Singapore Sailing Federation
Encyclopedia
The Singapore Sailing Federation (Abbreviation
: SSF; ), also known as SingaporeSailing, is the national sports association responsible for the management and organisation of the sport
of sailing
in Singapore
. With affiliations to organisations such as the Singapore National Olympic Council
and the International Sailing Federation
(ISAF), it has Ng Ser Miang
as its patron, and is currently headed by Dr Benedict Tan. It is headquartered at the National Sailing Centre at East Coast Park
.
Vision
SINGAPOREANS taking to sailing as a national sport.
Sailing for recreation on home waters and across the seas,
Competing with the world’s best,
Winning for Singapore,
Taking their place alongside the sporting icons of the world.
Mission
To inspire Singaporeans with our Vision by:
Winning a medal for Singapore at the Olympics,
Continuing to win at the Olympics,
Raising our sailors’ world rankings,
Leading at the SEA Games and the Asian Games and other regattas,
Getting more Singaporeans, every student included, to go sailing,
Making Singapore a regional hub of competition and cruising,
Upholding high standards of sportsmanship and seamanship.
Values
To develop and cultivate not only the individual, but more so the fleet,
To inculcate a competitive and sportsmanlike culture and environment,
To engage and involve the main stakeholders,
Continuing education, learning culture, sharing of knowledge,
Meritocracy,
Open communication.
History
Starting Out
In 1966, Singapore Yachting Association was founded, with Jack Snowden as its first president. He actively promoted the involvement of Singaporeans in sea sports. However, the history of Singaporeans sailing dates back all the way to 1956, when members of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, including Snowden, competed in the Melbourne Olympics.
Proving our Worth
For more than 20 years, Singapore’s sailors have achieved success at the SEA Games and Asian Games level, accumulating 21 Gold, 18 Silver and 17 Bronze medals between 1969 and 1993. Rising stars of the founding generation included Lock Hong Kit, Tan Tee Suan, Yeo See Teck and Ng Ser Miang (Vice-President of the Singapore National Olympic Council and member of the International Olympic Council).
Then came the significant milestone in Singapore’s history during the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, when Laser sailor Dr. Benedict Tan clinched sailing’s first Asian Games gold medal. It was Singapore’s only gold that year. Encouraged by his feat, we went on to pick up 2 more gold medals at the 1998 Games thanks to the 420 pairings of Joan Huang and Naomi Tan, and Siew Shaw Her and Colin Ng.
Developing our Identity
The success of sailing prompted the government to reward the sailing fraternity by building the National Sailing Centre (NSC) at East Coast Park. The venue provided fantastic sailing conditions throughout the year and heralded a new chapter for the sailing scene in Singapore. NSC was slated to be established as a base for Singaporeans to enjoy sailing as well as to produce international champions. The ground breaking ceremony in 1997 was officiated by Ng Ser Miang, then Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council.
NSC was officially opened by the Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1999, as a Centre of Excellence for sailing. In 2000 the Singapore Yachting Association adopted the name of Singapore Sailing Federation, also known as SingaporeSailing. This marked the beginning of the corporatising and professionalising of the sport in Singapore.
Formalised Sailing in Schools
The National Optimist Sailing Scheme (NOSS), set up in 1987, actively roped in primary schools in the East Coast and Marine Parade area and devised structured sailing programmes for students with sailing as their Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA). In 1999, the rapidly growing Singapore Optimist Fleet formed a National Optimist Sailing Squad comprising 20 sailors and two coaches. This squad was to be reviewed every six months, and marked the start of a new era of sailing in Singapore where young talents were identified for intensive training.
Emergence of the Young
In 2001, the young generation of sailors were getting ready to be exposed to the international arena and 2002 saw us fielding a relatively young team in the Asian Games, with the average age of our sailors being half that of the other countries’. We returned with 4 bronze medals. Recognising that other strong sailing nations like China, Korea and Japan were gearing up for the Olympics, we had to “turbo-charge” our efforts.
Turbo-Charging
Unveiled in early 2003, the High Performance Sailing Strategic plan formed the road map for Singapore’s Olympic quest. Teamwork was the essence of the blueprint and in 2004, SingaporeSailing launched "Power of One”, a conference that brought together all the stakeholders in Singapore’s sailing scene and sought to synergise efforts to help achieve Singapore’s lofty goals in sailing.
A few years after the implementation, the efforts began to bear fruit. Our sailors began to make an impact beyond Singapore’s shores. In May 2005, SingaporeSailing was awarded the ISO 9000 certification, bearing testimony to the now effectively operating strategic plan and efficient internal structure and processes of the Federation. It was the first such award for a national sports association not only in Singapore but worldwide. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan commended SingaporeSailing for integrating talent, resources and systems into a winning recipe.
Coming of Age
A performance watershed occurred in mid-2005. The 420 pair of Teo Wee Chin and Terence Koh won the ISAF Youth World Championships, the first Asian team to get the gold medal in the championship’s 35-year history. The regatta, regarded as the second most prestigious event in the international sailing calendar after the Olympic Games, is hailed as the Olympic equivalent for youth. History shows that many Youth World Championship medallists go on to bag medals at the Olympic Games. Victory at such a high level signified the coming of age of sailing in Singapore, and sent the message that “we can be number one” to young sailors who had been training hard for many years.
The Winning Run Begins
The Youth World Championship triumph kicked off a string of top results for Singapore’s sailors in the later half of 2005. The new batch of Optimist sailors bagged both individual and team titles at the Asian Optimist Championships, and together with their more experienced seniors, achieved an unprecedented 7 gold medals at the SEA Games in the Philippines.
The sailors maintained their good form into the new year and performed outstandingly to be the best team at the 2006 Asian Sailing Championships. Then in July, double victories in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the Byte and Laser 4.7 World Championships meant the crowning of four more champions.
The young Optimist sailors also proved their mettle by coming out tops at continental regattas like the IODA North and South American Championships and the IODA Asian Championships. At the end of the year, they also claimed 3 out of 4 titles at the Optimist World Championships.
It was the icing on the cake and topped off our spectacular medal haul at the Asian Games in Doha. We were not only the top sailing nation in Asia, but were well on our way to making our mark on the world stage; our sailors now undisputedly the world’s best at the youth/junior level.
Sailing has become synonymous with sports excellence in Singapore.
The Road Ahead
Having come so far, SingaporeSailing is now striving towards the next challenge -- an Olympic medal for Singapore.
For more information, do visit http://www.sailing.org.sg/index.php
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: SSF; ), also known as SingaporeSailing, is the national sports association responsible for the management and organisation of the sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
of sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. With affiliations to organisations such as the Singapore National Olympic Council
Singapore National Olympic Council
The Singapore National Olympic Council, or commonly SNOC, is a registered society, recognised by the International Olympic Committee...
and the International Sailing Federation
International Sailing Federation
The International Sailing Federation is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the world governing body for the sport of sailing....
(ISAF), it has Ng Ser Miang
Ng Ser Miang
Ng Ser Miang is a sportsman, diplomat and businessman from Singapore.The former sailor has won a silver medal in the South-east Asian Peninsular Games, and is currently the patron of the Singapore Sailing Federation. He is a vice-president of the Singapore National Olympic Council and a member of...
as its patron, and is currently headed by Dr Benedict Tan. It is headquartered at the National Sailing Centre at East Coast Park
East Coast Park
The East Coast Park is a beach park located on the southeastern coast of Singapore. It was opened in the 1970s, when the government completed reclaiming land off the coast at Katong which extends from Changi to Tanjong Rhu...
.
Vision
SINGAPOREANS taking to sailing as a national sport.
Sailing for recreation on home waters and across the seas,
Competing with the world’s best,
Winning for Singapore,
Taking their place alongside the sporting icons of the world.
Mission
To inspire Singaporeans with our Vision by:
Winning a medal for Singapore at the Olympics,
Continuing to win at the Olympics,
Raising our sailors’ world rankings,
Leading at the SEA Games and the Asian Games and other regattas,
Getting more Singaporeans, every student included, to go sailing,
Making Singapore a regional hub of competition and cruising,
Upholding high standards of sportsmanship and seamanship.
Values
To develop and cultivate not only the individual, but more so the fleet,
To inculcate a competitive and sportsmanlike culture and environment,
To engage and involve the main stakeholders,
Continuing education, learning culture, sharing of knowledge,
Meritocracy,
Open communication.
History
Starting Out
In 1966, Singapore Yachting Association was founded, with Jack Snowden as its first president. He actively promoted the involvement of Singaporeans in sea sports. However, the history of Singaporeans sailing dates back all the way to 1956, when members of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club, including Snowden, competed in the Melbourne Olympics.
Proving our Worth
For more than 20 years, Singapore’s sailors have achieved success at the SEA Games and Asian Games level, accumulating 21 Gold, 18 Silver and 17 Bronze medals between 1969 and 1993. Rising stars of the founding generation included Lock Hong Kit, Tan Tee Suan, Yeo See Teck and Ng Ser Miang (Vice-President of the Singapore National Olympic Council and member of the International Olympic Council).
Then came the significant milestone in Singapore’s history during the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, when Laser sailor Dr. Benedict Tan clinched sailing’s first Asian Games gold medal. It was Singapore’s only gold that year. Encouraged by his feat, we went on to pick up 2 more gold medals at the 1998 Games thanks to the 420 pairings of Joan Huang and Naomi Tan, and Siew Shaw Her and Colin Ng.
Developing our Identity
The success of sailing prompted the government to reward the sailing fraternity by building the National Sailing Centre (NSC) at East Coast Park. The venue provided fantastic sailing conditions throughout the year and heralded a new chapter for the sailing scene in Singapore. NSC was slated to be established as a base for Singaporeans to enjoy sailing as well as to produce international champions. The ground breaking ceremony in 1997 was officiated by Ng Ser Miang, then Chairman of the Singapore Sports Council.
NSC was officially opened by the Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1999, as a Centre of Excellence for sailing. In 2000 the Singapore Yachting Association adopted the name of Singapore Sailing Federation, also known as SingaporeSailing. This marked the beginning of the corporatising and professionalising of the sport in Singapore.
Formalised Sailing in Schools
The National Optimist Sailing Scheme (NOSS), set up in 1987, actively roped in primary schools in the East Coast and Marine Parade area and devised structured sailing programmes for students with sailing as their Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA). In 1999, the rapidly growing Singapore Optimist Fleet formed a National Optimist Sailing Squad comprising 20 sailors and two coaches. This squad was to be reviewed every six months, and marked the start of a new era of sailing in Singapore where young talents were identified for intensive training.
Emergence of the Young
In 2001, the young generation of sailors were getting ready to be exposed to the international arena and 2002 saw us fielding a relatively young team in the Asian Games, with the average age of our sailors being half that of the other countries’. We returned with 4 bronze medals. Recognising that other strong sailing nations like China, Korea and Japan were gearing up for the Olympics, we had to “turbo-charge” our efforts.
Turbo-Charging
Unveiled in early 2003, the High Performance Sailing Strategic plan formed the road map for Singapore’s Olympic quest. Teamwork was the essence of the blueprint and in 2004, SingaporeSailing launched "Power of One”, a conference that brought together all the stakeholders in Singapore’s sailing scene and sought to synergise efforts to help achieve Singapore’s lofty goals in sailing.
A few years after the implementation, the efforts began to bear fruit. Our sailors began to make an impact beyond Singapore’s shores. In May 2005, SingaporeSailing was awarded the ISO 9000 certification, bearing testimony to the now effectively operating strategic plan and efficient internal structure and processes of the Federation. It was the first such award for a national sports association not only in Singapore but worldwide. Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan commended SingaporeSailing for integrating talent, resources and systems into a winning recipe.
Coming of Age
A performance watershed occurred in mid-2005. The 420 pair of Teo Wee Chin and Terence Koh won the ISAF Youth World Championships, the first Asian team to get the gold medal in the championship’s 35-year history. The regatta, regarded as the second most prestigious event in the international sailing calendar after the Olympic Games, is hailed as the Olympic equivalent for youth. History shows that many Youth World Championship medallists go on to bag medals at the Olympic Games. Victory at such a high level signified the coming of age of sailing in Singapore, and sent the message that “we can be number one” to young sailors who had been training hard for many years.
The Winning Run Begins
The Youth World Championship triumph kicked off a string of top results for Singapore’s sailors in the later half of 2005. The new batch of Optimist sailors bagged both individual and team titles at the Asian Optimist Championships, and together with their more experienced seniors, achieved an unprecedented 7 gold medals at the SEA Games in the Philippines.
The sailors maintained their good form into the new year and performed outstandingly to be the best team at the 2006 Asian Sailing Championships. Then in July, double victories in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions at the Byte and Laser 4.7 World Championships meant the crowning of four more champions.
The young Optimist sailors also proved their mettle by coming out tops at continental regattas like the IODA North and South American Championships and the IODA Asian Championships. At the end of the year, they also claimed 3 out of 4 titles at the Optimist World Championships.
It was the icing on the cake and topped off our spectacular medal haul at the Asian Games in Doha. We were not only the top sailing nation in Asia, but were well on our way to making our mark on the world stage; our sailors now undisputedly the world’s best at the youth/junior level.
Sailing has become synonymous with sports excellence in Singapore.
The Road Ahead
Having come so far, SingaporeSailing is now striving towards the next challenge -- an Olympic medal for Singapore.
For more information, do visit http://www.sailing.org.sg/index.php