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As the world rotates, the sun begins to slowly cast it's glow over the Shanghai Boat and Yacht Club (SBYC) in Shanghai, China. The SBYC is the place where the sun will first shine on June 21st for the annual 2008 Summer Sailstice Celebration. As the sails are hoisted and the wind blows these Shanghai sailors will be ready to celebrate what they are calling "The Earliest Dawn Sail." It must be an ambitious lot of sailors because, according to SBYC member Alistair Skinner, they'll be up at dawn to start their Summer Sailstice celebration at sunrise. Besides being the first large land mass past the international date line and, therefore automatically getting a jump on the rest of planet, a sunrise start pretty much guarantees that they will be the first sailors out on the water to celebrate this year's Summer Sailstice.
On the longest sailing day of the year the SBYC will be taking out four dragon boats, a new Dubois built in Hong Kong called Bird of Prey, and a 20' powerboat. Dragon boats are long keeled sailboats that were first designed in 1929. Changes have occurred in the materials used to make the boat but not so much in the design of it. The Dragon's are probably an appropriate boat to be sailing in China. While the SBYC will likely be the first to sail on the Summer Sailstice and you too can join the Shanghai Boat and Yacht club in an early morning,before sunrise sail. We wonder how many others will be sailing at sunrise? Maybe if you're on the morning watch...
The SBYC is a non-profit organizationfounded in 2001. It currently has around 180 members and a fleet of more than forty boats. The club simply wants to bring people of all origins and background who love sailing and want to share in the fun and excitement of sailing. To learn more about the Shanghai Boat & Yacht Club visit the club website at; http://www.shanghaibyc.org/
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