Trans-Atlantic Row with Chinese ex-Soldier

Whilst working in China, Christian observed how difficult it was for Chinese and Westerners to do business together due to a lack of trust, so he decided to create the “ultimate Sino-Western Joint Venture” where the downside was loss of life instead of bankruptcy. He wanted to prove the point that if both sides are willing to trust and cooperate then anything is possible!

That was how the idea for the Sino-Viking Trans-Atlantic Rowing Joint Venture was born: Sign up for the 2001 double handled Trans-Atlantic rowing race, build an ocean rowing boat in China, find a Mainland Chinese rowing partner, use the event to raise money for charity to send Chinese students overseas to study at a UWC, finish top 10 in the race and be friends on arrival. Easy-peasy! Well, not quite.

Only 95 people had rowed across an ocean and 6 had died trying. Still now, in 2020, more people have climbed Mt. Everest than rowed across an ocean.

Possibly amplified by the fact that neither Christian nor his rowing partner knew how to row, the project was met with a lot of positive encouragement from Mainland Chinese and foreigners alike, such as:

• “You can’t build a rowing boat in China – it’ll sink before you get out of sight of land!”
• “You’ll never find a Chinese who can do that!”
• “You won’t be able to get along. You’ll fight and give up!”
• “How will you get the Chinese rower out of the country?”
• “Raise money for charity! In China? You’re kidding, right”?!
• “You’ll die!”

Given these was the established truths, then mental barriers could really be shattered, should Christian manage to pull it off, and if not, well, then he would not be around to have to face the nay-sayers.

Achievements

A lot of trials and tribulations later, not to mention boils on their butts, Christian and his Mainland Chinese rowing partner Sun Haibin succeeded in rowing across the Atlantic Ocean. The pair finished 8th in a fleet of 36 race entries, taking 56 days to complete the trans-Atlantic voyage, relying only on muscle power and having received no outside assistance.

• Christian became the first Dane to row across an ocean (at least after the Vikings)
• Sun Haibin became the first Chinese – and Asian – to row an ocean
• Sun Haibin was nominated for China Sportsman of the Year in 2001
• Their rowing boat “Yantu” became the first Asian built ocean rowing boat
• They raised USD90,120 and sent two Mainland Chinese students to UWC Atlantic on scholarship
• On return to China, the pair went (pre-internet) viral with several national newspaper front pages, TV documentaries, and book deals.

The fact that Christian and Sun Haibin are still friends today after having been stuck together, alone and unsupported, under extreme circumstances on a seven-meter long rowing boat for 56 days in the middle of an ocean demonstrates that cross-cultural cooperation is indeed possible as long as both sides are willing to trust and cooperate.

Christian and Sun Haibin are now working on a Trans-Pacific nautical adventure: Retracing Chinese visits to America pre-Columbus.

The fact that Christian and Sun Haibin are still friend today after having been stuck together, alone and unsupported, under extreme circumstances on a seven-meter long rowing boat for 56 days in the middle of an ocean demonstrates that cross-cultural cooperation is indeed possible as long as both sides are willing to trust and cooperate.

Christian and Sun Haibin are now working on a Trans-Pacific nautical adventure: Retracing Chinese visits to America pre-Columbus.

As a result “Yantu” is still going strong today.

She has by now completed five Trans-Atlantic rowing races as well as two Pacific ocean races, clocking up close to 20,000nm (35,000km) – equivalent to almost one time round the world, and 14 rowers have successfully put their lives in her hands, during their combined more than one year at sea (380 days).

Yantu Ownership: Past and Present

It seems hard to believe now, but back in 2000 few Mainland Chinese had any money and raising money in China for charity was, as the Chinese idiom 铁公鸡 … 一毛不拔 goes, like plucking feathers from an iron rooster. No one in their right mind would give money away to help strangers. Likewise, leisure sport had not taken off yet, and the motivation for joining a sport competition was to win a cash prize.

When Christian and Sun Haibin approached Mainland Chinese individuals and corporates for donations to their charity goal of raising money to send Mainland Chinese students to study at UWC Atlantic in Wales it was very much up hill. When the Chinese learned that Christian was paying out of his pocket to enter a race with no cash prize, yet still wanted to raise money for others, it all seemed too far-fetched. Even if someone had believed them, then he/she/the corporate might not have had any money to donate. So Christian and Sun Haibin never got even one feather from the Mainland iron rooster. However, Hong Kong was a different kettle of fish, and here donations were overwhelming, both from corporates and individuals.

The fundraising took place before on-line donations became mainstream, so to ensure everything happened at arms-length, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club acted as custodian of all money received, which it then subsequently wired directly to UWC Atlantic.

Likewise, UWC Atlantic was solely responsible for finding and selecting the two Mainland Chinese students, Zhou Jin and Wang Hui, who the adventure ended up sponsoring.

Zhou Jin started at UWC Atlantic in 2001 where he performed exceptionally well and was awarded a scholarship to study Economics at Harvard starting in the fall of 2003. The summer before going to Harvard he organised for a group of 30 UWC Atlantic graduates to teach English in Sichuan Province, China, and through this activity raised money for educating Chinese orphans.

In 2002 Wang Hui started at UWC Atlantic. He was also academically very gifted and contributed significantly to the community service and college life. He has even put on a play for the British Education Minister! Wang Hui also went to Harvard on scholarship to study Biochemistry. It is no doubt that the UWC Atlantic experience had a great impact on the two.

“Though it might not always feel good to be thousands of miles away from home, still I consider it worth it. I have learned things here that I have never learnt before and experienced another way of life, which will be unforgettable in my lifetime”

Wang Hui

“I now have friends from more than 60 countries all over the world. For my whole life, I will always remember and appreciate everything in UWC Atlantic, a place to make a difference, both to myself and to the outside world.”

Zhou Jin