Chinese crew visit Docklands

Chinese crew visit Docklands

Melbourne City Marina hosted some special guests earlier this year when the crew of Shuguang Haiyang visited after competing in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

It was the first time a team from mainland China had competed in the race, with Shugang Haiyang and another Chinese crew competing in the well-known race.

According to skipper of Shuguang Haiyang, Dong Qing, it was the first time most of the crew had visited Melbourne.

Mr Qing said he was surprised to find that the council managed Melbourne City Marina.

“It’s very different in China as most marinas are private. There isn’t any marina in China that is like Melbourne City Marina,” Mr Qing said. “We can see that sailing sport is popular in Australia and local government promotes sailing activity well.”

According to Mr Qing, sailing sports have only emerged in China in the last 15 years and have only begun to attract attention in recent years.

He said sailing in China remained a “luxury activity” that only middle and high-class families could afford.

“The sailing industry in China is still new and many things can be improved, for example, understanding of sailing, establishing sophisticated sailing regulations, safety standards and capital investment in the industry,” he said.

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