Singapore Sailing Federation

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.

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.

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.

• 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

• 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

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

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.

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" 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.

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.

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

• Kimberly Lim (49erFX)
• Cecilia Low (49erFX)

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

• Griselda Khng (49erFX)
• Olivia Chen (49erFX)
• Ryan Lo (Laser Standard)
• Elisa Yukie Yokoyama (470)
• Cheryl Teo (470)
• Justin Liu (Nacra 17)
• Denise Lim (Nacra 17)

• Audrey Yong (Techno 293)
• Bernie Chin (Byte CII)
• Samantha Yom (Byte CII)