National first-class sailor and national youth sailing champion Saiya Lu has embarked on a new voyage at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC), joining the university’s Mechanical Engineering programme this September.
Lu, who topped the youth category of China’s 2025 Youth Sailor Ranking, achieved the best results among Chinese amateur sailors in the Men’s ILCA 4 Open and U18 categories at the 2025 ILCA Asian Sailing Championships. He has also stood on the podium at the National Youth Sailing League Finals for three consecutive years and represented China at world championships in Portugal and the United States.
For Lu, choosing university was about more than continuing his sporting journey. Inspired by the development of new sailing technologies, he hopes to design new types of boats and push the boundaries of the sport. He chose to study engineering at UNNC after visiting the university’s Open Day and discovering its international learning environment and English-medium education.
“Ningbo has world-class sailing facilities, so I can switch seamlessly between campus life and competition,” Lu says.
His connection with Ningbo began through sailing. He first competed at the Xiangshan Asian Sailing Centre in 2024, where his strong performance earned him the opportunity to represent China at the World Sailing Championships in Portugal. He returned the following year to claim third place in the Men’s ILCA 4 category.
Now, as a UNNC student, Lu plans to represent the university in more domestic and international competitions. He also hopes to establish a sailing association on campus, giving fellow students the opportunity to discover the sport he loves.
Lu’s journey reflects the opportunities available to UNNC students to pursue their ambitions both inside and beyond the classroom. With an internationally focused education, a diverse campus community and Ningbo’s world-class sporting facilities on its doorstep, UNNC provides an environment where students can develop their academic interests while continuing to pursue their passions.
As Lu puts it: “Sailing has made my life more exciting.”
Published on 06 September 2026