Sail-To-Change Update Pilot programme up and running!

WORDS: LUKE VAN DER KAMP

he Sail-To-Change working group is proud to have six underprivileged students begin their sailing journeys at RHKYC as part of the first-year pilot programme. Thanks to the kind and generous donations from many Club members in 2020, Sail-To-Change has been able to secure enough funding for the first year of the programme. Despite many logistical and covid-related delays, the programme has been able to partner with Hong Kong Sea School and begin the training programme at Middle Island.

The objective of Sail-To-Change is to use sailing as a platform for character building and personal development for underprivileged youths to better prepare them for future life while learning how to treat our ocean with more care. This programme differs from many other community sailing programmes in that it looks to go beyond simply teaching youths to sail but also help integrate them with the sport and Club on a long-term basis. Through introducing youths to ongoing sail training and

pairing them with Club members as mentors who can facilitate a pathway to ongoing sailing and racing, the programme aims to build a life-long passion for sailing through introducing them and helping them feel included with our sailing community.

The pilot programme began with a selection phase in November and involved a sailing day and a team-building games day on the beach at Middle Island alongside the mentors who volunteered to assist throughout the programme. The six candidates that showed the most enthusiasm, curiosity, team-friendly attitudes, and joy were selected to continue the pilot programme going forward. At time of writing, the Sail Training Centre at Middle Island is sadly closed due to social distancing restrictions but the Sail-To-Change working group members, mentors and Sail Training Team are all excited about continuing the programme soon upon re-opening.

Going forward, Sail-To-Change hopes to expand the programme to accommodate more children for future and partner with more local organizations in benefiting underprivileged youths in Hong Kong. The pilot programme will give us a better understanding of the hurdles we face and will help create a more robust programme going forward. None of this would have been achievable without the hard work of the working group members, the generosity of the donors and the kindness of the mentors.