SYC ORGANIZED THE BORNEO INTERPORT REGATTA WILL BE HELD ON THIS OCTOBER 8 AND 9

PICTURE SHOW….Leonard (seated 2^nd left) with Lim, James  (seated 2^nd right) and representatives from SAILA, KYC , Navy and SYC during the meeting at KYC

 BY: FATIMAH  CHIN ABDULLAH

Tuesday Sept, 20/2016

SANDAKAN: The scenic seafront of Sandakan is set to be the venue of one of the oldest regattas in the country this October.

“The Borneo Interport Regatta will be held in Sandakan from Oct 8 and 9 with the participation of nearly sixty sailors,” Sandakan Yacht Club (SYC) Rear Commodore and organising chairman James Leong said after attending the meeting with Sabah Sailing Association (SAILA), Royal Malaysian Navy, Kinabalu Yacht Club and SYC representatives in Kota Kinabalu.

During the recent meeting at Kinabalu Yacht Club chaired by SAILA technical adviser Leonard Chin, the representatives unanimously agreed to invite Tawau Yacht Club (TYC) for the Borneo Interport Yachting trophy which is a team event for the regatta, James said.

“TYC has participated in the Borneo Optimist Regatta Trophy in 2006,” James added.

The International 470 class boats will be used for the Borneo Interport Yachting trophy and Dusty Millar trophy while Optimist class boats will be used for the Borneo Optimist Regatta trophy, James said.

Traditionally, the sailors will compete in a Darts event after the race for the Sandakan Darts Trophy but this year it is agreed this event will be played by senior sailors, James said.

 A new trophy will be introduced “The Sandakan Optimist Darts trophy” will be played by the optimist sailors participating in this year’s regatta, James said.

Meanwhile SAILA technical adviser Leonard Chin said the Borneo Interport Regatta dates back to the time the Borneo states were colonies of Great Britain, before the  formation of Malaysia and the Independent Brunei Nation. 

The Borneo Interport Yachting Trophy or Hales Trophy was presented in 1954 by Dato R.E. Hales, C.B.E. Commodore of the Miri-Belait Boat Club. It is competed for annually by teams from any properly constituted Yacht or Sailing Clubs in Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei, Leonard added.

Dusty Millar Trophy was presented by the Sandakan Yacht Club in memory of Assistant Commissioner of Police A.R. Millar, a member of the Jesselton and Sandakan Yacht Clubs, killed on duty in a flying accident in December 1958. It is competed for annually by teams composed of the crew members taking part in the Hales trophy, Leonard said.

The Sandakan Darts Trophy was presented by the Sandakan Yacht Club in 1967 for the winning team in the Darts event which is played by sailing teams of the Interport. Since 1998, the Optimist sailors have been included, Leonard said.

The Borneo Optimist Regatta Trophy  was presented by the Kinabalu Yacht Club in 1998 for Optimist Team racing. The Optimist Interport was originally planned to run concurrently with the Borneo Interport . This is so young visiting sailors can be accompanied by the adult sailors of the same team. Whilst not mandatory that it be held concurrently, it is very much encouraged, Leonard further said.

Among those present at the meeting were SAILA treasurer Shoon Yun Chin, SYC commodore Richard Lim, SYC Sailing Captain Ang Lian Hook and SYC past commodore Daniel Liaw.