Windsurfing vs Dinghy

[Syamil]

Windsurfing is better than any dinghy sailing sports because;

1. It's plane sailing for God's sake!
2. Faster
3. More athletic
4. More popular
5. As technical or more than sailing a dinghy
5. More commercial value / More fun to watch
6. Relatively cheaper
7. More people knows Laser by a car manufactured by Ford, than a sailing dinghy. And the only fun thing about Optimist is watching that poor 10 yr old kid swimming in his orange oversized life-jacket when the boat capsized.

Yet the only way to get sponsored windsurfing equipment here in Malaysia is to join the Perak navy (RS-X).
While that happy bugger on his optimist on Port refused to tack for the one on Starboard because they both know if somehow the boats crack they'll have abundant replacement on the beach.

[PlaneSailin]

I have to disagree with you on one minor point:  "more popular" does not mean better!     This applies equally to music, people, and watersports!

We have a huge problem with these floating mosquitoes here in Singapore.  As soon as the wind picks up, they go out in swarms and sail (very slowly) across the path of the windsurfers. 

I wonder if the Singapore navy would like to visit EC for a bit of torpedo practice?

[Denis Wee]

Hey you guys.  You're talking about kids!  Give them a break will you?

[Syamil]

I sailed the Optimist for 3 years myself. The number of dinghies has since then tripled after I left. It is amazing to see all these support & sponsors from the local government, it's literally endless. I'm very happy to see all these progress, but sadly after a certain age limit these athletes have no place to go.

What I'm saying is that since the government had so much money to spend, why not spare a little to buy some Formula or raceboard sets. For what it's worth, windsurfing has the same sportsmanship value if not better.

[Meng]

I sailed the Optimist for 3 years myself. The number of dinghies has since then tripled after I left. It is amazing to see all these support & sponsors from the local government, it's literally endless. I'm very happy to see all these progress, but sadly after a certain age limit these athletes have no place to go.

What I'm saying is that since the government had so much money to spend, why not spare a little to buy some Formula or raceboard sets. For what it's worth, windsurfing has the same sportsmanship value if not better.

unlike thailand, windsurfing is not getting much attention in our countires ($).
s'pore is experincing a bit of support now due to youth olympic games in 2010, but i rather see what happens after the 2010 games, is the support just a 1-off thing or wayang.

i think m'sia is rather fortunate to have people like Leong Soon and possibly the Navy windsurfers, these are the ones that kept the sport alive.
having said that, u can work with Leong Soon to map out some plans for the sport, u can count on us for support and participation.

right PlainSailing ? 

[38 mph]

The Malaysian Optimist "programme" shows just how successful a long term (10 years) , well funded (Govt mostly) programme can be. They set out with a long term view to win a medal and did.
The kids can go on to Laser, 470 etc if they want to.
Now, about windsurfing...It looks like the MYA dont have the time, money inclination or whatever to further the sport at present.
It will take a very keen individual or group (of windsurfers) working with MYA to
get the thing going again.
Somebody young and enthusiastic with plenty of time on their hands before returning to UK in September. I wonder who that could be !!
The MYA and RYA in UK have shown how well these programmes can work.
But you will need  a deputy to stand in/take over whilst you are away.
Good luck.
 

[PlaneSailin]

Most of the laser/optimist sailors in Singapore seem to be very serious-looking 8 year-olds.
I wonder, how do they get into it in the first place?  Is it part of a school programme?  Do they just wake up one morning and say "daddy, I want to sail bathtubs"?  or what?  Why are there so many of them? 

Overall it's a good thing for the youth; it would be better yet if they were required to take swimming lessons first.  There seems to be a problem around here with people who can't swim going out in the ocean and drowning. 

[Syamil]

Actually, I have emailed MYA before but they doesn't seem to be checking the email that often I think. As of now, I'm just curious whether it is doable or not. Starting from there should be easier, there are many candidates around to help get things going. George is correct about their successful programme. Their dinghy athletes have been winning a lot of medals, from SEA games to big events in Doha.

Planesailin: I think most likely they pick them up from schools (like me), and sometimes the younger siblings of their former (obsolete) athletes.

[Syamil]

Following is the response by Megat from MYA. Really nice bloke.

Thank you for your email and I could not agree more that Wind Surfing had not took off as we all wish it could be. The windsurfing issue goes way back in the 90s on what we called it the 'perfect start' of windsurfing in Malaysia. This was when the public was investing into boards in numbers, dinghy sailors were switching from lasers/entreprise to boards, the navy invested more on its inventory, existing windsurfers was practicing hard to gain a spot to represent Malaysia into regional event like the Seagames. It was indeed a good start. Unfortunately the major anticipation of the sailing sport (windsurfing included) relied heavily on Goverment support like allowances, purchases and opportunities. This is also true till today for the dinghies, if you happened to view closely on the recent PSC regatta, 70-80% of team participations are funded by their respected state governmet. Sailing in Malaysia has become  a subsidised sport.

The dooms day for windsurfing in Malaysia started during a significant meeting between the National Sports Council and windsurfing organization and MYA pertaining to its upcoming Seagames reps in the 90s. From what I heard, the exact word of the chairperson was " alaah..windsurfing ni..luncur layar..bukan betul2 punya sukan...diarong ni suka-suka main air..Malaysia will not send our windsurfing reps to the Seagames". That day the council pulled the budget out on windsurfing centralised training, and all the preparations done voluntariliy by the surfers goes down spiral then. It was indeed the saddest time for the sport as one by one the surfers walkout and lost faith with their own passionate activity. The hardcore surfers are still around but they're shying away from the typical dinghy event and surf leisurely at places like Pantai Remis, Kuala Selangor, Port Klang, Johor and the east coast.
Next wave that hit us was the commercial greed and association politics. Past local sole distributorships had really burned the relationship with the world major board brands and as much as many email letters I (MYA) personally send out to manufacturers seeking 'new' relationship to develop the sport, none of them replied us. I even when to the extent on yelling my grieve on the selection of ISAF 'Olympic board discussions vote' in Madrid last year, the response was dead silence. They board manufacturers just dont believe us anymore.

Associations politics existed through association members's children sailors who seemed to focus on optimist and lasers participations due to their close hands to the benefits.
 
Now whats the plan and the best way to do this?
 
What I think must be done:
 
1. Forget the goverment.
2. Forget setting up a dealer, we have to source it from Singapore and Thailand.
3. Create a small independent windsurfing 'centre' with existing boards.(Near cities with money like Penang/KL/JB). Make sure that this centre attended by the majority of Non-Subsidized Sailors!
4. Drive the existing windsurfers perhaps such as yourself to MYA sanctioned event/class or to the windsurfing centre.
5. This centre along with good hard surfers train hard to win regional events. The centre gets their own sponsor to race.
6. Win and show result.
7. Pressure everyone including the goverment to fund it.
8. Announce and market windsurfing!
 
Now I have done No 1 and 2, and finalizing on No 3 personally.
 
What about MYA? MYA moves when the sport council gives them money. Not on its own. MYA can help but not from zero.
 
I know it will take years, but i rather do it step by step all over again and every step has to be watertight.

I still think #1 is the best place to start. In this case, the government is just not that well informed. Now who was that idiot that puts all years of voluntary effort down the drain with such a simple statement "suka suka main air?". WTF

[Denis Wee]

..bukan betul2 punya sukan...diarong ni suka-suka main air..

Let's face it.  That very accurately describes most of us windsurfers.  There are about 200 regular windsurfers at our club in Singapore and you can count the number of "serious" competitive windsurfers among them on the fingers of one hand.  Windsurfing is a fun sport.  We sail for leisure and for pleasure and whenever there is a competition, we take part for the fun of it.  Dinghy sailors are very different.  Whenever they are out, they are always training with one or more coach boats.  There must be hundreds of dinghy sailors in Singapore but hardly anyone sails for pleasure.  Sailing for them means training for competitions.  The Singapore Sailing people think the same way as their Malaysian counterparts - that is why they do not understand windsurfers and that is why windsurfing does not get quite the same kind of support as dinghy sailing.

But they will put some effort into promoting windsurfing as long as there is the prospect of medals to be won.  Now they are trying hard to train up the under-14's here because of the Youth Olympic Games in 2010 to be held in Singapore.  Tell your people in Malaysia to do the same.  Never mind the "suka-suka main air" as long as there are medals to be won it is worth devoting some effort into it.  Tell them to look at Penang Mafia who is single-handedly keeping Malaysia's flag flying.

[PlaneSailin]

You get more wind than us, so what are you complaining about??

[Syamil]

I don't think there's anything wrong with suka2 main air. Windsurfing is all about fun anyway, and so does any other sports. But like any other sports, there are the lot who takes it further and go into racings and stuff. These are the people who went to the sports council asking for some financial support, and for what it's worth, they deserved it. I think it is very nonchalant of the chairman to have dismissed the budget just on the basis that majority of windsurfers are not serious with the sport. Have you ever compared the number of people who rode bicycle for fun, with those who rode it to win a medal in SEA Games?

The idea of windsurfing to the masses, or at least in Malaysia as a "leisure sport" was this image given by hotels & resort in their pamphlet & advertisements. You've seen it all, a windsurfer on a soft sail, longboard, flat water-almost windless, having a great time gliding on the water while his kids building sandcastles in the background to top it off. But, is that really windsurfing? So what does that do? It gives the impression that windsurfing is as easy & as un-athletic as riding a jet-ski.

It's true that Kuantan gets more wind, but isn't it wonderful to share it with more people? Mui Ne has their Jibe's. Thailand has their Pattaya. Singapore has their PA. What do Malaysian have? I'm talking about a well profound & established windsurfing centre.

You get more wind than us, so what are you complaining about??

You missed the whole point. This is not about me.

[PlaneSailin]

If you've got the wind, everything else will follow, eventually.  But no wind, no windsurfing.  You're luckier than you know. 

People who live in places with real wind become better windsurfers.  It's possible to become good in Singapore, but it takes 20 years!  And even then it's not guaranteed! 

Why don't you just try to get really really good, and then when you sail in another country, people will say "check out that Malaysian dude!  He RIPS!"  Then you'll have done something for Malaysian windsurfing!