Bintan Regatta 2023 (30 Jan)
After a night of anxious rest, hopeful sailors were greeted by further rain, dampening the mood at breakfast. The traditional Jong Display scheduled to take place at 8am was unfortunately postponed, as was the scheduled departure for the Marina due to the unfavourable weather.
The weather forecast predicted a few hours of dry weather from 12 noon to 5pm, providing renewed enthusiasm for the Race Committee and participants. However, when the Race Committee departed BBT to scout the route and test the conditions, the short sail revealed that poor visibility was not the only issue for the sailors. upon arriving at the northwestern corner of Bintan, Skybird encountered 20-24 knots of wind with a rough sea state of 3-4 metre swells. The yacht struggled with just half a headsail, and was relentlessly battered by the conditions attempting to head east to the race location. Over at the Lagoi Bay, the operations crew were also face with rolling seas, conditions ill-suited for laying the marks of the course.
With the safety of the participating yachts, sailors and supporting staff in mind, the decision was made to postpone racing for the weekend. The race winners will be decided on the weekend of 29-30 April (Labour Day weekend), where skippers came to an agreement to race in a make-up regatta at Changi Sailing Club to determine the winners for this year’s event. Yachts which did not participate in this event may also participate on 29-30 April, but only the 6 participating yachts will be eligible to win the challenge trophies and prizes kindly sponsored by Bintan Resorts Cakrawala and Grand Lagoi Hotel by Willson.
Sunday afternoon and evening was peppered with activities, from a exhilarating Jong Sailing display (finally!) at Lagoi Bay to rich cultural performances by the local communities at the closing dinner, participants were treated to a multi-sensory experience to conclude a wonderful weekend in Bintan marred slightly by the lack of racing.
Changi Sailing Club would like to take this opportunity to thank the amazing team from Bintan Resorts Cakrawala together with the team at Grand Lagoi Hotel by Willson for the outstanding support and hospitality throughout the weekend. We would also like to thank the participants: Bula, Waka Tere, Minx, Silhouette, Olmeto and Ikaroa for joining us for the inaugural edition of this event. Last but not least, all of this could not have taken place without the efforts and support from the governing authorities, agents and administrative staff responsible for clearing our fleet in and out of Singapore and Indonesia.
See you all on 29-30 April for the final conclusion of the 1st Bintan Regatta 2023!
- Twilight Series II 2023 Finale (Race 5) - 24th September 2023
- World Clean-Up Day 2023 - 18th September 2023
- Twilight Series II 2023 (Race 4) - 17th September 2023
