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A day out on the sea

Jocelyn Wong

Jason Khoo, 16

As we walked down a narrow alley towards the pier, making our way through rusty boat parts and puddles of muddy water, my hopes of a great day of sailing a catamaran were dashed.

There was no way a nice boat would be parked at this pier. But then we saw this shiny white catamaran nearing the pier. It was an amazing boat.

After we boarded, the catamaran sailed to Middle Island where our instructors gave us the basic overview of sailing. We learned about terms like 'onshore', 'offshore', 'mooring', 'jib' and others - just a tiny sample of a sailor's vocabulary. The most interesting fact I learned was the difference between a nautical mile and a regular mile. One nautical mile is one minute of longitude at the equator. The diameter of the globe is 26,000 nautical miles.

The day was packed with fun and excitement: from the fear of the sailboat almost capsizing, to the surprisingly calming effect of sailing a small boat. After 20 minutes of sailing, we went on another boat called an RIB, a rigid inflatable boat. It could sail at speeds of up to 50 nautical miles. We sailed through the water at an incredible speed. The experience was like riding a roller coaster. I also had this amazing feeling of freedom and flying, with the wind blowing on my face. It was an amazing trip!

Anahita Sharma, 16

It was a remarkably sunny afternoon. Despite the miserable weather over the past week, the sky was a clear blue.

Our first stop was at Middle Island where we got onto dinghies in groups. We learned some basic knowledge about sailing, such as keeping the wind behind you, and some special terms. Although the terms seemed overwhelming at the beginning, they were fun to learn.

Yuki Cheung, 19

Nothing compares to learning from the most experienced people about sailing while enjoying the sun and breeze out in the sea.

Learning all the technical terms in a two-hour workshop was difficult for inexperienced sailors like us. Still, we had a lot of fun listening to the instructors and trying to set sail.

After spending an afternoon with the experienced instructors, I now realise how enjoyable this sport is.

Grace Chee Ching-him, 15

We were off to an auspicious start with surprisingly good weather. The weather had been so unstable recently I was expecting dark clouds and thunder any second.

A catamaran is a boat with two hulls, which makes it much faster and more stable than boats with one hull.

The most exciting part of the trip was at the end, when we went back to shore on a motor boat. We were riding the waves at a high speed - I could feel the wind on my face.

Emily Tsang

Sailing on the catamaran was definitely an unforgettable experience.

Not only did we get to ride it, we also took turns controlling the sails. We learned the basics of safe sailing, such as monitoring the wind direction. The most interesting discovery for me was that the boat will not go anywhere if you sail into the wind.

Karen Chan Tsz-yan, 19

I felt lucky to learn about sailing from an experienced instructor. One interesting thing that I learned was that the best time to catch squid was when the water current is flowing west. The instructor also compared harbour traffic in the East and West of Hong Kong.

At the end, we returned to shore on a RIB, a type of small speedboat. It felt as fast as a roller coaster. This day marked the beginning of my water adventures.

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