The following article by Natalie Leung was published in the Macau Daily Times. It looks like ABYC have exported our Sailing School to Macau as Old ABYC'er, Jon Gailbraith has started a similar initiative there:

Macau's only youth sailing academy has a "big dream" - to represent the SAR in the 2012 London Olympics. However, the goal could be challenged by a lack of sponsorship, which the principal said has hold back a lot of future sailors from developing the sport, and the small fact that Macau is not yet a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Finishing his morning training session with six teenagers off the port of the Macau Yacht Club, Jon Galbraith, founder of the Macau Youth Sailing Association, told the Macau Daily Times the fact that the city had no sail training facility was "very much to his surprise" when he moved to the SAR with his wife Suzie, who accepted a job offer from Taipa's Sheng Kung Hui Primary School in August of last year.
Currently giving the second training module to the 13 students aged between 11 and 16 and admitted from The International School of Macao (TIS) and Sheng Kung Hui Primary School when the course began in March, Mr Galbraith said a lot of children in Macau were keen to pick up the sport but could not afford the fees of 1,900 patacas per module for the six week course.

According to this Royal Yachting Association (RYA) certified "yacht-master" who had also launched the Algoa Bay Development Sailing Academy in South Africa and worked at the Hanble School of Yachting in the UK, there was a very keen child called Akit in England who wanted to learn sailing so much but he was an orphan that no one could pay the tuition fees for him.

"To somebody in the western world 100 pounds is nothing. But 1,900 patacas is a lot of money for people living in this area [Macau]. But I don't blame their parents, they just can't afford it," the 55-year-old principal said.

In March when Mr Galbraith gave a presentation of his sailing course to 200 students at the Taipa primary school, he said 72 of them showed their interest afterwards but only five had returned the entry forms to the association eventually.

Every module has a running cost of about 38,000 patacas. Considering the small number of intakes the association has, the Galbraiths have been covering the costs out of their own pockets.

But for this married couple, running the academy was never a money-driven idea.

"It's very important to give back to the sports," Mr Galbraith said, adding "children today are sailors tomorrow and we really need to start them young".

Mr Galbraith was not in the sailing industry until 1994. Although he still managed to take home championships from different world renowned yacht races, he told the MDT a late starter could never obtain "the Olympics quality".

"Without a sponsorship, by the time a person can afford to buy a yacht, he will already be in his 40s or 50s," the principal said.

The 55-year-old already has a two-year plan in mind for his 13 students whose parents are either expatriates with western origins or Macanese.

Mr Galbraith said he wanted to train 16-year-old Kyle to be the assistant instructor by the time he reaches 18.
"It is like a pyramid from within, only by doing this sailing can truly carry on in Macau," he added.

One of the recent schools to take part in the ABYC Sailing School program was Herbert Hurd. They entered their first major regatta in March this year; The Redhouse Inter Schools Sailing Regatta and acquitted themselves well.

Darryl, of the Wednesday Committee of Two fame sent the following report in:

Herbert Hurd entered the 32nd Coca Cola interschools regatta held at Redhouse Yacht club on the 15th and 16th of March. With the 5 entrants being Jesse Martin, Mark Laggar, Shumeeze Salie, James Westraadt and Bryan Waters, nervous and excited because the day had dawned on their first regatta!

With the first race set to start at 10:30am, the weather decided to show her hand and gusted at 27 – 30 knots before settling down to about 16 knots constant. My kids’ eyes were wide as Scott Stephens went out on his laser 4.7 to show off a bit! He capsized on the run at some serious speed! “Is this what we are in for?” asked one. “I’m not going out there!” said the other.

Herbert Hurd at the Inter schools sailing regattaThe first race was postponed due to the wind but when it settled the lasers were first on the start line. Second to start were the gypsies and mirrors and the lone senior optimist. Then it was the chance of the junior optimists and lastly the novice class was set to go. The cries of “I’m not going out there!” turned into “When can we go sir? Is it time yet!”
The start line was a bustle of oppies and o’9ers, with it being the first regatta, the rules of starboard and weather boat, just didn’t apply to them! Shouts of “Get out of my way!” and “I’ll ride straight over you!” were heard from the bank! The hooter went and they were off on the run to the bottom mark! EVERY boat got to the bottom mark at the same time and there was a lot of bumping and shoving and shouting! You could hear as the o’9ers banged each other and booms clanged against masts! Herbert Hurd managed a 4th from Jesse Martin and an 8th from Mark Laggar

So first race was done, the second and third race was very similar. Same conditions, same shouting and they were off! Jesse managed a 4th place in both races due to his proper course choice.

The fourth and last race of the day came as a shock to the kids. Shumeeze didn’t sail and it turned into a correct choice. The wind suddenly picked up after the start and as some of the front runners gybed on their way down to the bottom mark, spectacular broaches were witnessed by the spectators on the banks! Other boats at the back were taken out and bashed into by the boats broaching and there was absolute chaos down at the bottom mark! 2 of my boys made the end of the race with boats filled with water!

Sunday dawned with lighter winds and bluer skies! After frantic rigging to go for a pleasure sail, the fifth race would soon start. The course was set to be a reaching course. As the kids went underway, all 5 of the Herbert Hurd children go a perfect start! As they reached the bottom mark the placing was as follows: 2,3,4,6 and 9th!

The last race saw the novices race the same course that the “bigger” boats. They were excited to finally sail round the elbow towards the mouth of the Swartkops River.
As they rounded the elbow, many of the bigger boats were on the run to the finish line so there was mass confusion and chaos as the novice fleet of 19 boats got tangled in with the other fleets! Herbert Hurd posted a 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 11th place in this race!

At the prize giving each novice received a medal and a Coke from Coca Cola! Herbert Hurd narrowly missed out on the team trophy to Clarendon. Watch out, we’ll get you next year!

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