Brunei Bay has always been the
preferred anchorage on the west coast of Borneo. It provides
the protection that facilitated the development of the
sea-faring nation of Brunei - previously encompassing all of
Borneo, the Philippines and Sulawesi - with it's almost
seven hundred year history as the longest service family
monarchy in the world. The Sultan of Brunei governs a
now modern Brunei; with its unique mix of traditional and
western lifestyles.
Located half way along the
sailing route between Singapore and the Philippines, Brunei
Bay offers support services, anchorages and
protected racing areas, plus access to visitor and recreation venues in Brunei,
Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan.
January and
February have reliable Monsoon winds of 12 to 25 knots from the North
and North West along the west coast of Borneo. This is the traditional sailing passage from
Singapore to Manila and Hong Kong during December to
March. Yacht crews can expect good
sailing conditions.
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The
Brunei Challenge - a 720 nm passage race from
the Singapore Straits to Brunei, first conducted by the
Brunei Darussalam Yachting Association in 1997. It
remains Asia's longest and most challenging passage
race, upwind against the prevailing 15 to 25 knot NE
monsoon. |
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Brunei has regular direct flights
to Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and
Bangkok. Crews and owners can fly in for the local regatta, and passage
race crews can be rotated. Competent yacht maintenance
services are available in Miri, Brunei, Labuan and Kota
Kinabalu. There is no
import duty on marine equipment in Brunei and Labuan.
Famous for it's
crystal clear waters, low cost cruising, great dive sites,
inland rivers, offshore islands and unique onshore attractions, North
West Borneo - Sarawak, Brunei, Sabah - and the southern
Philippines, are a cruiser's delight, unaffected by
congestion and excessive commercialisation.
