J/80 UNIFI CAPITAL Offshore Regatta Showcases Growing Offshore Sailing in India

ByStuart Johnstone

(Chennai, India)- As the month of May begins in the Bay of Bengal, a flurry of activity takes place at the Royal Madras Yacht Club. The sailors begin practicing regularly to improve their skills and drills in the blistering summer heat.

The 5th edition of the J/80 UNIFI CAPITAL OFFSHORE REGATTA was held between May 20th and 24th, 2026. It was organized by Royal Madras YC under the aegis of the Yachting Association of India and the National J/80 Class Association.

UNIFI CAPITAL is a portfolio management company celebrating 25 years of spectacular growth and returns with a global clientele. Mr. Sarath Reddy- Founder & CIO- is a keen yachtsman himself and has been promoting J/80 offshore sailing.

Highlights:
– Nine teams participated, including the Indian Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and civilians.
– Races were from Chennai Port to Mahabalipuram (40.0 nm) and Ennore (10.0 nm)
– Real-time worldwide tracking via Elektronik Labs “TrackAnything” platform.
– On-water support by the Indian Navy and Coast Guard. The Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center (MRCC) monitored the event.

Captain Dilip Donde, Shaurya Chakra, was the first Indian solo circumnavigator of the world under sail. He flagged off the event in the presence of S. Viswanathan IAS, Chairperson, Chennai Port & RMYC Patron, and other dignitaries.

The summer heat was blistering. Combine that with rough seas and 20 knots of gusty SW winds, and you have a recipe for exhausted crews at the end of a long day of sailing. Competition was intense, keeping the on-water umpires busy. The youngest helm was Master Ragav, 16 years from team AVON GLOBAL.

Capt. Vivek Shanbhag, Organizing Secretary, mentioned that J/80 offshore sailing was becoming popular, with expeditions to new RMYC Centers at Ennore and Nagapattinam on the Tamil Nadu coast.

Commander Abhilash Tomy, the runner-up of the Golden Globe Race 2022 and the President of the National J/80 Class Association, expressed satisfaction with the event and urged more sailors to pursue offshore sailing.

General Officer in Charge- Lt. Gen. V. Sreehari- has taken a keen interest and sponsored the first DBA Sailing Cup on 24th May on the J/80s. This will be an annual event, making J/80 sailing even more popular in India.

The J/80 Offshore Regatta was won by “RMYC Ennore Center” with Abhimanyu ( Helm), Vivek Shanbhag, Dheer Singhi, Arvind, and Roshni Anand.

The J/80 DBA Sailing Cup was won by “Indian Army” with Vincent (Helm), Col. Prasanna, Col. Shaifali, Col. Ajay Yadav, Lt. Col. Jaykrishna, and Amrapali.