Yacht club to launch new centre at Ennore

Chennai: The Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC), one of India's oldest, will open a new sailing centre at Kamarajar Port on Monday.The centre at Ennore, developed with an investment of 1 crore, will be inaugurated by Sunil Paliwal, chairman of Chennai Port and Kamarajar Port. The facility will serve as an accredited training centre of Yachting Association of India. "In the past few years, we trained close to 500 people. We have tied up with Indian Maritime University to train people now," said captain Vivek Shanbhag, RMYC's honorary secretary. Spread across 800 sqm, the wooden clubhouse houses modern classrooms, a sailors' lounge and a separate lounge for officers. "Built with a vision to promote sailing as a sport and culture, the facility places emphasis on training, safety and seamanship," added Shanbhag. The calm, blue waters of Ennore provide quick access to the open sea, making it ideal for offshore sailing. "As of now, the closest halt from Chennai Port is Puducherry, which requires 16 hours of sailing. A beginner will find it hard. Now, sailing to the Ennore centre will just take three hours, and this can build the confidence of budding sailors," he added.