Royal Madras Yacht Club Hosts Leisure Sailing Session at Chennai Port Harbour

More than 50 participants gathered at Chennai Port Harbour as the Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC) conducted a leisure sailing session, taking visitors into open waters aboard a French-built J/80 sailboat.

RMYC executive secretary Roshni Anand and secretary Capt. Vivek Shanbag led the session following a brief delay caused by rain. Shanbag, an airline pilot who has sailed with the club for 20 years, provided safety directions and introduced participants to basic sailing vocabulary and navigation aboard the vessel.

The leisure sailing programme caters to participants across a wide age range, with sailors as young as seven to adults up to 93 years old taking to the sea. Over the past year, the club has also expanded its offerings to include moonlight sailing sessions held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In addition to recreational outings, the club promotes competitive sailing and trains youth for State, national, and international events. Club member Dheer Singhi, who began sailing at nine years old, is set to represent India at the BRICS International Sailing Championship in Belarus at the end of the month.

Founded in 1911 as the Madras Sailing Club, the organization was later granted 'Royal' status by King George V. Located at Chennai Port Harbour, RMYC is recognized as the first sailing club in South India.