Charting new waters: An ex-Olympian guides the next generation of sailors

Yuanzhen in Marseille, with Olympic sailors Ryan and Max under his charge.

It was 2008, at the freshly-constructed Qingdao International Sailing Centre. Just as fresh were a pair of first-time Olympians from Singapore, who would take to the choppy waters of the Yellow Sea in their two-person dinghy. After days of intense racing, skipper Xu Yuanzhen, then 23, and partner Terence Koh, then 21, concluded their debut Olympic campaign with a 22nd place finish.

15 years later, southwards of Qingdao at the Ningbo Xiangshan Sailing Centre, an even younger Singaporean sailor would send ripples across the international sailing circuit, notching Asia’s gold for the Republic. Thrice a youth world champion, twice a world champion and now an Olympian, Maximilian Maeder, is the precocious kitefoiler that has caught Singapore by storm, having made history with an Olympic bronze at the scenic Marseille Marina.

But the 17-year-old is not alone. By his side is a crew of six that includes a physiotherapist, kite caddy, coach, training partner and team manager.

Among them is Yuanzhen, now 39, who will be making a return to the global sporting showpiece he once competed in, but this time as the assistant team manager for Singapore Sailing Federation.

Cut from the same cloth

The two share similar back stories when it comes to their first encounter with the sport. Max was introduced to kitefoiling by his father at six, while Yuanzhen set out to sea for the first time at 10 at his uncle’s encouragement.

Yuanzhen’s retirement from competitive sailing came 13 years later as he left the national set up soon after the Beijing Olympics to pursue his tertiary studies. A degree in business would take him through a medley of sales and banking roles before the Singapore Sailing Federation (SSF) came knocking in 2016.

(From L to R) Max and national ILCA7 sailor Ryan Lo together with Max’s kite caddy, Daniel Leow, and Yuanzhen at the Marseille athletes’ village.

A two-year stint at SSF was followed by six years at the National Youth Sports Institute, chalking up experiences in sports administration.

The manager-athlete pair eventually joined forces at the start of last year when SSF reached out to tap on Yuanzhen’s expertise in sports administration, in their hunt for an assistant team manager. The duo then began their Olympic expedition on the Marseille coast in early July.

Return to the seas: From athlete to administrator

A former Olympian himself, Yuanzhen was eager to help the team in their campaign.

“At least from a team perspective, it's great to lean on my past experiences to help better predict what challenges might come up for the athletes,” the 2005 SEA Games champion said.

In his new role, Yuanzhen’s duties include planning the competition calendar with Max and his coach, registering for competitions, organising logistics and transportation for the team, coordinating media interviews and ensuring the athletes’ general wellbeing is taken care of.

TeamSG at the dining hall in the athletes’ village in Marseille.

I've got your back

Away from the spotlight, the pair get along well, with Yuanzhen sometimes hanging out with Max’s family while at competitions. The pair are also often in sync, knowing when to “put on the friend hat or the business hat”.

Still, Yuanzhen is cognisant that Max is still a young athlete with a fledgling sporting career.

“I am very aware that he’s ultimately still a young man and I do try to help him manage. During the week we had many media engagements, I consolidated the information for him so it would be easy to understand. I do sometimes feel that it could be a bit too much for him, so that’s where I come in.”

With years under his belt, as both athlete and sports administrator, Yuanzhen is aware of the difficulties that top athletes face.

“I do see the challenges that high-profile athletes go through, so I want to make sure that Max or Ryan (Lo) are prepared regardless of (competition) outcome.”

Capturing the moments at the athlete's village in Marseille.

The wind in their sails

Besides supporting athletes in the sporting arena, Yuanzhen wanted to ensure the athletes would enjoy and make the most of their Olympic experience.

“I am trying to help them capture their experiences which I don't think I did for myself back in the day. I hope the athletes can look back at this experience and be like, ‘Oh, I was there’. I want to help them capture these moments.”

But Yuanzhen won’t be needing photos and videos as keepsakes. For he won’t be forgetting this experience anytime soon.

When asked what it would feel like to see his athletes doing well at the Olympics, he said: “It would be unforgettable. Just being here with them and seeing their races as they progress.”

“All of us will be cheering them on!”