2012年青岛市长杯帆船赛日前在青岛拉下帷幕。三亚游牧虎队获得了第四名的良好成绩。期间，马丁船长代表游牧虎帆船队在“环中国海帆船游艇俱乐部高端对话”上应邀发言，介绍国外帆船运动的发展，自己如何从小学习，遨游世界大海的经历。同时就中国目前的帆船运动发表了一些观察和思考，受到与会听众的欢迎和好评。

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以下是他发言的全文中文翻译。英文原文附后供对照。

 

代表三亚游牧虎俱乐部发言

 

尊敬的帆友们，

 

能在这样一个重要场合说几句话，不胜荣幸。希望我的发言，对本会小有裨益。

 

我叫马丁.克拉克，英国人。1962年我由父亲带上帆船。后来在1974，我获得皇家游艇协会小艇教员资质。我现在是航海游艇长（yachtmaster，帆船驾驶的最高级别。译注）。在过去的一年里，我已航行了4000多海里，主要在欧洲，但也在中国和泰国。我从来不是一个专业的水手。作为一个业余水手我的经历并不特殊。

 

三亚游牧虎俱乐部成立不到两年。俱乐部的宗旨是让普通人都能驾驶帆船。没有天价的会员费，无需购买一个泊位来加入，只要来了就是参与，享受乐趣，激发热情。

 

在小规模来说这是可持续的。就像商业的种子资金。我们希望一部分成员会把他们的热情提高到一个新的水平。或许他们会买船并鼓励其他人加入此项运动。

 

我们没有什么商业模式。出于热爱帆船，大家自愿贡献时间和资源。我们扶住梯子让别人可以攀登。

 

我很乐意这样做，因为，当我年轻的时候，有人志愿为我扶着梯子。这一理念是英国发展各种运动的关键，其他许多国家也一样。

 

现在我要花点时间谈谈我的一些早期的航海经验。

 

前面说过，我6岁开始与我的父亲一起航船。他的公司获得使用一个小湖的使用特许。有兴趣的员工可以组织一个帆船俱乐部。会员们自己动手做了一切：栅栏，带会议室的木屋，厨房，浴室和洗手间，滑道和码头……一切。这些设施是会员的，会员管理，会员享用。这是他们自己的俱乐部。

 

该俱乐部约有20条船，由会员个人拥有。最大的不超过5米长。“萤火虫”是一个典型的船：仅3.3米长，但可载2人。萤火虫在1948年奥运会中初航，后经不断更新，不断得到普及。大学里使用它作为赛船。学生成为活跃的水手。

 

入门级帆船并不昂贵： 个人的时间和精力，加上船的成本。一个新的“萤火虫”现在要40000元（RMB，下同），不过可以找到不错的二手船在10000元左右。

 

60年代时有很多举措把帆船带给大众。一个全国性的报纸，“每日镜报”，促销了一个廉价组装包。人们可以在家组装自己的3.3米“镜”艇。1968年的价格是70英磅。可以想象，数以万计的热情的船主。他们自己组装，自己擦拭，自己清洗，自己修缮。这是他们自己的船。

 

是的，成千上万的，我没有夸张：几年里售出七万条船。作为一个青少年，我几乎买了一艘！后来我与一位“镜”艇船主联手，经过大量训练，我们在1970年全国锦标赛时在120名参赛者中获得第四名。

 

有趣的是，英国的小帆船在70年代中遭遇滑坡。为什么？政府因为现金短缺，对帆船征收25%的增值税（也包括其他商品）以致普通人感到买不起。显而易见，帆船必须始终让帆友负担得起。

 

我18岁的时候，我成为皇家游艇协会小帆船教员。学校不过是靠近一个大湖边上的一块场地。25艘长约5米的船，号称“行者”，每只船可带4名青少年水手和一名教练。我们一连几个月中每星期都要培训了100来个学生。大家都住帐篷，提供食物，加上足够的钱去买啤酒。看起来，水手们也享受露营！是的，那是在40年前，但这种教学模式依然存在。法国人特别擅长。

 

“行者”如今依然是一个不错的的教学帆船，老少皆宜。新船大约是70000元。二手船会很便宜。

 

我谈论价格和负担得起与否是有原因的。普通人要用钱的地方很多，帆船作为业余爱好是受个人的成本-效益分析左右的。如果入门帆船的价格相当于5到10年的二手车，那就意味着许多人可以参与。

 

当前在英国，14万的家庭拥有小帆船。30%参与俱乐部。6万多家庭拥有大帆船。40%参与于俱乐部。一年中差不多有2%的人口在某段时间航行。一般来说，6%的人口从事某种形式的水上运动，而35岁以下年龄组则上升到近9%。

 

每年一度的环岛赛（在英国南部的怀特岛）是一个著名的帆船赛。50海里历时约8个小时。2012年是第八十一次，吸引了1650个船报名。尽管风力强劲，还是有1200来艘船完成环岛。类似规模甚至更大的重要赛事在欧洲其他地方也不少见（法国，德国，意大利，西班牙……）。

 

最后，我要提一下大帆船。为什么才提到？因为，至少在英国，参与帆船是与生活一起与时俱进的。人们往往从年轻开始，用非常小的船如“乐观主义者”。后来换到大一些又更好玩的船。35岁以下的人群热衷刺激的运动，他们的船常常打湿，驾船也有点野。

 

到后来，水手们倾向于更舒适的船，至少不光是因为他们有了子女。我父亲1962年时有萤火虫，但到1972年他买了一艘近9米的二手帆船。那时9米算是相当大的。7 - 8米更常见。现在，10 - 12米也不稀奇了。当然在英国有更大的帆船，不过由于沿岸水深有限，有时大帆船并不方便。

 

有趣的是，大多数小船主（70%）不属于俱乐部。他们没有任何有组织的支持，也许与一群志同道合的朋友一起玩。大帆船主的情况亦然（60%）。当水手们有志于参赛时这个百分比就有变动：约60%的人属于俱乐部，也许是因为所涉及的费用通过团体出面时更合理些。

 

俱乐部有各种类型，从60年代由我父亲和他的同事打造的木结构，到类似于香港皇家游艇俱乐部的手笔，我想你们很多人可能见过。

 

许多俱乐部的设施尽可能去繁就简，因为会员们不想支付不必要的服务。我的俱乐部，皇家南方游艇俱乐部，则是另一个极端。

 

俱乐部是位于英国南部的汉布尔河沿岸四个俱乐部之一。河长只有几英里，但是，位置上乘，是4000多艘帆船和游艇的大本营。60年代中期我曾在此划皮艇，不记得有什么船只。可能有一些，但现在时过境迁了！

 

皇家南方游艇俱乐部今年庆祝成立175周年， 是英国历史最悠久的俱乐部之一。入会需交5000元，加上年费5000元。年轻人和家庭参加可有减免。大约有2000个成员。作为一个住在国外的会员，我喜欢它。因为除了各种航海活动，还有酒店设施和出色的餐馆。隔壁的酒吧（国王及王后）被评为世界上最好的帆船酒吧之一，甚至提供洗衣设备，收费公道。水手们可以优先！

 

俱乐部经常有各种帆船比赛，从近海巡航到地区乃至全国锦标赛。比如，J80全国锦标赛就由俱乐部在九月初组织。同样，陆上活动几乎每天都在俱乐部或户外举行。孩子们在那里学帆船。帆船学校培养18 - 25岁的年轻人的帆船技能。

 

尽管有不少这样的俱乐部在英国，它们不是最典型的。大多数“普通”的水手们认为太昂贵。好像这种俱乐部只是为那些喜欢豪华但并不了解帆船的富人的。  人们是这么想的，其实不然。

 

在某种意义上，俱乐部又是典型的。它是由会员自己管理，就像我父亲在1962年的俱乐部。不存在投资回报一说。皇家南方游艇协会像其他俱乐部，力求从会员费，活动和服务中生成足够的现金流来支付雇员，提供服务，维护和修理。也希望剩下一些钱用于改善设施。

 

说了我怎么进入航海和简要地提到一些在英国的情况和统计数字。我并没有资格以此来比较中国的现状。不过，以下就我的观察做些评论，如有谬误，请多多包涵。

 

在中国有好几家设施精良的俱乐部。我亲临过或者听说过。显然都是昂贵的基础设施。不幸的是，在参观时，我并没有看到很多会员使用该设施，或者说有几艘船在水上。也许我运气不好，但有些疑问仍然在我心中。

 

有些俱乐部船可供出租，有时价格尚合理。但有时，一个小帆船几个小时的租金抵得上我在英国一年的俱乐部会员费。过不了我个人的成本效益分析这个坎。不具有吸引力，更不用说一个普通的当地人。

 

我听到几个俱乐部赛事在中国，其中许多似乎是由厂商赞助和组织的。这无疑是一件提高（厂商）知名度的好事，但与英国和欧洲的赛事组织不可同日而语。

 

我每星期去三亚湾航行，要么和游牧虎一起要么我自己。毫不夸张地说，就是我自己。往往是整个三亚湾没有别人一条船。我自问，何以如此？

 

在中国（普通人）玩得起帆船吗？在中国有玩帆船的圈子吗？有没有水上运动的文化？会员管理，会员享用的俱乐部精神何在？志愿者何在？

 

三亚游牧虎试图解决其中的许多问题。但我们需要更多类似的范例。

 

已在运行的游艇俱乐部，各级政府，或者还有赞助商是否可以考虑建一些简易的基础设施供公众使用，免费或低标准收费：如安全存船，硬地下水滑道，淋浴和卫生间设施，会议室等。鼓励“会员”布置和维护这些设施，在某种意义上看成是自己的。

 

当水手有自己的船并需要照料时，参与的层次就会不同了。需要在一定程度上倡导，不过，缺乏实惠的二手船在中国显然是一个问题。

 

初学者需要资深水手帮助。在英国，这种帮助往往是由志愿者或其朋友提供的，特别是对儿童。航海学校亦有作用。找到经验丰富的船员提供基本自愿的服务在中国也可能是一个问题。

 

总之，中国开帆船先河者已经引起了对帆船和游艇的关注，令人印象深刻。这在营销上往往是成功的：向人们展示法拉利但让他们开走一辆QQ。然而，在我看来，这种做法不会在很大程度上导致帆船参与的必然增加。

 

帆船不是自上而下，集中计划的体育项目。它是一个自下而上的，实际动手的运动，建立在爱好大自然的基础上，并将成为一种生活方式。

 

如何在中国创造这样一种文化是今后十年一个重要的挑战。

 

谢谢。

 

英文原文：

Contribution from Sanya Yomovo Club

Dear Sailing Colleagues,

 

It is an honor to say a few words at such an important occasion. I hope my contribution to the meeting will be helpful in some small way.

 

My name is Martin Clark and I come from England. I was introduced to sailing by my father in 1962. Later, in 1974, I qualified as an RYA Dinghy Instructor. Now I am an Ocean Yachtmaster. Over the past year I have sailed about 4,000 nautical miles, mainly in Europe but also in China and Thailand. I am not a professional sailor and never have been. My experiences as an amateur sailor are not unusual.

 

Sanya Yomovo Club is less than two years old. The club’s objective is to make sailing accessible to ordinary people. No large membership fees, no need to buy a berth to join, just come and participate. Enjoy the fun, get enthusiastic.

 

This is sustainable on a small scale. Just like seed capital for a business. We hope that a small proportion of our members will take their enthusiasm to a new level. Perhaps they will buy a boat and encourage others to join the sport.

 

There is no business model. We volunteer our time and resources for the love of the sport. We hold the ladder so that others can climb it.

 

I am happy to do this because, when I was young, someone volunteered to hold the ladder for me. This philosophy is key to the development of sports of every kind in the UK, and in many other countries too.

 

Now I will take a little time to talk about some of my early sailing experiences.

 

As I said, I started with my father at the age of 6. His company obtained a concession to use a small lake. Interested employees could start a sailing club. The members did everything themselves: made a fence, built a wooden hut with meeting room, kitchen, showers and toilets, made a slipway and jetty… everything. The facilities were theirs, made by the members for the members. It was their club.

 

The club had about 20 boats, all owned individually by the members. The biggest was less than 5 meters long. The Firefly was a typical boat: just 3.3 meters long, but with room for two. First sailed in the 1948 Olympics, the Firefly has been updated over the years and its popularity is actually increasing. Universities use it for team racing. Students are active sailors.

 

Entry-level sailing is not expensive: time and effort from individuals, plus the cost of a boat. A new Firefly now costs 40,000 yuan, but a good used one can be found for 10,000 yuan.

 

Much was done in the 1960s to bring sailing to the masses. A national newspaper, the Dail

y Mirror, promoted a cheap make-it-yourself kit. People could make their own 3.3 meter Mirror dinghy at home. In 1968, the cost was 70 pounds or 700 yuan at today’s exchange rate, before inflation of course. Imagine thousands of keen boat owners. They made it, they polished it, they washed it and they repaired it. It was their boat.

 

Yes, thousands, I’m not exaggerating: 70,000 boats were sold over the years. As a teenager I nearly bought one! Later I teamed up with a Mirror dinghy owner and, after much practice, we came 4th out of 120 in the 1970 National Championships.

 

Interestingly, dinghy sailing in the UK went into decline for a few years in the 1970s. Why? The government, short of cash, imposed 25% VAT on boats (and many other items) and ordinary people felt unable to buy them. Sailing, it is clear, must always be affordable.

 

When I was 18, I became an RYA Dinghy Instructor. The school was little more than a field next to a large lake: 25 boats about 5 meters long, the Wayfarer, with 4 teenagers and an instructor. We trained 100 students every week for several months. Everyone lived in tents. Food was provided, plus enough money to buy beer. It seems that sailors enjoy camping too! Yes, that was nearly 40 years ago, but this teaching model still exists. The French are particularly good at it.

 

The Wayfarer remains an excellent teaching boat and is fun to sail for people of all ages. The cost of a new boat is about 70,000 yuan. Used boats come much cheaper.

 

I have talked a bit about prices and affordability for a reason. Ordinary people have many demands on their money, so sailing as their hobby is subject to a personal cost-benefit analysis. The ability to start sailing for the price of a used car, perhaps 5-10 years old, means that many can afford to participate.

 

Now, in the UK, 140,000 families own a small sailing boat. 30% of these belong to clubs. 60,000 families own a yacht. 40% of these belong to clubs. Almost 2% of the population goes sailing at some time during the year while, in general, 6% does some form of water sport – rising to nearly 9% in the under 35 age group.

 

The annual Round the Island Race (Isle of Wight, in the south of England) is a famous passage race of about 50 nautical miles, taking about 8 hours. 2012 was the 81st edition, attracting 1,650 entries. About 1,200 yachts finished despite quite strong winds. Fleets of this size or larger for important events are not uncommon elsewhere in Europe too (France, Germany, Italy, Spain…).

 

Finally, I have mentioned yachts. Why so long to mention them? Because, at least in the UK, participation in sailing is a progression linked to life. Normally people start young, in very small boats such as Optimists. Then they move to something a little bigger and have a lot of fun. The Under 35 age group is interested in strenuous sports and their boats are often wet and wild.

Later in life, sailors tend to move towards something more comfortable, not least because they have young families. My father started with the Firefly in 1962, but by 1972 he had bought a used yacht. At nearly 9 meters, it was considered quite large. 7-8 meters was more normal. These days, 10-12 meters is not unusual. Obviously there are much bigger yachts in the UK too, but sometimes a big boat is not convenient, due to the depth of the water available around the coast.

 

Interestingly, most small boat owners (70%) do not belong to clubs. They go sailing without any organized support, perhaps with a group of like-minded friends. This is true for yacht owners too (60%). The percentages change when it comes to sailors interested in racing: about 60% of them belong to clubs, perhaps because the costs involved are justified by the organizational benefits.

There are many types of club, ranging from small wooden constructions, like that made in the 1960s by my father and his colleagues, to establishments similar to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, which many of you might know.

 

Many clubs with minimal facilities exist, because their members do not want to pay for unnecessary services. My club, the Royal Southern Yacht Club, is at the other end of the scale.

The club is one of four situated on the banks of the Hamble River, in the south of England. The river is only a few miles long but, due to its excellent position, it is home to more than 4,000 yachts and motorboats. In the mid-1960s I went canoeing on this river and I don’t remember seeing any yachts. Probably there were some, but times have certainly changed!

 

The Royal Southern Yacht Club is celebrating its 175th anniversary this year, which makes it one of the oldest in England. It costs about 5,000 yuan to join, plus an annual fee of 5,000 yuan. Less for young people, less for families. There are about 2,000 members. I like it, as a member who lives abroad, because – in addition to all the sailing - there are hotel facilities and an excellent restaurant. The pub next door (the King & Queen) is rated as one of the best sailing pubs in the world, even offering laundry facilities at a reasonable cost. Sailors have their priorities!

 

There are sailing events all the time, ranging from local cruising and racing to regional and national championships. For example, the J/80 National Championships will be organized by the club in early September. Similarly, onshore events are held almost every day in the clubhouse or outside. Children are taught to sail and an Academy develops the skills of young people in the 18-25 age range.

 

Although there are many clubs at this level in the UK, they are not typical. Most “ordinary” sailors consider them expensive, for people who talk with a special accent, for people who drink cocktails and for people who, perhaps, don’t know much about sailing. They are not well informed, but that’s what they think!

 

In one sense, however, the club is typical. It is run by the members for the members. Just like my father’s club in 1962. There is no return on investment as such. The Royal Southern, like other clubs, seeks to generate enough cash flow from membership, events and services to pay its employees, provide services, carry out all maintenance and repairs and, hopefully, save some money for improvements.

 

I have talked about my introduction to sailing and mentioned briefly some facts and statistics about sailing in the UK. I am not really qualified to compare this information with the current situation in China. However, with apologies for any misunderstanding on my part, I would like to make a very few observations.

 

There are several clubs in China with truly excellent facilities. I have seen them personally or heard something about them. It is clear that an expensive infrastructure has been put in place. Unfortunately, during my visits, I didn’t see many members using the facilities or indeed many boats on the water. Perhaps I was unlucky, but some doubt remains in my mind.

 

Some clubs have boats available for rental, sometimes at affordable prices. Sometimes, however, a few hours on a small yacht costs more than the annual membership of my club in the UK – failing my personal cost-benefit analysis without appeal, let alone that of an “ordinary” local person.

I hear news of several club regattas around China, many of which seem to be organized or sponsored by boat manufacturers. This is undoubtedly a good thing to build awareness, but is very different to the way regattas are organized in the UK and in Europe in general.

 

Every week I go sailing in Sanya Bay either with Yomovo or on my own. Quite literally on my own. Often there are no other sailing boats in the whole of Sanya Bay. Not one. I ask myself why?

Is sailing in China affordable? Is sailing in China accessible? Is there a culture of water sports? Where is the club spirit, meaning “by the members for the members”? Where are the volunteers?

 

Sanya Yomovo tries to address many of these questions, but many more similar examples are needed.

Established yacht clubs, municipalities or, perhaps, sponsors could consider making some basic infrastructure available at little or no cost: safe and secure boat storage, hard slipway access to the water, shower and toilet facilities, meeting rooms. “Members” would be encouraged to decorate and maintain these facilities and, in some way, make them their own.

 

There is a different level of participation when sailors own and care for their own boats. This should be encouraged in some way, although the apparent absence of affordable used boats in China is a concern.

 

Beginners need help from experienced sailors. In the UK this help is often provided by volunteers, especially when it comes to children, or otherwise by friends. Sailing schools play a role too. Access to experienced sailors working on a (near) voluntary basis in China could be a problem.

 

In conclusion, it seems that the sailing pioneers in China have drawn attention to sailing and yachting in an impressive way. This is often works in marketing: show people a Ferrari and have them drive a QQ. However, in my view, this approach will not lead naturally to increased participation in sailing in any great numbers.

 

Sailing is not a top-down, centrally planned sport. It is a bottom-up, hands-on activity that builds on love for the great outdoors to become a way of life.

 

How to create this culture in China is a key challenge for the next ten years.

 

Thank you.