CHENNAI: The Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC) is hosting the fifth edition of the Unifi Capital Offshore Regatta from May 20-24, under the Yachting Association of India. Nine teams, including the Indian Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and civilian crews, will compete in J80 class sailboats.

The event began from the Boat Basin inside Chennai Port Trust with Chief Guest Captain Dilip Donde, Shaurya Chakra, India’s first solo circumnavigator under sail, flagging off the race.

Dignitaries including Chennai Port Authority Chairperson S Viswanathan, and senior defence officials attended the event. Racers will first cover 50 km from Chennai Port to Mahabalipuram and back (10 hours), then 20 km to Kamarajar Port and back (6 hours).

Teams are split into Gold (professionals) and Silver (amateurs) fleets. The regatta includes a two-day ranking event before offshore races. Defending champion is Abhimanyu Panwar.

For the first time, an international jury will provide on-water umpiring. A record 60 sailors will participate. Satellite trackers from Elektronik Labs enable live public tracking at www.trackanything.in (username: rmyc, password: offshore). The Coast Guard and Navy will provide support, with MRCC monitoring vessels for safety.

“Tamil Nadu’s 1,000-km coastline holds huge potential for offshore sailing,” said Captain Vivek Shanbhag, RMYC secretary, noting rising public interest after last year’s inaugural Sri Lanka expedition.