Nautique

&/8%
VHHQ KH$UG
)` 4PJOLS 3PWWP[ZJO 1VUN :JOVVS -V\UKLY-VYTLY ,_WLKP[PVU 3LHKLY VM 7*9-
Glimpses Into
T he World of
You need to get married with your Jong, says

Zakir, late one night while sipping coffee on
the beach.
I first met Zakir on New Years Day, sailing his Jongs with
a few friends. The beach was full of kids playing and the
sails attracted me like a magnet.
Eventually I got married too. I bought two Jongs during
a racing event in Teluk Sebong, from the Jong makers of
Bengalis in Eastern Sumatra. Zakir chose the Jongs, my
wives, acting as my matchmaker. We renamed the boats,
Bule Kampong (literally the white man from the village),
and the other simply became Planet, in honour of our
planet ocean.
The tradition of the Jong was originally designed to send
gifts of betel nut and other sacred food out to sea. There
was a time when the sea around Riau was filled with sails.
Jong racing was a popular Malay pastime in Singapore but
the massive development of the coastline and a faster pace
of life have almost made the Jong a memory of the past.
However, a ferry ride across to Bintan is where you can
still learn the art. Although they are unmanned boats,
many secrets guard the Jong. Each builder finds new ways
to improve the design, but the fundamentals remain the
same. They are rooted in geometry and symmetry, based
on the human body.
They are intimately connected to the Orang Suku Laut, the
original nomadic tribe that controlled the sea around Riau.
nautique may/jun
16
-RQJV
They became the navy of the Malays as well as the cultural

players in the courts of the Malay aristocracy.
The Malays are sometimes scared of the power of the
Orang Laut magic: And you do need a little magic to sail
a Jong. You need to keep your heart clean.
The first event in Teluk Bakau on the east coast of Bintan
took place in March 2013. It proves that the locals can
rise to a challenge and takes care of the logistics for a
complex endeavour.
In the spirit of trying to be holistic, the seasons gave us
our tempo, and we now organise two races a year: One
race for the Utara, or northerly winds, and the other, a
Selatan race for the southerly winds.
At 6am, the crew is up and running. Poles are fixed in place
and theres a last beach cleanup. By 7am, the first Jongs
arrive, some by cars from a few hours away, others by bikes,
still others by foot. In all, six villages are participating.
The elder opens the ceremony with a prayer, while the
beach fills up with Jongs. Over a hundred coloured sails
spread out, singing in the wind. The most important element
is here: The wind. Blowing in gusts of 15 knots, everyone
knows there will be a few casualties during the race.
The tide starts rising. Fast.
Number 27. Bule Kampung. Thats me. The wind is blowing
14 knots. Slightly gusty. I am there, on the starting line
with ten other boats, waiting for the signals. Each number
is called out.
Ready?
Ready!
Satu. Dua. Tiga. Go! From there you watch your horse
and you will know the result from a hand signal from one
of your teammate.
Time for my second Jong, Planet, to race. A truly wild
horse this one. I do a quick adjustment on my lesting
and Satu. Dua. Tiga.
Here she goes, she deviates and collides with another
boat, actually a friend that we nickname Kacamata (glass
eye) because he wears thick eyeglasses. But somehow the
two Jongs are slowly going, they cross the line and make
it to the finals. By this stage luck has entered the race, to
become a serious player to be reckoned with.
We are now bringing in a race for the kids, the next
generation of players. Without them, it is only a matter
of time till the game dies.
In the spirit of a living museum, we have also built a
Rumah Jong (the house of Jong) to showcase and share
information on traditional Jong sailing. It is the seat of
our new Jong School.
Our kelompok (group) takes its name from ancient Malay
tradition, Sekapur Sirih, a traditional welcome dance. The
names are loaded with symbolism: Sirih, the betel leave,
is a symbol of respect for others, generosity, and altruism;
Kapur, the lime, its whiteness reflects the purity of the heart.
The upcoming Selatan race is sponsored by Nikoi Island,
the Biosphere Society Singapore through Yves De Leeneer,
Fishead, BaliBow, and a few individuals with a value for

the game.
The race brings people together: Old, young, man, woman,
there is no boundary. Kids are now taking an interest. It
is a tradition to feel proud about, to cherish and grow
for the future.
It is also a competition. It is about a clean game, and it
is as green as it can get with no carbon footprint. It is an
art of precision, attention and true values. It is a game
of techniques and interaction with our blue planet (away
from your electronic devices). It is a vehicle to share and
present ideas with.
For more information please contact michellippitsch@gmail.com

Follow JONG School on Facebook.
nautique may/jun
17

Nautique

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Nautique

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Nautique

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

&/8%

You need to get married with your Jong, says

They became the navy of the Malays as well as the cultural

Fishead, BaliBow, and a few individuals with a value for

For more information please contact michellippitsch@gmail.com

You might also like