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IN PICTURES: Undergraduates set sail for round-island in KKH health fund drive

29 Sep 2021
Communities and Engagement
Sports

Using only wind for power, a team of six NUS sailors spent a total of 22 hours over the weekend completing 88.8 nautical mile (or 164.5km) voyage in a SB20 keelboat to raise money for the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) Heath Fund.

SailSG Challenge was first mooted when medical students Loh Jia Yi (Year 5), Matthew Scott Lau (Year 4), Chantelle Chen (Year 3) and Wong Riji (Year 2) saw families of young children with chronic diseases burdened with healthcare costs while on clinical placement. COVID-19 not only intensified existing struggles but complicated the road to recovery with measures such as strict visitor policy leaving many young patients anxious and isolated from their loved ones.

Together with two other friends from NUS Sailing, Shaun Ho Jie, Business Administration & Law (Year 4) and Amanda Koh, FASS (Year 3), they planned for the round-island coast line sail including conducting extensive scouting trips to draw up a plan to circumnativate the mainland. 34 waypoints, including Tuas, Pulau Hantu, Marina Barrage, East Coast, Changi, and Punggol were covered over two days.

Day 2, 26 Sep, 7:00am, ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove: Students from NUS Sailing doing their final checks before continuing their voyage around Singapore
Day 2, 26 Sep, 7:00am, ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove: Students from NUS Sailing doing their final checks before continuing their voyage around Singapore
6:52am: At the crack of dawn, the morning glids the skies and waves
6:52am: At the crack of dawn, the morning glids the skies and waves
One of the uniquely Singapore landmarks that the sailors passed by during their route. To navigate a sailboat is a challenging task and our sailors have to be careful not to stray too far into the open sea and not to cross the Singapore port limits
One of the uniquely Singapore landmarks that the sailors passed by during their route. To navigate a sailboat is a challenging task and our sailors have to be careful not to stray too far into the open sea and not to cross the Singapore port limits
Changing sides during a tack – a manoeuvre in sailing used to sharply alter the direction in which your boat is heading
Changing sides during a tack – a manoeuvre in sailing used to sharply alter the direction in which your boat is heading
Trimming the sails with precision to make the boat go as fast as possible – “You can't change the wind but you can adjust your sails”, says Matthew Scott Lau (pictured second from left)
Trimming the sails with precision to make the boat go as fast as possible – “You can't change the wind but you can adjust your sails”, says Matthew Scott Lau (pictured second from left)
9:45am: Thumbs up for excellent teamwork
9:45am: Thumbs up for excellent teamwork

Support our sailors and their cause by donating to the KKH Health Fund via their giving.sg page. The site will be open for donations until the end of 2021. All funds raised through this campaign will go towards supporting patients in need.

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Photos: Keith Tan

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