Meghalaya charts new waters in sailing at NE Regatta

Shillong: Meghalaya hosted the 4th North East Regatta 2026 with a grand closing ceremony at Water Sports Complex, Umiam (Barapani), on Monday, marking yet another significant moment for sailing and water sports in the country.Organised by the Yachting Association of India (YAI) in association with the Umiam Sailing Club and supported by state tourism department, the event featured representation of more than 100 sailors taking part in five days of competitive sailing.The event follows the successful conduct of the 1st Indian Sailing League, which was staged off the same coast last week, featuring 182 participants, including 58 international sailors from around the world.“The Regatta is one of India’s most prestigious sailing events and serves as a YAI ranking event, determining the national ranking of the sailors. Regatta also serves as a platform for the trials for national squads for international events like the Asian Games,” a tourism department statement said.Apart from the titles, a total prize pool of over Rs 10 lakh was awarded to the winners under different categories.Lt Gen TSA Narayanan, vice president, YAI commended the organisers, including the Meghalaya Govt, for their ‘exceptional execution’ of the championship. “I have seen large number of sailing events being conducted, but no sailing event is conducted in India in this grand way,” he said. “He underscored the event’s position as the only sailing competition in the country offering cash awards, noting its impressive affordability and seamless logistics for participants,” the official statement said.The championship witnessed standout performances across categories, with the National Sailing School leading the charge. Competitors from Kedah Sailing Association and Malaysia Sailing Association also dominated key fleets.