Lee (seated 3rd right), Yaw (3rd left) and others showing the 1Malaysia spirit to the organising team of the Borneo International Yachting Challenge 2014.
MIRI: The organising working committee is going all out to ensure the success of the 11th Borneo International Yachting Challenge (BIYC) this year.
Assistant Sports Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin disclosed that the event will start with registration on June 14 followed by the Miri Bay Race (June 15), Passage Race and Harbour Race in Labuan (June 16-18) and ended with another Passage Race and Harbour Race in Kota Kinabalu (June 19-21).
“The response is very overwhelming and to date, we have received 44 participating yachts,” he revealed at a press conference after chairing a meeting of the working committee at ParkCity Everly Hotel here yesterday.
Lee, who is also the chairman of main organising committee, said Australia has the most number of entries with 15 yachts followed by seven each from United Kingdom and Malaysia as well as six from New Zealand.
For Malaysia, the yachts are Miri’s Ulumulu, Miri Magic 1 and Miri Magic 2, two navy teams Uranus and Utraid as well as Azura and Keris.
Other participating countries are Singapore, South Africa, Germany, Holland, the United States, Hong Kong and the Philippines.
He commented that the BIYC is a sustainable event initiated by a team of dedicated members in Miri passionate about sailing.Support is also rendered by various parties in Miri, Labuan and Kota Kinabalu such as the immigration department, customs department, marine department, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM), Fire and Rescue Service and Marine Police.
Such support, Lee added, has helped the organising committee to tackle financial constraints in terms of lack of sponsorship for the event.
“Here, I would like to thank all volunteers and am looking forward in this same spirit to record another success for the BIYC this year,” he said.
Also present at the meeting was the chairman of organising working committee for Miri, Troy Yaw.