The start of something big

Trooping into the unknown boundaries of sailing, some 13 students from Shuqun Primary School signed up bravely for SAFYC's Get-Kids-Afloat (GKA) programme. The brief but fruitful four-day course introduced the children to the basics of sailing with an Optimist, including capsize drills, close hauls and etc. The programme was evidently so enjoyable that the kids are confident that they will continue sailing in the future. Zhou Han Zhang, one of the students, said that he really likes sailing for "the thrill and the fun of it".

Aside from the fun and excitement of learning how to control your own boat, GKA also plays a crucial role in prepping the students up for national and international sailing competitions. Four students from Shuqun Primary School utilised their GKA training to their advantage as they clinched individual rankings in the National Inter-Schools Sailing Championships held in July. Amongst them, Tan Jing Yee managed to clinch an impressive 18th position in the Junior Girls division, considering her only recent introduction to sailing.

While their success couldn't have been made possible without their hard work and determination, their course instructor - Rohaizan, is not to be forgotten as well. As the kids would agree, he was a patient, friendly and encouraging coach, who never fails to crack the students up with his own brand of humour.

Shuqun Primary School's GKA programme has been a great success and though the short programme has now ended, we believe that we will soon see some familiar faces coming back for further training at the Club. Who knows, we'll be seeing them soon in future national regattas!