Bintan Regatta 2023 (30 Jan)

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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!

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Bintan Regatta 2023 (27 & 28 Jan)

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With the North East Monsoon scheduled to blow strong and true for the period of January to March, Changi Sailing Club was excited to organized a new event at a new location – Lagoi Bay, Bintan.

As part of the Club’s efforts to retain the Nongsa Regatta sailing dates, the Bintan Regatta was conceived as an alternative location and event to the regatta many sailors were accustomed to. traditionally held on the last weekend of January, the Nongsa Regatta could not happen this year due to a clash of dates with the Nongsa Neptune Regatta. As such, a quick turn-around to find an alternative racing location led us to Bintan, Lagoi Bay.

Despite the initial strong interest, lack of crew, leave and abrupt life plans meant that only a fleet of 6 boats could make it to Bintan for this inaugural event. Many thanks to Minx, Waka Tere, Silhouette, Olmeto, Ikaroa, Bula and Kaatabuggi for making time and coordinating crew to make this event happen!

On the day of arrival, wind conditions were near-perfect. North-Easterly breeze blowing strong, coupled with no rain meant that sailors had an enjoyable sail from Changi Sailing Club to Bandar Bentan Telani (BBT). Although the CIQP process took awhile, it was relatively smooth, eventually clearing all participants to take the transport to Grand Lagoi Hotel, the accommodation partners for this event.

At the Hotel, a welcome dinner greeted the sailors, hosted on the 7th floor at bar7 restaurant. the dining outlet boasts a great view of the island, a most appropriate introduction to the 1st Bintan Regatta! The evening was a well-coordinated one, attended by distinguished guests from Bintan Resorts Cakrawala (co-organisers), Bintan Tourism Office and other government agencies. Sailors were treated to traditional indonesian music and dance performances, paired with delicious food prepared by the culinary team from Grand Lagoi Hotel.

Fast-forward to day 1 of racing, the breeze came from a northerly direction, accompanied by a light rain and ominous dark clouds in the horizon. By the time sailors made it the BBT, the visibility had dropped to unsafe levels, prompting the Race Committee to put up the AP Flag, signaling a postponement. After almost 3 hours of waiting, the Race Committee eventually decided to pull the plug, raising the AP over A signal, inviting sailors to close up their boats and return to the hotel for an early rest. The weather showed no signs of letting up, with skies clearing for a brief moment in the afternoon before returning to poor visibility and foamy seas in the evening.

Plans were made to start the race earlier tomorrow, together with a traditional Jong Exhibition display by the locals at 8am. Fingers crossed the weather gets better, allowing for at least 3 races to be conducted before we conclude this inaugural sailing regatta. All the best to the participating teams!

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