Smooth sailing for Beijingers getting on the water

Entering the rusted gates of the Beijing Sailing Center (BSC) in Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, doesn't immediately give one the impression of stepping into a training ground for one of the world's elite sports.

Patches of grass and weed sprout from the cracked cement area that leads up to the shores of Bohai Sea. Decrepit relics from the 1990 Asian Water Games lay scattered across the premises, collecting dust and rust.

But, walk up to the two simple blue buildings nestled next to the shoreline and things are abuzz with activity as Beijing's only sailing school prepares for another "semester".

"Things have been hectic around here," said Alfie Rowson, chief sailing instructor at the school.

The May Day holiday marked the start of the sailing season and this year more than ever, with a growing number of Chinese people now taking to the seas, Rowson and the seven other instructors at the BSC have their work cut out.

Opened in 2007, BSC is the only sailing school that caters to the growing number of Beijingers taking interest in sailing.

"When we first started out, the number of expats versus the number of Chinese coming to the school was about 90 percent expat, 10 percent Chinese," said Rick Pointon, owner of the BSC. "But now it's pretty much 50/50."

He said the school has about 30 full-time sailing school members.

Joanna Xu, a financial manager with the German carmaker Daimler, became the first female member of the BSC after bumping into an employee at a mall in Beijing. "Someone just tapped me on the shoulder and asked me if I wanted to join. I didn't even think about it - I just said 'yes'," Xu said.

She said many of the Chinese members of the school are "high-grade", people who had studied abroad and now worked in senior positions at international companies.

"Most Chinese, from the financial perspective, cannot spend much money on sports. They would rather spend money on traveling," she said.

Xu said many of the Chinese students are planning to purchase, or have already bought, a boat and have turned to Pointon and Rowson to teach them how to use it.

"Right now, I cannot afford a boat, so I am saving up some money," Xu said. "Hopefully, in three to five years, I will be able to buy my own."

Pointon attributes the rise in interest among locals to the increase in average income for Chinese Beijingers and the growing enthusiasm for "luxury activities".

He said the appeal behind sailing is similar to that of golf or tennis - it's a sport anyone can get out and do.

"Fundamentally, it comes down to why sailing is such a good sport worldwide. It's about brains, not about brawn. It's about being out on the water, learning to read your boat and assessing the wind. As long as you have that knowledge, everyone who sails is on an even playing field," he said.

Having just recently spent more than 1 million yuan ($142,000) on an entirely new fleet of training boats shipped in from the UK, Pointon said he has heavily invested in the sport and enjoys watching it grow in Beijing.

"The market here is far from fully developed but people are really starting to take an interest," he said.

Zhang Jing, a sailing coach for China's National Sailing Team, has also noticed an increasing number of Chinese people taking up the elite sport.

"Increases in living conditions and more financial freedom have allowed more people to invest in sailing," she said.

She also said better education and increased global awareness have contributed to the number of Beijingers seeking nautical know-how.

"People see the sport on television or hear about it in a conversation and that will spark an interest in them wanting to learn it," she said.

BSC, which has offices in Beijing and Qinhuangdao, charges up to 1,700 yuan for a weekend of lessons, which means the sport is reserved for those not "light of wallet".

But after only two or three weekend sessions, students can earn a "gold" rating, meaning they have enough sailing competence to participate in races, according to the Beijing Sailing Center's rating system.

Steve Price, a Briton living in Beijing, was among the school's second batch of sailing students.

He has continued working with Pointon and takes the two-hour train trip to Qinhuangdao to go sailing at every opportunity.

He was initially drawn to sailing as a way to escape the confines of the city.

"It's great to just get out and enjoy the water," he said. "Beijing is a great place, but I needed a change of scenery. Out here, you've got the sunshine, the water and a cool breeze. Things don't get much better."

Price recently became the first to tie up his own boat in the small harbor surrounding the Beijing Sailing Center after purchasing and shipping a 24-foot J/24, named Speedy Bean, from the UK.

When Pointon sold his IT business in the UK and moved to China, he said he had no intention of starting a sailing school but instead planned to study Chinese.

But when he and a friend discovered how few opportunities there were in the Beijing area for people wanting to sail, he decided to take the situation into his own hands.

"This is the facility we have had since we got started and we've got exactly what we need - a slip and some water. What else do you really need? It's all about the chance to get out and go sailing," he said.

And while the infrastructure on the water's edge may not drip with opulence in the way some well-known sailing hubs in the world might, Pointon is pleased with the humble beginnings and glad to see China taking an interest in his passion.

"We've really created our own little world here," he said.

Lu Chang contributed to the story.