BIG OCEAN STRATEGY. Wind, waves and broken records

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "BIG OCEAN STRATEGY. Wind, waves and broken records"

Bernadette Sparks
6 years ago
Views:

1 Work-life balance Yachting Wind, waves and broken records Brian Chan s first Around the Island Race in 2013 was an unforgettable challenge. With wind speed reaching up to 30 knots per hour around the strength of a Signal 3 typhoon and swell waves of two to three metres, the then newly active member of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs Sailing Interest Group struggled to keep his boat afloat with a broken sail and other vessels capsizing around him. The Around the Island Race 2013 witnessed the first champion to break the record by over 28 minutes since The coveted Cariad Trophy went to Aberdeen Asset Management Hong Kong s team, which comprised round-the-world record holders, Olympians and Hong Kong s own Olympian hopeful Chan Yu-ting, who recently sold a boat to finance her journey to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro with sailing partner Fung Tat-choi. The qualifying event takes place in Qingdao this month. During my first race, water came into the cabin and as I tried to control the jib (a triangular sail at the front of the boat), one leg would always be immersed in water, Chan, Financial Services Partner at KPMG and Institute member, remembers. It was all about catching the wind and staying upright that year. CPAs like Chan, who love being in the water, find sailing to be the perfect sport for meeting new people and embracing the force of nature. The Institute provides a unique platform for them to learn the ropes with the Sailing Interest Group, which encourages members to train for races or simply network with other CPAs out on the water. Chan theorizes he might have been a dolphin in his past life. I just enjoy being in the sea under the sun, he says. After you sail for a while, you never want to hear the sound of an engine because you get used to the wind silently powering you forward. Sailing in the Around the Island Races, a 26 nautical-mile course, is something that Chan looks forward to each year in November, especially because peak BIG OCEAN STRATEGY Whether it is to enjoy the serenity away from the busy city or to practise a new skill, many CPAs have fallen in love with sailing. Tigger Chaturabul talks to some of them to find out what it takes to be a seafaring CPA and why Hong Kong is a great place for yachting 36 September 2015

2 aplus September

Work-life balance Yachting Brian Chan (right) focuses on his assigned task onboard season makes it difficult for him to participate in other events.

3 Work-life balance Yachting Brian Chan (right) focuses on his assigned task onboard season makes it difficult for him to participate in other events. With the wind direction constantly changing as the boat circles Hong Kong Island, the race provides the best opportunity to put all sailing skills into practice. Chan encourages all CPAs to give sailing a try, whether it s to engage in a new sport, relax in the sun or even unplug from society for a while. Sailing is definitely attractive to CPAs who don t want to take calls on the weekend, Chan jokes. Reception is poor out at sea. Nurturing talent William Kong always looks forward to meeting CPAs new to sailing at an introduction or training course he organizes for the Institute. The Convenor of the Institute s Sailing Interest Group and Director of Wing On Finance & Consultancy Limited likens newcomers to kindergarten students learning something for the first time, embracing the lesson with a positive attitude and energetic curiosity. Sailing is a philosophy, says Kong. When they get onboard, they explore a new world of timelessness and meditation. The weathered seaman makes it a priority to care for members safety while creating memorable experiences for them through training, racing and cruising events. The interest group initially started as a sub-group under the Water Sports and Hiking Interest Group in 2006 with 20 members before being established separately in The support of the Institute allowed the group to see more and more members of all ages and professional expertise join its activities, whether for leisure or competition. Kong, who has been sailing regularly since 2006, emphasizes the need for good communication onboard. A skilful crew works like an orchestra, while the game plan is like a sheet of music, he says. The telltale signals fly like a simple gesture from the conductor. The skipper utters, the crew tunes, turns, hoists and drops the sails and all the mechanics blend beautifully together, without shouting commands or loud instructions. To Kong, navigation is one of the most important skills that a sailor should possess. Whether it s picking the right course before a race kicks off or navigating through constantly changing currents, a sailor must know how to zig-zag through the tides and stay out of other vessels shadows. You can t just copy the courses of other vessels, he says. 38 September 2015

aplus William Kong (second from right) gets ready to set sail with members of the Sailing Interest Group Some sailors are so skilful that they ll lead you to a wind hole with no wind, but while they

4 aplus William Kong (second from right) gets ready to set sail with members of the Sailing Interest Group Some sailors are so skilful that they ll lead you to a wind hole with no wind, but while they can manoeuvre out of it, you just get stuck there. From his perspective, CPAs make particularly good sailors. The meticulous sport requires players to be vigilant, for safety and for skill, which is why CPAs who constantly deal with details are great onboard. Boundless sea When Olevia Ng manned a Vanguard sailboat for the first time, she had no idea what her crew mates had in store for her. The Assurance Senior Associate at PwC and Institute member set sail with seven friends she met at a CPA conversion programme, along with four members of the interest group she was meeting for the first time, forming a team of 12 on the large 45-foot sloop. As she prepared to eat her convenience store bread rolls dry food is customary for sailing trips the rest of the crew brought out a variety of dishes, fruit, cake and champagne to surprise Ng with a birthday celebration in the open water. It was so memorable for me to be on this big sailboat with friends and CPAs, enjoying champagne and the magnificent backdrop, says Ng. It was unexpected and exciting to have this perfect mix of party, adventure and relaxation. Being in assurance has taught Ng the value of having a contingency plan, which is crucial for unexpected wind changes on a boat. It was interesting to learn how to rely only on the wind and get to where we want to be without going in a straight line, she says. Her interest in water sports expands to diving, kayaking and more, and she prefers engaging in athletic activities rather than catching up on sleep on the weekends. Sports make people happy and healthy so I really look forward to the weekends to do different things, says Ng. The interest group helped Ng and other Level 1 sailors on their journey to complete Level 2 Certification and now she has her eye on Level 3. I would not have continued sailing to this stage if I hadn t joined the group because it s hard for individuals to rent boats at government centres due to a long waiting list. While there are many private boat rentals available in Hong Kong, Ng prefers going to Sai Kung, Stanley or Tai Mei Tuk where she can sail with a safeguard nearby. For her, there is still much September

Work-life balance Yachting Olevia Ng (centre, with cake) and her crew mates on a birthday celebration out at sea more to learn, especially when it comes to bigger boats.

New horizons Alec Tong believes it s never too late to take on a new challenge.

5 Work-life balance Yachting Olevia Ng (centre, with cake) and her crew mates on a birthday celebration out at sea more to learn, especially when it comes to bigger boats. With more practice, the team will be able to cooperate better and hopefully we will qualify for a race in the future, says Ng. New horizons Alec Tong believes it s never too late to take on a new challenge. The Vice President of Finance at Henderson China and an Institute Council Member joined the interest group earlier this year when he took time off to do things he didn t have time for in the earlier stages of his career. My wife asked me why I am spending the time and energy to learn a new sport at a late stage, laughs Tong, But I enjoy the challenge and that sense of satisfaction I get when I learn something new. It s better late than never. He supports the Institute for being active in promoting the interest groups, which are good opportunities for members to relax. They get to enjoy the sport and network with fellow CPAs who have similar interests to have a better work-life balance, he says. Tong began sailing in April and passed his Level 2 Certification in August by completing an intensive course on a dinghy. Although Tong doesn t anticipate he will be participating in races, he still enjoys the leisure sailing courses and Vanguard boat training sessions. It s fascinating because you can really embrace the power of nature and the wind can be your best friend or your worst enemy, he says. With sailing, there are things you are in charge of, but there are also factors that are completely out of your control and you need to react quickly, says Tong. His favourite memory of sailing is his first Vanguard cruise around the island along the boundless horizon. There was nothing motorized with the sail hoisted. It was just the ocean and the wind, he says. Tong, who is also a member of the Dragon Boat Interest Group, looks at the differences between the two water sports. While he must focus on synchronizing with his teammates on a dragon boat, sailing requires a different kind of coordination. On the larger sailboats, each person needs to do their assigned tasks in a coordinated Alec Tong steers the sailboat on a leisure cruise 40 September 2015

6 aplus way. It is a sport that requires skill, anticipation, responsive actions, stamina and teamwork. Uncharted territory After scuba diving for over 10 years, Kennedy Lee figured it was time for a change of sport. The Financial Controller at Road King Infrastructure Limited and an Institute member took on sailing four years ago after taking into consideration his age, the timing and the skills required to learn this new water sport. Hong Kong is a great place to sail, so I started researching on how [to sail] and that s how I found the Sailing Interest Group, says Lee. I didn t have to sail alone and I could meet other accountants in Hong Kong. Lee also attends courses with the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, where he meets sailors from all professions, including advertising, journalism and more. Now with Level 4 Certification, Lee hopes to one day sail in the United Kingdom, where sailboat racing began in the 17th century. Personally, I prefer racing, he admits. Maybe it s because CPAs really like to have objectives, but when we have the finish line to get to, we really thrive under that pressure. Racing is almost like the daily life of a CPA. Lee dismisses the idea of water sports being entirely unrelated to the work and life of CPAs. Both need energy and patience, but also tactics, he says. Sure, you can go straight to the goal as an accountant or a sailor, but the straightest path may not always be the best route. With sailing, Lee s weaknesses immediately became apparent to him. I was quite impatient before and you could see how bad my communication skills were, he says. Sailing helped him improve and communicate more considerately with his team, whether on the boat or in the office. When you re more patient and polite, your teammates will often surprise you with great results, says Lee. Being stuck on a small vessel for hours at a time, like when it took him three hours to get from Causeway Bay to Quarry Bay during an Around the Island Race, also taught Lee how to keep his companions in high spirits, which is especially important in a dynamic company. Kennedy Lee (third from left) enjoys the sunset with his crew mates September

Lundy Charters Wesvill Court, Suite 360 Raleigh, NC 27607

Lundy Charters Wesvill Court, Suite 360 Raleigh, NC 27607 Lundy Charters 919.827.1953 www.lundycharters.com 2304 Wesvill Court, Suite 360 Raleigh, NC 27607 Adventure Travel Lundy Charters sets a new standard for personalized service, safety and training in the