Future Crew Catch Up – Meet Steven Tng

In this week’s Future Crew Friday, we catch up with Steven. He first heard about the race many years ago but admits he did not give it much consideration at the time.

That all changed when the fleet visited his home country of Singapore during the race and it caught his full attention. Now Steven has a desire to demonstrate that sailing is not just for the wealthy or for professional athletes, but it’s something open to any one that has a passion in life.

Here’s how Steven got on during his Level 1 training at our Sydney training centre in Australia.

Name: Thye Kok ‘Steven’ Tng
Age: 49
Nationality: Singaporean
Occupation: Global Procurement Director
Signed up for: Clipper 2015-16 Race, Leg 2

What led you to sign up for the Clipper Race?
I started keelboat training three years ago with the RYA school in Singapore. Both trainers had participated in the Clipper Race and one had even done the full circumnavigation. I had heard about the race before but speaking to the trainers really caught my attention.

Then when I was sailing in Pattaya last July with another group of sailors, One of them told me that he was signing up for to sail around the world in the 2015-16 race. Without hesitation I signed up a week later and the rest is history.

Looking at the bigger picture, I hope to help promote ocean racing in South East Asia. We have beautiful waters, beaches and weather but the whole sailing environment is still lagging behind Europe and Australia.

What made you sign up for Leg 2?
I decided to sign up for Leg 2 from Brazil to South Africa as I will get the opportunity to sail under different weathers and water conditions, compared to South East Asia where I came from. This would pose a good challenge to any sailor.

What has been the highlight of your Clipper Race experience so far?
I have sailed before on smaller 40 foot boats but the experience with the Clipper Race yacht is very different. It is fast and responsive to all kinds of weather. We met with a heavy storm on our very first day out in the sea (in fact, it was during our night sail) with winds blowing regularly at 30-40 knots and gusts up to 50 knots. Thanks to our experienced instructors and the team’s efforts, we made it through. A few crew members did suffer from sea sickness but overall it was good preparation for what we can expect in the upcoming race.

What have you found the most challenging so far?
On board you are sailing with people from a wide range of backgrounds, with various motives for taking part in the race and many different levels of sailing experience and fitness. We needed a lot of mutual respect and understanding throughout the seven days training, but surprisingly we worked extremely well as a team and there were no arguments.

What do your family and friends think about you doing the race?
My wife and my two sons are very supportive. I have spoken to a few senior sailors and they have given me very positive feedback about the Clipper Race. Most of my friends admire my courage and determination to take on the challenge.

Crew members can complete Levels 1 to 3 of the four compulsory courses at our Sydney base right through to June 2015, or all levels at our UK training centre in Gosport, Hampshire.

The 2015-16 edition of the race is now 85 per cent full with limited availability but if you would like to join Steven contact us here.