Regatta gets off to slow start as wind takes lay day

QINGDAO: A breathless start to the 2007 Qingdao International Regatta provided Chinese sailors a chance to learn how to milk idle conditions from the best in the business.

And the gap between the home fleet and its western counterparts was obvious in the opening two races.

Mild winds saw the cancellation of all scheduled races, except for the 49er and 470 Women classes.

The Spanish crew of Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez, who won gold at the Athens Olympics, led other western sailors across the finish line in the 49er class, with the Chinese boat lagging far behind.

"In the 2006 Qingdao regatta, we got one gold medal, two silvers, and two bronzes," Chinese fleet leader Yao Xinpei said.

"This year, we focus more on accumulating experiences and learning from stronger teams."

As late comer to the sport, China has equipped a fleet of sailing boats for nine classes of 11 events for the sake of the 2008 Olympic sailing competition.

Its Tornado, 49er, Star, and Yngling entries are newly established teams.

"The Chinese sailors do not develop in an all round way," Yngling team coach Wang Yong said.

"Seldom people can give full play in all kinds of environments. In order to be an all-rounder, there is no shortcut but to train more and to attend more big events."

Most sailors struggled to adapt to mild winds yesterday, but the Spanish coped the best.

"There are a lot of things we must learn from the high-level athletes, such as some basic skills, tactics to start and methods to choose the lines," Wang added. "What's more, we need to learn their conscientious attitude, which is equal to success usually."

Last year's Qingdao regatta saw Western fleets win all the medals in Finn, Tornado and Star class events as Asian fleets lagged far behind.

"The gap between us and the top sailors in the aspect of adjustment to equipment are huge, especially in minor adjustment," China's 470 women's team member Huang Yineng told China Daily.

"To observe how the competitors apply specific skills in different venues is not difficult. However, it is almost impossible to find out their minor changes, which are conducted according to detailed judgment on wind direction and currents. So, the Chinese team still needs to invite experienced coaches to teach in China," Huang added.

Yao Xinpei linked the rapid development of Chinese sailing to the country's booming economy, which has helped facilitate better training methods.

"After the 2006 Qingdao Regatta, the Chinese fleet has been training more positively," he said.

"In the first half of this year, we went on a training program in Europe and participated in world-class events. From these events we have learned a lot from the Western competitors."

But recruiting more help from abroad is the key to further improvement, according to the home team's leader.

"From now on, we still need to learn advanced skills and accumulate competition experiences by studying abroad, participating in international events, and inviting foreign coaches to tutor our teams.

"We still have a long way to go to catch up with the first-class teams. But as long as we keep learning, we will be among the top in the future."

The 49ers and 470 women stole the show on the opening day of racing with wins for Spain and Australia, while light winds resulted in delayed starts across the remaining fleets.

The Finns, the Ynglings, Tornadoes and the 470 Men were out on the water and ready for racing, but were ultimately towed back to the dock without racing. The Stars and the RS:X fleets never left the dock as scheduled and the Lasers had a lay day.

"We didn't do too well in last year's event," admitted Spain's Martinez. "This year, we have come in with more preparation, and are hoping to come out in the top 10. We will be training hard for the 2008 Olympics."

Sailing.org contributes to the story

(China Daily 08/16/2007 page24)