The 3nd edition of the UNIFI CAPITAL Offshore Regatta that started on the 1st May and concluded on 4th May 2024 was a grand success with six teams turning out for the event.
Left to Right: Abhimanyu Panwar, Aniketh Rajaram, George Alexander (UNIFI CAPITAL), Murugan Nadar, Shloka Mahesh, Avinash Shanbagh, Vivek Shanbagh
The Regatta’s final was contested between three teams. The three finalists were the Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC) Chennai, the CRPF and the RMYC, Ennore club (RMYC-EC). The final race was held between Chennai and Mahabalipuram.
The Royal Madras Yacht Club, Ennore which was captained by Murugan Nadar won the coveted trophy.
The CRPF team captained by Chinna Reddy won the runner-up prize. This edition of the UNIFI CAPITAL Regatta saw the civilian teams dominate the racing as the earlier two editions were won by teams from the Navy.
The searing heat was accompanied by strong south westerly winds and 2 metre high waves. The first leg – from Chennai to Mahabalipuram – was sailing upwind and took about 6 hours. The second leg – back to Chennai was downwind and the race took about 3 hours. In what was quite a close finish, the RMYC Ennore team finished just 2 minutes ahead of the second placed CRPF team; the RMYC team came third, 10 minutes after the CRPF team.
The Awards ceremony was held on 5th May ’24; the awards were given out by Mr. George Alexander, Management Council, UNIFI CAPITAL to the teams in the presence of Rear Admiral Ravi Kumar Dhingra, Flag Officer commanding Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
The UNIFI CAPITAL Offshore Regatta 2024 featured J/80 sailboats, boats that are very popular for offshore sailing and racing. The Indian Navy and the Coast Guard provided logistical support. The boats were provided with satellite trackers that enabled continuous coverage and could be viewed on the www.trackanything.in website.
The event was held under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India, the apex sailing body and organized by the National J/80 Class Association (NJCA), Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC) and the Royal Madras Yacht Club Ennore Centre (RMYC EC).
Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, Honorary Secretary of the Royal Madras Yacht Club said, “As the organizers of the Regatta, we thank the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard for making this event safe. We also thank the TN Police, TN Commando Services, Coastal Security Group & the NCC for their support. We also thank UNIFI CAPITAL for being the backbone of this event and making the event a successful one.”
Yachting Association of India – The YAI is the governing body for sailing, windsurfing, motor boating, powerboat racing and personal water craft, at sea and on inland waters in India. The YAI is affiliated to World Sailing, the world governing body for the sport of sailing.
Royal Madras Yacht Club – The Royal Madras Yacht Club (estd 1911) is the first Accredited Training Centre of YAI in South India. This is the only Club in the country with a fleet of the contemporary J80s sail boats. The Club’s primary purpose is to promote the sport of sailing and takes pride in being an active, inclusive and family friendly sailing club.
Royal Madras Yacht Club Ennore Centre – The Royal Madras Yacht Club Ennore Centre (estd 2019) is located inside the Kamarajar Port Limited. The Club is actively promoting offshore sailing in the Bay of Bengal and conducts sailing courses to maritime students. The Club has huge potential to hold mega sailing championships.
