Singapore Sailing Federation

The Singapore Sailing Federation (Abbreviation: SSF; Chinese: 新加坡帆船协会), also known as SingaporeSailing, is the National Sports Association (NSA) responsible for the management and organisation of the sport of sailing in Singapore.

Singapore Sailing Federation
SSF
IOC nationSingapore
National flag
SportSailing
Official websitewww.sailing.org.sg
HISTORY
Year of formation1954
AFFILIATIONS
International federationInternational Sailing Federation (ISAF)
ISAF members pagewww.sailing.org/about-isaf/mna/singapore.php
ISAF member since1960s
National Olympic CommitteeSingapore National Olympic Council
ELECTED
President Lincoln Chee (SIN)
Executive Directior Tan Thong Meng (SIN)
FINANCE
Company statusCharity Organisation

The Federation works closely with Sport Singapore, on various fronts and adheres to the various rules and regulations required by Sport Singapore for NSAs. SingaporeSailing stewards the sailing industry in the country in partnership with various clubs and affiliates around the island state and works closely with the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) on the high performance front.

The Federation is currently headed by Dr. Lincoln Chee and it is headquartered at the National Sailing Centre in East Coast Park.

History

The Singapore Yacht Club was formed in 1826 with William Montgomerie as its head.[1]

Starting out

The history of sailing in Singapore dates back all the way to 1956 when members of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club competed in the Melbourne Olympics.[2] Singapore was still a British crown colony then, but it already had a nascent self-Government with a partially elected Legislative Assembly. Singapore citizenship did not exist but there were many British nationals and subjects who had residential and other rights in the colonies. These British citizens and subjects in Singapore could represent the colony in international sporting events.

The late Jack Snowden (1923 - 2000) was one of Singapore's first five Olympic sailors.[3] He also competed in the Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956. In 1965, Snowden founded the Singapore Yachting Association (now known as the Singapore Sailing Federation) and he served as the organisation's first President.

The success of sailing at the major Games over the years prompted the Government to reward the sailing fraternity with its own training premise and ground by building the National Sailing Centre (NSC) in East Coast Park. NSC was slated to be established as a base for Singaporeans to enjoy sailing as well as to nurture existing sailors to become international champions. The ground breaking ceremony of the NSC in 1997 was officiated by Ng Ser Miang, then Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council.

NSC was officially opened by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1999. In 2000, the Singapore Yachting Association adopted the name of Singapore Sailing Federation, also known as SingaporeSailing. This marked the beginning of the corporatising and professionalising of the sport of sailing in Singapore.

Formalised sailing in schools

The National Optimist Sailing Scheme (NOSS), set up in 1987, actively roped in primary schools in the East Coast and Marine Parade area and devised structured sailing programmes for students with sailing as their Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA). In 1999, the rapidly growing Singapore Optimist Fleet formed a National Optimist Sailing Squad comprising 20 sailors and two coaches. This squad was to be reviewed every six months.

In mid-2005 the 420 pair of Teo Wee Chin and Terence Koh won the ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships, the first Asian team to get the gold medal in the championships since its inception 35 years before.

The Constitution

In accordance with the Constitution, the Finance Committee, Audit Committee, and Regatta Committee have also been actively involved with the various initiatives under their charge.[4] Additionally, the Board of Trustees for the Sailors’ Fund has been serving as an enhancement in Corporate Governance.

Organisation

In September 2010, Federation revealed a strategic blueprint called The Next Leg.[5] It seeks to steer the development of sailing in the next decade via 10 Strategic Thrusts. These thrusts guide the Federation's efforts as it continues to forge ahead. Besides heightening focus on High Performance operations and programmes, in line with the recommendations put forth by the Olympic Pathway Taskforce in 2011, the Federation also set up a High Participation Committee in 2015 to coordinate efforts in sailing participation islandwide.

Executive committee and board members
  • President - Dr. Lincoln Chee
  • Deputy President - Mr. Stanley Chan
  • Vice President - Mr. Jevan Tan
  • Vice President - Pamela Goh
  • Vice President - Mr. Alan Goh
  • Honorary Treasurer - Mr. James Tan
  • Deputy Treasurer - Ms. Toh Liying

Presidents
  • Jack Snowden - 1965 to 1972
  • Seah Peng Yong - 1972 to 1975
  • C. Kuttan - 1975 to 1989
  • Ng Ser Miang - 1989 to 1991
  • Peter H. L. Lim - 1992 to 1993
  • Ong Siong Kai - 1993 to 1998
  • Low Teo Ping - 1998 to 2010
  • Ben Tan - 2010 to 2018
  • Lincoln Chee - 2018 to Present

Clubs and affiliates

SingaporeSailing is the governing body for the sport of sailing in Singapore and it works closely with various clubs and organisations across the country to maintain a healthy pipeline on public participation, raise the profile of the sports and its competitive performance, and ensure that the community keeps abreast of the latest developments in the industry, among others.

  • Changi Sailing Club
  • Constant Wind Sea Sports @ NSRCC Sea Sports Centre
  • Kitesurfing Association of Singapore
  • Marina at Keppel Bay
  • One Degree 15 Marina Club
  • Outward Bound Singapore
  • Raffles Marina
  • Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
  • SAF Yacht Club
  • Seletar Country Club
  • Singapore Disability Sports Council
  • Singapore Polytechnic Student Yacht Club
  • SMU Sailing Club
  • Water Venture PA (East Coast)
  • Windsurfing Association of Singapore
  • Aloha Sea Sports Centre

Events

SingaporeSailing organises several events and regattas each year to maintain a vibrant sailing landscape and to engage the community. While there are many regattas each year, some are staple regattas that are held every year.

Singapore Youth Sailing Championship

The Singapore Youth Sailing Championship is the largest youth regatta in the local sailing calendar. It is typically held in March, in conjunction with the week-long school holiday in Singapore. The regatta is held at the National Sailing Centre, which is an accredited World Sailing Approved Training Centre.

The Singapore Youth Sailing Championship is also an international regatta where sailors from overseas are allowed to participate in. The regatta typically witnesses around 350 sailors from 11 different countries competing over 3 or 4 days.

The title of the regatta  also varies depending on sponsorship as well as the theme of the event. In 2019, the regatta is called the Singapore Youth Team Racing Championship.

Singapore National Sailing Championship

The Singapore National Sailing Championship is the largest regatta in the local sailing calendar, attracting more than 400 sailors from 15 countries. The regatta is typically held in June, coinciding with the month-long June school holidays and it is held over 5 days.

Similar to the Singapore Youth Sailing Championship, the Singapore National Sailing Championship is held at the National Sailing Centre.

Pesta Sukan

"Pesta Sukan" is a Malay phrase for Festival of Sports.

Conceived by the then Ministry of Culture, Singapore's first festival of sports was held from 4 - 12 Dec 1964. An ad hoc organising committee, composed of well-known sports personalities and government officials, was formed while NSAs and other major sporting organisations also lent their support.

Today, each NSA holds their own Pesta Sukan. The SingaporeSailing holds it in August, leading up to the National Day celebrations.

NSC Cup Series

The NSC Cup Series comprises three small regattas where sailors across different boat classes compete over three days of racing. Each regatta has a small awards ceremony, while the third and final regatta determines the overall winner of the NSC Cup Series for the year. Points are calculated and aggregated based on the performance of sailors across all three regattas.

Notable sailors

Olympics 2020

The following are the Singaporean national sailors that have qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.[6]

The following are the Singaporean national sailors that are campaigning to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Youth Olympic Games Medalists
  • Audrey Yong (Techno 293)
  • Bernie Chin (Byte CII)
  • Samantha Yom (Byte CII)

Asian Games Gold Medalists

References
  1. "William Montgomerie arrives in Singapore", HistorySG, Singapore Government, retrieved 25 November 2018.
  2. "Upwind & Winning - Singapore Sailing Federation". Singapore Sailing Federation. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  3. "Upwind & Winning - Singapore Sailing Federation". Singapore Sailing Federation. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  4. "Constitution - Singapore Sailing Federation". Singapore Sailing Federation. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  5. "SingaporeSailing elects new president". Singapore Sailing Federation. 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  6. "Sailing: Singapore qualifies for 2020 Olympic Games in 49erFX class", The Straits Times, retrieved 31 March 2020.
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