Bintan Regatta 2026 – Day 1 Report

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Challenging weather greets sailors on first day of 4th Bintan Regatta

Report by Scott Murray, SEA Yachting Magazine

The 4th Bintan Regatta, an event jointly organized by the Bintan Resort Cakrawala and the Changi Sailing Club, got underway today. After the skippers’ briefing held at the Berakit Meeting Room at the Four Points Sheraton, the participating boats motored out to the sailing area held off of Bandar Bentan Telani/Doulos Phos, The Ship Hotel.

Changi Sailing Club Activities Manager Leanne “Jhing” Tayong was the race officer today and did a great job considering the weather conditions. The first warning signal went off at 10:25am and in the first race Leanne ran a two-lap windward-leeward with a combined start for the five boats in the Keelboat PY class and the three boats in the multihull class. Ong Soo Chong’s Majabelle made the trip over from Singapore but had engine trouble and didn’t set out from the Bintan pier this morning. In the second race, Leanne staged separate starts for both classes, hoping for a two-lap race but light winds prevented many of the boats from finishing.

CSC General Manager Choy Yi Hong sailed for a change helming Slingshot. Describing the racing today, Choy said, “Winds were light and shifty with strong currents as well. Summer Breeze did well while sailing 2-up (father & son). There were conflicting weather systems, and a passing storm made things interesting on the course. In the second race, only one boat from each class completed the course, as the winds switched off on the final leg to the finish.”

It was very close in the first race in the keelboat class as Slingshot beat Jakub Kogut’s Summer Breeze by ten seconds on corrected time to win the race. Edwin Low’s Skybird (line honours) was two minutes behind in third place. Peter Jong’s Kesini was 00:01:11 behind Skybird and Jasmine Teo/Lim Wei Ling’s Spellbound six-and-a-half minutes behind Kesini. The second race in this class saw only Skybird complete the course in 00:38:17 on corrected time.

The first race in the multihull class was also very close as David Steel’s Dot Dot Dot earned line honours and beat Roy Phua’s Soluna by just under two minutes on corrected time. Giam Hock Koon’s Oojoo was then just two minutes behind Soluna in third place.

Btw, the first official passage race from CSC to Bintan was staged yesterday and Skybird was triumphant in the keelboat class, making the crossing in a corrected time of 04:04:03 followed by Kesini, just under 20 minutes later – the only two boats to finish in that class. The multihull class saw Steel finish 25 minutes ahead of Oojoo on corrected time – also, the only two boats to finish in that class.

Racing continues tomorrow and let’s hope the weather is more favourable.

Jong Boat Festival

Held in conjunction with the Bintan Sailing Regatta at a nearby beach is the Jong Boat Festival. Jongs have been legendary in the Bintan Regency since ancient times. These miniature sailboats are a traditional pastime for fishermen during the north and south monsoons when they are unable to go to sea due to strong winds and high waves. Originally, Jongs were a tradition of the Chinese community in a ritual called bebuang. They would send food offerings (sesajen) out to sea such as Jong Kong cakes and other foods using replica ships.

The Jongs are made from pulai wood (Alstonia scholaris) a dark-grey wood with yellowish-brown grain. It has a soft texture, making it easy to shape and carve.  The Jong reflects local wisdom in utilizing natural resources and maintaining the balance of the surrounding environment. The pastime is not only entertaining but also demonstrates an ability to adapt to nature, especially the sea winds, which are the primary factor in determining the boat’s direction. Today, they remain a symbol of maritime glory and navigational brilliance.

 

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