturing. Posted on 28 May
Trade war continues but progress being made
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America Following talks over the weekend in Geneva, Switzerland, the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day pause on the ongoing trade war between both countries. Posted on 14 May
American Sportfishing Association urges action
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America ASA President Glenn Hughes sent a letter to Trump Administration expressing support for its efforts to address global trade imbalances and strengthen U.S. competitiveness, while urging swift action to provide greater certainty and relief for ASA members. Posted on 7 May
Tariff rates under further consideration
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America According to an April 23 Wall Street Journal report, President Trump is considering reducing the tariff rate on Chinese imports to 50-65%. Posted on 30 Apr
"Steady as she goes" is the industry message
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America As the recreational boating industry faces shifting economic tides, understanding the sentiments of its leaders has never been more critical. Posted on 23 Apr
Economic pressure affects boat sales
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America As economic headwinds continue to shape consumer sentiment, the latest Monthly Recreational Boating Industry Data Summary report analyzes January 2025 data, offering a look at trends and how 2025 kicked-off ahead of the tariff and trade tensions. Posted on 16 Apr
More news on tariff introduction dates
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America On April 2, President Trump announced a new set of trade actions, including a 10% baseline tariff on all imported goods, effective April 5. Additional tariffs, including some that range up to 34% on Chinese imports, for example, will take effect April 9. Posted on 9 Apr
Tariffs and technology the main subjects this week
A summary of news relevant to marine businesses across North America President Trump has labelled April 2nd as "Liberation Day" - a day in which his administration is planning to impose a round of fresh tariffs particularly focused on easing trade imbalances with nations that export more goods to the U.S. than they import. Posted on 2 Apr
North Sails Loft 57 PodcastSelden 2020 - FOOTERAllen Dynamic 40 Footer