Next week's Laser Championships will showcase how recreational sailing has become accessible to more than a small, privileged elite in Hong Kong
Someone once said yacht racing is a bit like standing under a cold shower tearing up US$100 bills.
But the 40-strong fleet expected at the Hong Kong Laser Class Championships next weekend off Middle Island may disagree, at least on the cost. With a second-hand Laser for as little as HK$10,000, rising to HK$50,000 for a new model, the deceptively simple boat is within the budget of many.
'Lasers are one of the cheapest, simplest dinghies in the world, yet they offer the most competitive and closest racing of any class in the world,' said David Early, who has just returned from winning his division in the state championships in Australia and will be the one to watch next weekend. 'Whether there's a fleet of four or 40 Lasers out on the water, you're always in for a great race or a great ride,' he said.
Pitting skills out on the water next weekend will also be Jamie Dalton, a 16-year-old South Island School student who is the Hong Kong Laser youth champion.
This summer, he represented Hong Kong in the International Sailing Federation Youth World Championships in Weymouth, England. This event is regarded as the youth 'mini Olympics' for sailing. It attracts over 200 sailors from 63 nations and is a top training ground for up-and-coming sailors.
