Travel » Sailing in Asia

For thousands of years, the people of the Pacific Ocean have sailed the waters in wind-powered craft. Most coastal cultures in the region created their own su­perb craft, developed excep­tional sailing skills and learned to cross vast expanses of ocean for commercial reasons. In many parts of Asia traditional sailing craft are still an inte­gral part of local life. There’s no doubt that many of these seafaring peoples developed a great affinity for the ocean and for sailing. These days, the bond is emerging in a new form the rapid growth of recreational sailing.

Asia has it all for leisure sailing: sunny weather, spec­tacular scenery and great sail­ing conditions. The wind in the region is basically dictated by two monsoon periods, with the typhoon season sandwiched be­tween them from late August to October. From around the end of October, the northeast monsoon holds sway down the edge of mainland Asia, turn­ing as it nears the equator to become a northwest monsoon in Indonesia and beyond. It brings with it good, steady sail­ing winds, though at times these can freshen into squally storms. Around March, the di­rections reverse, with a monsoon moving back up across Java then swinging from a southeasterly into a south­westerly. This monsoon brings generally lighter conditions with winds of typically 10-20 knots – perfect for cruising.

Today, the opportunities for recreational sailing are growing fast. As well as the long-established yacht clubs many started up by expatriates there are a number of grass­roots sailing clubs springing up. These smaller clubs offer chances to sail on smaller craft such as hobies, dinghies and catamarans, making it easier for beginners to take up the sport. Yet, at the same time, there’s a push for locals to progress to larger craft, and this drive is being reflected in a number of Asian successes on the competitive circuit.

Asia has long been recog­nized by the rest of the world as an idyllic sailing destination, and there’s a wide range of commercial operators offering everthing from bareboat char­ters to liveaboard cruises.

With a growing club and competitive scene, the stage is set for Asians to make their mark on recreational sailing. Following is a breakdown of the region’s most active sailing scenes.