Sailor Song chiming in for a berth after birth

Chinese sailor Song Xiaqun (pictured) had to postpone her dreams of taking part in the Extreme 40 Sailing Series when the competition came to Qingdao for the first time last year as she was five months pregnant.

Her voyage from a berth to pending birth saw the former Olympian relegated to assistant referee duties at the starting line.

A year later, the 34-year-old has taken to the waves again and is the first woman to be recruited by China Team, which is launching its second attempt to become the challenger in the America's Cup.

Song said her most important assignment from day one was to stay on board as Extreme 40 racing is more demanding than Olympic events.

"Though the construction of an Extreme 40 catamaran is very much different from that of a Yngling boat, the navigation principals are the same. But the speed of the Extreme 40 catamaran is much faster and requires more in the way of strategy and the crew's physical performance," said Song, who retired from racing and gave birth to two children after placing ninth in the Yngling class at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Song said it was very comfortable to sail a Yngling boat as they are designed for women, while the Extreme 40 is widely regarded as a sport for men. But her familiarity with the water of Qingdao has helped her to play the role of tactician as well.

"I was here for the Olympics (2008), and I have trained in Qingdao for a long time, so they hope I could join them because I am familiar with the water and I can provide some information about the tides and the venue," Song said.

The first female crew member of China Team, the first syndicate to carry the Chinese flag in the history of the America's Cup in 2005, wants to tackle more sailing disciplines in the future and might start sailing Clippers next year.

Song also wants to circumnavigate the world.

"Global voyages are quite challenging and it's impossible to finish without outstanding physical strength, nautical knowledge and a strong support team," Song said.

"I will apply for the next Clipper (race) which, with many stops, is a good opportunity for greenhands to gain experience."

For now, she is focusing on the task at hand.

"The China Team is organized by our country and all the other Extreme 40 crews are competing for places for the America's Cup (qualifiers). I am very proud to work with them in Extreme 40, the world's most high-profile fast sailing game," Song said.

"This is my first time with China Team and I hope to have more chances to compete with them."

Song also told China Daily that China Team, which currently relies on experienced foreign sailors to enhance its performances, is planning to open training camps for local sailors.

"The team needs some outside influence because Chinese has little experience in long races," Song said."China Team is planning to train for one to two months in some of the country's coastal cities, and it hopes to recruit Chinese sailors at each stop."

tangzhe@chinadaily.com.cn