Racing to the Equator- the Neptune Regatta 2011

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 12 Oct 2010 Heads up! Here’s something seriously new! The Neptune Regatta, slated to start from Nongsa Point Marine, Batam, on 01 February next year, will take a race fleet and a motor yacht rally down south to the equator and back. The event is composed of stages, A to B to C etc and finishing up back at Nongsa on 05 February, and will include ‘The Race to Zero’ from Pulau Buaya, using the Equator as the finish line. Is there any other race in the world that does this? – if so, we’ve never heard of it! And motor yachts are most definitely in the programme too.

Event organizer Tudor John describes himself as 'an avid yachtie who believes that he knows ‘everything’ when it comes to sail trim and racing tactics', but ruefully admits to a 'poor track record of racing wins'. He has spent the last two years 'moving the Neptune Regatta from bar talk to reality'. Clearly, he’s someone who likes a challenge, and has a sense of humour!

'A number of us (Singapore based yachties) had been bouncing the idea of putting together a friendly endurance race to expand yacht racing in the region through a multitude of ideas. A local RO, Prakash Reddy, asked if we had looked at racing to the equator, and from that moment I knew it had to be done. The more research that we did, the more obvious it became that this was an opportunity to bring something special, not just on a local level, but to sailors and the yachting and boating world everywhere, as being the first and only equator regatta which could be open to a multitude of vessels. The main driver in actually creating the Neptune Regatta from scratch was that anyone I spoke with was keen to be involved and see it happen. For that and to those numerous people who have and are assisting, the Asian yachting scene has a very different and exciting Neptune Regatta to add to the 2011 calendar.'

The A-fleet, the Big Boys, start with a day’s windward-leeward racing at Nongsa, and then race straight to the Equator (85nm), stopping at Pulau Buaya to pause for breath before another passage race back to Nongsa and another day’s cans racing. Meanwhile while the Cruiser/Racer fleet sails two races from Nongsa to Karas Besar and then on to Pulau Buaya - a night time stopover is a very good idea in these waters – and makes their own dash to the equator and return – a day race – on day three. Return to Nongsa is planned to be two more ‘legs’, with another overnight stop en route.

All boats will be at Pulau Buaya together – as, it is hoped, will be a fleet of motor yachts. Yes, the motoring fraternity are very welcome at this event – expressions of interest have been received, and there are already three motor and seven sailing entries signed up already.

'We did a great deal of asking around before we started planning this event,' says Tudor John. 'We asked people what they wanted to do, rather than present a fait accompli – and what we have come up with is the result of that research. This really is what people say they want to do, so we are very hopeful that the inaugural Neptune Regatta will attract a good fleet, first time out of the box.'

The Riau Archipelago is one of Asia’s yet undiscovered cruising gems. And being so close to Singapore it is tremendously accessible – to both sailors and motor yachts. It’s a scattering of tiny tropical islands of the sort that you find in the brochures – some so tiny they don’t even have names on the charts – and with the recently-renovated Nongsa Marina for a jumping off point a mere nine miles across the Strait from Singapore, it is an area that richly deserves a great deal more attention. Hopefully, the Neptune Regatta will do just that.

Event organisers have done one recce tour already – of course – and well-known RO Jerry Rollin will head a second expedition later this month, 'just to tick a few boxes and dot the I’s'.

Full details of the event are available at the website www.neptune-regatta.com. We look forward to seeing you all at Nongsa, at the overnight stops, at the party at Pulau Buaya, and of course RACING ACROSS THE EQUATOR! Last one there is a rotten jellyfish…