Chennai is gearing up for the Unifi Capital Offshore Regatta

CHENNAI: The fourth edition of the Unifi Capital Offshore Regatta, one of India’s premier offshore sailing events, will set sail on May 12, 2025, from Chennai to Mahabalipuram. The regatta will feature J/80 class sailboats and is being conducted under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India (YAI), with support from Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC), Chennai Port Authority (ChPA), and Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL).The event, held in compliance with World Sailing’s global safety standards, will feature two racing categories — the Gold Fleet and the Silver Fleet — each with five teams. The Gold Fleet includes Abhimanyu Panwar, ranked 4th in the J/80 Asian Championship 2019, and Murugan Nadar, who clinched 3rd place in the mixed category at the World Championship 2019 in Spain and was last year’s regatta champion.Also racing in the Gold Fleet are Chinna Reddy and Yakobu, both winners at the prestigious Sail the Gulf Regatta in Qatar, and Shubham Pillai, a coach and skiff racing champion. In the Silver Fleet, emerging sailors like Dheer Singhi and RV Gautam will race alongside Indian Coast Guard officers.The high-seas challenge will see the fleet cover a 100-kilometre round-trip route between Chennai Port and Mahabalipuram on Day 1, expected to last around 10 hours. The second leg, between Chennai and Kamarajar Port (Ennore), spans 40 kilometres and should take about five hours. Safety and coordination will be overseen by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy, with the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) tracking the race and nearby vessels on standby.The regatta will be flagged off at 9.30 a.m. on May 12 from the Boat Basin in Chennai by Lt. Gen. Michael Fernandez, Commandant of the Officers Training Academy. Senior govt officials, including Atulya Misra, Secretary, Department of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, and Meghanatha Reddy, member secretary, SDAT, will be present at the ceremony.