Competitions/regatta´s
None. There are no sailing competitions with traditional ship in this part of Asia. This partly reflects the idea that sailing vessels are primarily there for economic benefit, and not for any other reason, like leisure or sport. Another reason is that Asian culture is more focused on participation and harmony and less on winning or losing than in the Western world.
,Explore the behaviour of aerofoils´
Neil Hollander and Harald Mertes, The Last Sailors, 1984
,,At dawn the next day we helped Chu hoist sail. The halyard winch is a simple affair, a trunk of hardwood slung between two uprights and turned by half a dozen stout spokes. One uses both hands and feet, climbing the spokes as though they were a ladder.
Chu's two sons joined us, and with five pairs of straining arms and legs we slowly raised the heavy canvas. Almost instantly the wind caught the sail and we pivoted on our anchor. We ran forward to a similar winch in the bow, and haul in the anchor as we gathered way and sailed over it.
,,The junk sail is one of the most efficient man has ever devised. Stiff, fairly flat and very closely controlled, it has an aerodynamic virtue that we not fully appreciated until science began to explore the behavior or aerofoils. The Chinese claim it resembles a human ear that is 'always listening for the wind'.
The secret of the sails efficiency lies in the bamboo battens that serve a number of functions. In addition to keeping the sail in the proper shape so that it can be finely trimmed, they simplify the process of reefing and enable the sail to be doused rapidly.
To reef, one eases the halyard and the sail fall into the lazy lines formed by the topping lifts. As the sheet becomes slack, the wind automatically spills from the sail, and when enough reefs have been taken, the sail is set up again by tightening the mainsheet. It is said that one man can take three reefs in as many seconds even on the largest of junks.''
,,At dawn the next day we helped Chu hoist sail. The halyard winch is a simple affair, a trunk of hardwood slung between two uprights and turned by half a dozen stout spokes. One uses both hands and feet, climbing the spokes as though they were a ladder.
Chu's two sons joined us, and with five pairs of straining arms and legs we slowly raised the heavy canvas. Almost instantly the wind caught the sail and we pivoted on our anchor. We ran forward to a similar winch in the bow, and haul in the anchor as we gathered way and sailed over it.
,,The junk sail is one of the most efficient man has ever devised. Stiff, fairly flat and very closely controlled, it has an aerodynamic virtue that we not fully appreciated until science began to explore the behavior or aerofoils. The Chinese claim it resembles a human ear that is 'always listening for the wind'.
The secret of the sails efficiency lies in the bamboo battens that serve a number of functions. In addition to keeping the sail in the proper shape so that it can be finely trimmed, they simplify the process of reefing and enable the sail to be doused rapidly.
To reef, one eases the halyard and the sail fall into the lazy lines formed by the topping lifts. As the sheet becomes slack, the wind automatically spills from the sail, and when enough reefs have been taken, the sail is set up again by tightening the mainsheet. It is said that one man can take three reefs in as many seconds even on the largest of junks.''