Woman skipper guides teens, teaches life lessons learnt at sea

'When I’m out sailing on a boat at sea, I feel humbled and grateful. The sea generously imparts life lessons for me to apply when I’m back on land, ' says Norma Noordin. Photo: The Star/KK Sham

They may only be “kids”, but they’re out in front with the big boys. That holds true for skipper Norma Noordin and her crew of teenagers between the ages of 14 to 17. Norma is a skipper of sea scouts, and not only is she the first Malaysian female skipper to have participated in the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta, her team was the only one with a crew of teenagers.

“It’s an overnight sail. We’re given 24 hours to reach each destination and there is a point system, the first to reach in one’s class (boat type) wins, ” says Norma, explaining that the regatta comprises three passage races: Port Klang to Pangkor, Pangkor to Penang, Penang to Langkawi. They sail 420km in total, and have three days of harbour racing around the islands of Penang and Langkawi.