Empowering

Hong Kong's Next Generation of Sailors!

Sail Onward HK is transforming lives through the power of sailing, making this incredible sport accessible to all students, regardless of their background

About Sail Onward HK

Close-up of a young man with brown hair and light eyes, wearing a dark blue shirt, sitting at a wooden table in an outdoor setting with an arched structure in the background.

Created by RHKYC sailor Dani Van Olphen, our programme addresses low participation by local schools in sailing events by providing accessible opportunities for Hong Kong's youth.

Why This Programme Matters:

Sailing is more than a sport: it's a platform for personal growth, teamwork, and resilience.

Through Sail Onward HK, students are gaining invaluable life skills, connecting with nature, and building confidence that extends well beyond the water.

For many participants, these free sailing lessons in Hong Kong offer their first opportunity to engage in an activity they might otherwise never experience.

Group of young women with helmets, wearing casual clothes, standing on a waterfront with boats and a cityscape with high-rise buildings and mountains in the background.

Our Mission & Vision

Inspiring a new generation of sailors through structured and engaging programmes

Group of young people waiting in line outside a building, looking at their phones or a paper, with a marina and boats in the background.
Group of young people waiting in line outside a building, looking at their phones or a paper, with a marina and boats in the background.

  1. Inclusion in Sports Curricula

Integrate sailing as a recognised sport in school curricula across Hong Kong

2. Increased Local Participation

Grow local participation in the sport, creating a stronger and more diverse sailing community

3. Club Growth

Graduates don't just complete a course; they join Hong Kong's sailing community. In partnership with RHKYC, we provide a pathway from the programme to youth club membership, nurturing future sailors.

4. Competitive Pathways

Expand the talent pipeline for Hong Kong's national sailing teams

People in life jackets preparing for sailing activities on a calm body of water with sailboats, some equipped with colorful sails, under a sky with scattered clouds and a distant shoreline.

Where we are now

A real programme, on the water, with real students.

Each Sail Onward HK student commits to two semesters, with around 40 sailing days per year - roughly one lesson a week. The goal for every student is to reach HKSF Level 2, the qualification that allows them to take a boat out on their own at Hong Kong's government training centres. That's the moment a beneficiary becomes an independent sailor.

We launched our first semester with 18 students, most of them girls, and added another 6 this semester, bringing the programme to 24 students. Every cost - boats, coaching, safety support, transport, gear, refreshments - is covered by donors and the volunteer team at the RHKYC Middle Island Training Centre.

We have currently raised just over HK$600,000 in donations from corporate sponsors and private donors.

… & Looking Ahead!

Same model, more boats, more kids, more harbours.

In the next academic year, we're confident we can welcome 48 students in the first semester alone - double our launch cohort - provided we can get our second site in Sai Kung off the ground. Sai Kung offers a different stretch of water, a different community of schools, and a route for students from the New Territories who today can't reasonably commute to Middle Island.

If the Sai Kung site goes live, we'll close 2026 having taken more than 70 young Hong Kong kids from "I've never been on the water" to …

 "I CAN RIG MY OWN BOAT AND SAIL IT!"

GET INVOLVED
GET INVOLVED
DONATE
DONATE