“Boat number three!” yells Roshni Anand, executive secretary, Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC).

I line up in front of the club with five other people, all slipping on green life jackets. Dark clouds loom in the sky, and a strong downpour has just paused. My first sailing experience, which is almost cancelled because of the weather, finally begins. It feels like a stroke of beginner’s luck.

Nested in Chennai Port Harbour, in the heart of the city, the Royal Madras Yacht Club was established in 1911 and is popularly known as the first sailing club in South India.

A small boat takes us out into the waters, where a J/80 sailboat — sturdy and French-built — awaits, with its mighty sail bearing the letters ‘RMYC’. There, Captain Vivek Shanbag helps us aboard. An airline pilot by profession and a sailor by passion, Vivek, the secretary of RMYC, has been sailing with the club for the past 20 years.

“The front of the boat is called 12 o’clock, the back is 6 o’clock, and the right and left are 3 and 9 o’clock,” Vivek begins, giving us directions and introducing us to the vocabulary of sailing. “The left side is called the port side, while the right is called the starboard side,” he adds.

We are participating in RMYC’s leisure sailing programme, where more than 50 people have gathered to experience sailing. “Children as young as seven to adults up to the age of 93 have sailed with us. People enjoy being out at sea,” says Vivek.

Over the past year, the club launched moonlight sailing, says Ram Kumar, a member of RMYC for more than 40 years. “We start sailing at 5.30pm and wind up by 7.30pm. On a clear night you get to see the moon and stars. That is a very lovely experience,” he adds.

The club also promotes competitive sailing, where children are trained to compete at State, national, and international- level competitions along with offshore sailing. Dheer Singhi, a member who is going to represent India for BRICS International Sailing Championship in Belarus at the end of the month, says he started sailing when he was nine years old. “We don’t have a field like other sports. The ocean is our field and it is unpredictable. Discipline, perseverance and adapting to Nature is very important,” he says, adding that values he learnt from sailing have helped him navigate life beyond the sport.

Vivek slips in snippets of Chennai’s history during the sail. He says the club, which was founded as the Madras Sailing Club, was later accorded a ‘Royal’ status by King George V, becoming the Royal Madras Yacht Club. He throws in a bit of trivia: During First World War, the German cruiser Emden shelled the city near Madras Port. While its main target was the oil tanks at the harbour, several shells landed on buildings here including the Madras Sailing Club.

Our trip ends as our small boat carries us back to the club. Onshore, music plays loudly as members gather over refreshments. For Ram Kumar, a member of the club, evenings like these are what make sailing special. “Especially in Chennai, given the humid conditions, it is very pleasant to sail in the open sea, with the fresh air and a nice breeze in the evenings. We meet other sailors, share little tidbits about sailing and simply enjoy being out on the water,” he says.

For further details, contact Capt. Vivek Shanbhag at captviki@gmail.com or 9841030880.

Published - August 13, 2026 08:30 am IST