Race Report
Sunday, 5th July 2026
A respectable fleet of four boats took to the start line for Race 8 of the PSCS National Squib River Race Series.
The competing boats were Alice, sailed by Richard with Billy as crew; Jerry, sailed by Thomas with Alessandro and junior crew member Riri; Cabaret 7, sailed by Jeremy with instructor Lan as crew; and Emily, sailed by Evan with Yoon.
With a favorable ebb tide and what Jeremy described as a “soldier’s wind” (a steady, straightforward sailing breeze), the fleet set off on a long reach down the river. With just one tack, all four boats made their way to the Selat turning mark, well out into the open sea.
As the fleet progressed offshore, the wind strengthened to around 20 knots and the sea state quickly built. The increasing waves provided a demanding test for both crews and boats. Jeremy later remarked that every time Cabaret 7 slammed into a wave, he instinctively checked that the mast was still standing.
Cabaret 7 sailed a higher course in the stronger gusts while the other three boats sailed freer angles, allowing them to build greater speed. Despite this, Cabaret 7 reached the turning mark first. After narrowly avoiding a tug and barge crossing the course, the boat rounded safely and set off on a broad reach back toward the river.
The remaining three boats rounded the mark in close succession, with several crews hoisting spinnakers for the return leg. By this stage, however, the wind had begun to ease, and the tidal flow had slackened, creating a challenging sail back upriver as the apparent wind shifted from astern to ahead.
Cabaret 7 maintained its advantage to finish comfortably ahead of the fleet. Behind, Jerry, Alice and Emily enjoyed a closely contested finish along the southern shore, separated by no more than 50 meters.
Results
- Cabaret 7
- Jerry
- Alice
- Emily
It was another excellent day of racing, demonstrating once again how capable, seaworthy, and competitive the National Squib is, even in challenging offshore conditions.
Jeremy Camps
Race Report
