FAQ



YACHTING COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Hong Kong's yachting and sailing clubs claim to have heard very little of your plans so far. What are your experience, connections and support in the local and international yachting/sailing community? What can you add to Hong Kong's current yachting, sailing, windsurfing and watersports venues?

We have been talking to different stakeholders about this project, including those in yachting industry, yachting media and sailing clubs. They are all very supportive because they had been hard hit by lack of berths. We have also been disclosing the proposed marina to participants at international marina conferences, the latest being the ICOMIA World Marina Conference 2011 in Singapore. Literally, everybody we talked to were delighted to know that Hong Kong is planning a new marina and representative of Clipper Round the World Race said they would love to make Hong Kong one of their international stopovers. As a matter of fact, at the 2nd International Superyacht Conference held in Singapore in 2010, Hong Kong was awarded the “Lack of Marina” Award!!

It is now a concerted effort among Asian Countries to promote yacht cruising in Asean waters as the third (after Caribbean and Mediterranean) and largest (area-wise) destination. The Asean region boosts thousands of islands, sites of great natural beauty and the highest biodiversity. A network of ports and marinas are being developed to receive these “green” tourists who also bring major economic impact to the destinations they visit. Singapore is far ahead of Hong Kong in their efforts and Korea has an ambitious plan to develop 43 marinas by 2019, let alone China!

The new marina will satisfy the “pent-up” demands for more and larger berthing in Hong Kong, it will have the right facilities for hosting international regatta events (Volvo and Clipper races are not coming to Hong Kong) and boat shows. The former in particular would help to promote yachting as a public sport in Hong Kong. The “open” marina will put the general public in close-up contact with sailing boats at the marina and most important of all, the Sailing Academy we propose will train local water sportsmen and to groom potential talents.