WORLD-CLASS: Qingdao Yinhai International Yacht Club is the first yacht club in China built to meet international standards (CHEN RAN)

"Good morning and welcome aboard! " On a Friday morning in September, Ju Lan, captain of the St. Valentine's sailboat, extended his greetings on Dock C of Yinhai International Yacht Club in Qingdao, a coastal city in east China's Shandong Province.

Since early 2007, the tan-skinned captain, 51, who serves at a local wedding portrait studio, has repeated the same welcome message almost every week before setting sail on the Yellow Sea, which Qingdao faces. The only two months he has had off were in August and September 2008, paving the way for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympics sailing regattas.

"You guys look gorgeous! All you need to do is relax and follow the photographer's instructions," Ju told a couple as the 29-foot-long boat started to leave the dock.

The Beijing-based couple, originally from Yichun, a forest area in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, came all the way here for their wedding photos.

"Qingdao is widely known as the Sailing City in China," said Li Yan, 29, the bride. "There is nothing more romantic and exciting than to have our wedding portraits, our once-in-a-lifetime memory, on a sailboat cruise in Qingdao!"

A good start

Sailing is closely associated with Qingdao, which is located on the south-facing coast of the Shandong Peninsula. Its unique blend of sea and mountains makes it a well-known summer resort. In 2009, it was listed among the top 10 most livable cities in China by the Chinese Institute of City Competitiveness.

The first recorded sailing regatta in Chinese history was held here in May 1904. After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, Qingdao soon became the country's hub for sailing sports. The only state-level sailing sports center was launched here in 1953. In 1978 the country began to do the Olympic sailing training, with fewer than 30 athletes. In 1980, the first national sailing regatta was held in Qingdao.

The concept of turning Qingdao into China's Sailing City began to take shape when the Sailing Committee (Qingdao) of Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad was established in June 2003. The goal was to develop a sea sports center that combined training, competition, leisure and education, with the Olympic regatta venue as the hub, and professional and amateur-level training as the key programs.

"The traditional low season runs from November to April, but now there is no low season at all and non-local clients are booming, thanks to the Sailing City promotion through world-class regattas," Ju told Beijing Review.

Ju's connection with sailboats began some 30 years ago when he was an apprentice at a local boat factory. Sailing was like a fantasy for Ju's generation when they were young, since material conditions were relatively poor at the time.

"How I envy today's schoolchildren for having access to sailing," Ju said.

Nurturing the young

In fact, the Qingdao Municipal Government is aware of the importance of supporting young sailors and has made efforts to do so. A five-year promotion campaign designed for youth was launched citywide in June 2006 to provide sailing lessons in all local schools--from primary schools to universities, and ensure that one in 10 young people sails frequently.