Sailing has existed in China for 600 years, only now is it recreational

The rules of the sea are as unpredictable as the rules of the road in China, and more so when a yachting regatta involves dodging dimly-lit trawlers and fishing nets at night.
The hazardous journey north from the port city of Qingdao to deliver a yacht to Weihai, the starting point of the Mayor's Cup regatta, was an unusual prologue to the international race staged as one effort by China, host of the 2008 Olympics, to boost its profile on the world sporting stage.
Without a moon, steering was done by compass, with only a faint grey light of the sky above the soot black ocean.
"Float at 2 o'clock," a crew member belted out. "It looks like a giant buoy, maybe it's a rock. No, it's a fishing boat."
China's yachting industry is still in its infancy but local government officials and enthusiasts are betting that interest in sailing as a sport and yacht ownership will expand along with the country's growing consumption and rising incomes.
"At the moment our aim is to groom sailors for the Olympics but also to develop the sport for the general public," said Yao Xinpei, secretary general of the Chinese Yachting Association.
Just as car ownership has taken off along with rapid economic growth in China, he said there was huge potential to expand the boating industry.
Since the Olympics, China has poured investment into high-speed train links, tourism and major sporting events. Sailing has been one beneficiary.
The coastal province of Shandong, which has a 3,000km long coastline, has an investment plan of $38.6 billion to develop an ocean economic zone.
Zhu Yuetao, vice-director general of the Qingdao Development Office of Conference & Exhibition Industry, said that while sailing has existed in China for 600 years, there is no culture of sailing for recreation.
It could take 30 years to get to the point where North America and Europe are today, he said.
While China plans to host more international regattas and seeks to establish Qingdao as a sailing hub, growing legions of Chinese millionaires are also eyeing the chance to own luxury yachts as a mark of success.
China's newly affluent are driving a new wave of lifestyle spending from luxury goods to sports cars and overseas holidays - and yachting is no exception.
"More people want to own yachts as a sign of success and to take their friends and family out on weekends," said Loik Morgant, in charge of marketing yachts for Beneteau in Qingdao and who also teaches sailing at the local sailing school.
"But trying to convince yacht owners to get their children into the sport is another thing. Chinese generally do not like being in the sun."
Sales remain small. The country accounted for about one to two per cent of global yacht sales of $3.4 billion last year, industry estimates show - but with the worldwide yachting industry in a slump, China is a welcome bright spot.
Two representatives from Helly Hansen, purveyor of yachting wear, were on hand at a sailor's pub in Qingdao and there were no lack of logos dotting hulls and sails during the race.
"China's sailing continues to grow fast and is now providing a good source of income for some," said Rick Pointon, captain of Team Beijing Sailing Center.
Pointon said that beyond encouraging the wealthy to buy yachts, China needs to groom good sailors to crew them and put in place international qualifications.
"There needs to be more grassroots sailing so that kids grow up with a passion for the sea that develops into yachting, and there needs to be more done to protect the maritime environment."
The U.S.-China Sailing Association, which sent two teams to the regatta, has raised some funds to promote sailing for Chinese youth. It has also invited sailors from China to participate in a U.S. regatta next year.