Alistair Skinner and friends gathered before dawn in Shanghai to sail out on Dianshan lake for Summer Sailstice. Alistair writes on their peaceful Saturday morning sail:
While some in Europe and the US were still thinking about going to bed the day before the Sailstice (he wonders of time zones) our small but intrepid band slipped out of the marina at Saimeng Water Sports Club on Dianshan lake, Shanghai with nav lights glowing.
Sails were hoisted around the time of nautical twilight as we headed westward to try and meet up with some friends from Shanghai Yacht Club in a couple of little Tirions.
‘We’ were a Hanse 320 recently acquired by Lao Yang and our (Li Li and Alistair) 2 quarter tonners and just as the sun started to show its face through the clouds our friends from across the lake appeared, stopped their outboards and hoisted sails. Keith and Jason from South Africa in one boat and a crew of mainly Chinese in the other.
After a gentle sail in company the two boats from the west headed home. I decided to return their visit but sadly water depth (or lack of it) prevented me entering their club facility while Li Li’s boat popped the kite and headed off in the other direction with Lao Yang’s boat on yet a third course.
Some would say staying in bed would have been more sensible but you had to be there to know different, the gentle breeze, the company of friends, thinking out of the box for once together made for a magical early morning in China.
So for the 3rd year in a row we were the first to celebrate the Summer Sailstice on the water. Perhaps next year someone from Japan will get in on the act and beat us to it – BUT they will have to get up early to do it.
Sunrise sailing in Shanghai
