A year after tie-breaker heartbreak, RMYC Ennore bags top prize

CHENNAI: After falling agonisingly short in the tie-breaker in the previous edition, the Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC)-Ennore team was crowned champion as the third edition of the UNIFI Capital Offshore Regatta came to a close on Sunday. With this achievement, the club became the first civilian champion of the tournament.

After losing to INWTC Sailing Club last year, RMYC performed much better this year, scoring more points against the former in the eliminator rounds. Led by Murugan Nadar, the team featured Commander Abhilash Tomy, who has previously participated in the 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Races. In the 2022 edition, he finished second, becoming the only Asian skipper to make a podium finish in the round-the-world race.

“I’ve known Abhilash for the past 20 years; we’ve raced together very often and he’s an inspiration to a lot of people,” Murugan Nadar told DT Next.

The final competition saw J/80 sailboats race from Chennai to Mahabalipuram and back. The race lasted for over nine hours amid challenging weather conditions. The searing heat during the final races was accompanied by strong southwesterly winds and two-metre-high waves.

Sailing upwind, the first leg from Chennai to Mahabalipuram about six hours. The second leg back to Chennai was downwind, helping them to finish in about three hours. “The heat was a challenge but the wind helps cover it. Out in the sea, you don’t feel much of the heat although the skin gets burnt. But then, the positive was that the wind was blowing well. I always excel when there is good wind,” said Nadar.

RYMC is on the lookout for a good sponsor so that they take part in the upcoming World Championships scheduled in July in France.

Fleet size to be increased, FOTNA cup to be brought back

RMYC, an institution that has stood the test of time for over 110 years now, has been at the forefront of training sailors across the country. The club holds the distinction of finishing two record-breaking expeditions, 1000nm, from Madras to Rameswaram and back. The second one was an all-women contingent from the police forces, RMYC is gearing up to create more records with a planned expedition to Sri Lanka.

The sailing would be from Chennai to Kankesanturai and then to Jaffna and back. The paperwork for the expedition is currently going on. RYMC is also planning to go on another long-distance sailing from Chennai to Visakhapatnam in collaboration with the Indian Navy.

RMYC, the only club in the country that has four J/80 boats at its disposal, is planning to increase its fleet size by roping in four more boats in the coming months.

The Offshore Regatta event will be back next year as well. In addition, RMYC is also planning to host the Flag Officer Tamil Nadu Area (FOTNA) Cup in the coming months.

CRPF team’s meteoric rise

The CRPF team led by Chinna Reddy, which finished second this year, has had a meteoric rise to the top. They started training only in April 2023. However, within a short span of time, the team members convinced their superiors of their abilities, who supported them to participate in an International Regatta competition in Spain. The team then relocated to Chennai and has been training at the RMYC facilities in preparation for the Offshore Regatta.