MIRI: The Terengganu sailing squad faced unexpected challenges as unpredictable weather conditions at the Marina Bay Sailing venue here added complexity to their medal pursuit at the 21 Malaysia Games (SUKMA).
Head coach Abdul Rani Idris expressed concern about the conditions, stating, “Today started early in the morning with heavy rain and strong winds. We are still waiting for the race to start. Similarly, yesterday’s unpredictable weather conditions with strong winds made it difficult for our sailors to control their boats, and all the competing teams faced the same situation.”
Despite the challenging weather, Terengganu had a strong start on the first day of the sailing competition, securing top positions in four events: ILCA 4 Men, ILCA 4 Women, Techno Men, and RS:One Women.
In the International 420 Men, Techno 293 Women, and RS:One Men categories, Terengganu finished the day in second place.
“Given the current weather, we need to devise new tactics to take advantage of all the space and opportunities available to hunt for medals here,” added Abdul Rani.
Terengganu have entered 11 male and six female sailors, competing in seven categories of sailing sports races at Marina Bay, including Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, International 420, Techno 293, and RS:One.
With seven gold medals at stake, the team remain focused on navigating the challenging conditions to secure their place on the podium.
