Sail Malaysia

THE INAUGURAL SAIL MALAYSIA PASSAGE TO THE EAST 2008

LIST OF ENTRIES

SAIL MALAYSIA PASSAGE TO LANGKAWI 2008

LIST OF ENTRIES

SAIL MALAYSIA PASSAGE TO THE EAST

2008 EVENT REPORT

DESTINATIONS: 

Penang-Port Dickson-Sebana Cove-Tioman-Kuantan-Kuala Terengganu-Kuching-Miri

The Schedule

TANJONG CITY MARINA, PENANG 25-26 MAY(REGROUP)

25 MAY                

4.00 pm                Welcoming Reception and Registration

5.00 pm                Press Conference

7.00 pm                Dinner with Penang Port Sdn. Bhd.

26 MAY                

8.00 am                Sail Start to Lumut

The event kicks of f with 3 yachts regrouping at Tanjong City Marina (Dream Catcher, Enzwell, Millenium).  The participants were treated to a dinner by Penang Port Sdn. Bhd. and a press conference was held at the marina.

ADMIRAL MARINA, PORT DICKSON 30 MAY-1 JUNE (REGROUP)

 30 MAY                

9.00 am - 5.00 pm            Tour of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya

 1 JUNE

5.30 pm                                Reception at Admiral Marina

7.00 pm                                Dinner hosted by Admiral Marina

The rally team was joined by another boat (Saluut) where they will were hosted to a dinner by Admiral Marina, following a tour to the capital city and Putrajaya on 30 May.

SEBANA COVE MARINA, JOHOR 7-9 JUNE

(OFFICIAL RALLY START)  RALLY STOP 1

5-6 JUNE              Expected arrival of yachts from Port Dickson

(6 of the 10 yachts had arrived sooner, up to 3 months before the event start)

7 JUNE 

5.00 - 6.30 pm                   Registration and welcoming reception

7.30 - 9.30 pm                   Rally dinner

9.30 - 10.30 pm                 Boat visit

8 JUNE                 

9.00 am - 4.00 pm            Tour of Pengerang

4.00 pm                              TECHNICAL BRIEFING

9 JUNE                 

6.30 am                Ceremonial Rally flag-off. 

Convoy set for Tioman Island. 

Sebana Cove Marina was the venue for the Official Start of the Rally.  The events started by the Official Rally Dinner on 7 June, officiated by Dr. Junaida Lee Abdullah, representing the Minister of Tourism Malaysia.   All 10 participating boats were there and some had remained in Sebana Cove for up to 3 months waiting for the start of the rally.

Later the Dr. Junaida Lee and the State and Tourism Malaysia representatives were taken for the boat visit.  The boat visits are part of our objectives to create awareness among the public the about the world of cruising.

On the 8^th June, the rally participants were taken on a tour to the Desaru Fruit Farm and Homestay hosted by Tourism Malaysia.  This was followed by a technical briefing about the rally.  In the early morning of the 9^th, the Official Start began at approximately 6.30 am.

TIOMAN ISLAND      13-15 JUNE         (JABATAN LAUT MARINA)

RALLY STOP 2

12 JUNE               

Arrival of yachts to Tioman Island

13 JUNE               

4.30-6.00 pm      Welcoming reception at Jabatan Laut Marina

7.30-9.30 pm      Rally Dinner

14 JUNE               

9.00 am - 2 pm   Trek at Tioman Island

6.30 - 8.30 pm    Potluck at marina  

15 JUNE               

9.00 am                Rally boats leave for Pulau Tulai. 

17 JUNE                9.00 am                Sail to Kuantan

The journey to Tioman Island took an average of 3 days.  The yachts were scattered on the eastern coast and islands off Johor before all converging at Tioman on 12 June.  All 10 boats were present at this stop.

All boats berthed at the newly built Tioman Marina and 13 June was the main event where a dinner was hosted by Lembaga Pembangunan Tioman.  On the 14^th, the rally group was taken to a walking tour on the eastern coast of the island.  Snorkeling and diving are the highlights of this stop and as one of the participants commented, Mr. Terry Harding from Millenium, ‘Tioman has the best diving site I have seen from here (Tioman) and the Great Barrier Reef!' The following day, most boats convened at the nearby island, Pulau Tulai, for a day of games. 

SV Circe decided to stay longer in Tioman and re-join the journey Kuching.

KUANTAN, PAHANG              17-19 JUNE TELUK CHEMPEDAK ANCHORAGE)

RALLY STOP 3

17 JUNE               

3.00 pm                Arrival at Teluk Cempedak

4.30 - 6.30 pm      Boat visit

7.30 pm               Participants transfer Hyatt

8.00 - 10 pm       Rally dinner

18 JUNE               

9.00 am - 5 pm  Tour of Kuantan and vicinity

19 JUNE                Departure to Kuala Terengganu

On 17 June, 8 boats arrived at the Teluk Chempedak anchorage between noon to 3 pm, followed by Tandem at 6 pm who anchored at the river mouth nearby.  YB Tuan Haji Shafik Fauzan (State Exco for tourism) visited the Matariki amidst a sudden swell along with government officials from Pahang and Tourism Malaysia.

The cultural show and rally dinner was a memorable occasion as the participants were treated to a feast at the Hyatt by the State Government.   The host was represented by officials from various departments - among the guest of honour were the State Exco (Tourism) and the Mayor of Kuantan.

A tour of the some of the local industries and plantations followed the next day and the participants were ready to head north on the 19^th.

Sailing north:

The waters north of Tioman is virtually untouched by the international cruising community.  This group is the first organised group to make their way up the east coast.  All of the rally participants had ‘discovered' that the islands off the east coast a pleasant surprise - clean waters, good diving, hospitable atmosphere and excellent infrastructure.

                Most popular stops en route to Kuala Terengganu:

                Kuantan Port

                Pulau Tenggol (off Dungun)

                Pulau Kapas

HERITAGE BAY CLUB MARINA, KUALA TERENGGANU

 25-27 JUNE (Pulau Duyong)

RALLY STOP 4

20-24 JUNE        

Yachts sail in Pulau Tenggol, Pulau Kapas, Dungun before heading for Kuala Terengganu

25 JUNE       

5.00 pm                Registration and welcoming reception

7.45 - 9.30 pm   Rally dinner

9.30-10.00 pm    Press Conference

10.00-11 pm       Boat visit

26 JUNE               

9.00 am - 4 pm  Tour of Kuala Terengganu and surroundings

27 JUNE                Optional Lake Kenyir Tour

9 boats reached the Kuala Terengganu rally stop (while Circe is still in Tioman) and enjoyed a very welcome reception from the Terengganu State Government.  The Heritage Bay Club Marina, located in the newly developed Pulau Duyong is the official stop.

The rally group was again treated with a grand display of cultural show and dinner at the marina and a city tour the next day.   YB Datuk Haji Zaabar were taken for a boat visit on board the Millenium, Dream Catcher and Tandem.  5 boatsdecided to take part in the Lake Kenyir optional tour the next day.

SV Tandem decided not to continue with the journey and stay longer in Terengganu. 

After the events in Heritage Bay, the boats were split between remaining at the marina and sailing to the northern islands of Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang.

SANTUBONG-KUCHING, SARAWAK                8-10 JULY

RALLY STOP 5

8  JULY                 

6.30 pm                Regroup all sailboats at Santubong.

9 JULY

8.30 am - 12 noon           Nature hike at Permai Rainforest

3.30 - 6.00 pm                 Show at Sarawak Cultural Village

7.00 - 9.00 pm                 Rally Dinner at Sarawak Cultural Village

10 JULY 

9.00 - 11.00 am               Boat visit

11-13 JULY          

WORLD RAINFOREST FESTIVAL

14-29 JULY          

FREE AND EASY IN SARAWAK

Circe rejoined the group at Santubong-Kuchin, while Tandem was still in Kuching and Matariki had proceeded to Miri ahead of schedule.  The yachts anchored at the river mouth at Santubong, near Damai.  Between 8 to 20 July, Santubong was filled with over 20 yachts coming from the Peninsula to see the ‘not-to-be-missed' World Rainforest Festival.  This now represents a new brand of tourist group for Sarawak, according to the Sarawak Tourism Board.

The sail from Terengganu took between 3 to 5 days for the rally participants.  All yachts arrived safely with no incidents to report.  After regrouping on 8 July, the group was taken to the Permai Rainforest Resort for a rainforest hike the next day.  This was followed by a cultural visit and rally dinner at the Sarawak Cultural Village, with our guest of honour,Tn. Hj. Azizan Noordin.  Utusan Malaysia reported the event.  A boat visit by Tn. Hj. Azizan and the media group ensued the following morning.

This is a must stop for the rally group and our schedule was designed to coincide with the festival, now world renowned.  After the festival, the rally took a 2 week break (due to the events in Darwin) before commencing to Miri.    During this period, the rally participants took their time discovering Kuching and the Sarawak coastline.  A few ‘discoveries' were made and we plan to include some of the items (below) in the travel itinerary next year:

• i. Sibu - the midpoint between Kuching and Miri was much talked about
• ii. Sungai Rejang - sailing up the river is a new experience for the cruising yachts. Some also had the chance to visit the longhouses by themselves.

MIRI              30 JULY - 2 AUG

RALLY STOP 6

26 JULY                

Expected Arrival of yachts to Miri

30 JULY 

5.00 - 7pm          Welcoming Reception at Miri Marina

31 JULY 

9.00 am - 5.00 pm Tour:Gua Niah & Miri hosted by Tourism M'sia

1 AUG 

4.30 - 6.40 pm   Sports event at Everly Park Hotel

7.00 - 9.00 pm   Rally dinner hosted by Sarawak Tourism Board

2 AUG                   Optional Tour to Brunei

8 yachts had arrived in the Miri Marina for the final leg of the events.  Matariki had decided to sail straight to Kota Kinabalu while Tandem is still in Kuala Terengganu.  After the reception on 30 July, the rally group took a hike into Gua Niah and a tour of Miri, hosted by Tourism Malaysia.

The final rally dinner was held at the Everly Park Hotel, hosted by Sarawak Tourism Board capping off a memorable experience of self-discovery for everyone, us included.

The inaugural Sail Malaysia Passage to Langkawi had covered over 2 months and had stretched almost the length of our country.  We are grateful to have the chance to create the only annual event that has the ability to cover all the states in Malaysia in a single experience.