Thomian grit prevails at Roy-Tho Sailing Regatta
The 2025 edition of the Royal-Thomian Sailing Regatta reached a gripping climax over the weekend on the waters of Bolgoda Lake, with S. Thomas’ College securing victory over Royal College in a contest that went down to the wire. After two days of intense racing across Optimist and Laser classes, the title was decided only in the final Laser ‘A’ race, where the Thomians prevailed with trademark resilience and determination.
The regatta opened on Friday, September 12, with the individual events. Both sides matched each other closely, setting the stage for a balanced contest. In the Optimist class, however, the Thomians stamped their authority, Haren Wickramatillake of S. Thomas’ claimed first place, followed by Royalist Binal Perera in at second, with Thomian sailor Akiane Ubayasiri securing third. Teammates Shem Fernando and Dhiren Perera added to S. Thomas’ dominance by finishing fourth and fifth. Royal struck back in the Laser category, with Yusuf Hazari, Minuga Hettigamage, and Kevan de Costa sweeping the top three places.
Boats competing on the waters of Bolgoda Lake
Saturday’s team events turned the spotlight on strategy and stamina. The S. Thomas’ Optimist ‘B’ crew of Shem Fernando, Athitha Balamurugan, Genura Fernando, and Randil Fernando delivered valuable points early on. The Optimist ‘A’ clash, however, produced one of the fiercest duels of the regatta, with Royal only just scraping through against the favoured Thomians. The winning Royal team featured Binal Perera, Luqmaan Aneeq, Vonal Boteju, and Ruwaneka Rajapaksa. In the Laser ‘B’ event, the Royalists, Chevinda de Mel, Sanditha Gamage, Minuga Hettigamage, and Muazzam Imtiaz, fought hard to keep the scoreboard balanced ahead of the decisive Laser ‘A’ showdown.
The Laser ‘A’ series proved the turning point. S. Thomas’ drew first blood with a win in the opening race, before Royal stormed back in the second to force a decider. The finale was a master-class in grit and tactical sharpness. Thomian vice captain Nithik Senaratne forced penalties on Royal’s leading boats, swinging momentum in S. Thomas’ favour. Backed by skipper McKyle Karunaratne, along with Vinuk Senaratne and Shevon Ponniah, the Mount Lavinia crew held their composure under pressure, surged ahead, and sealed the overall championship.
The overwhelmed Thomian sailors
More than a technical victory, it was a triumph of the Thomian spirit—resilience, courage, and the refusal to give in. Led by McKyle Karunaratne and vice captain Nithik Senaratne, the squad including Vinuk Senaratne, Shevon Ponniah, Ranesh Wickramatillake, Sahale Ahangama, Riveen Perera, and Mithila Godevithanage embodied that ethos throughout the regatta.
The Optimist squad too showed strength in depth. Alongside front-runners like Ranesh Wickramatillake, Akiane Ubayasiri, Genura Fernando, and Binal Perera, a talented pool of sailors including Matheesha Pathirana, Randil Fernando, Athitha Balamurugan, Anuruth Tennakoon, Joash Peiris, Dilen Walpitagamage, and several freshers signalled a bright future for Thomian sailing.
Much of the credit also goes to the support team. Head coach Nijaya Dimal, assistant coach Shashenka Fernando, and teacher-in-charge Ms. Lakni Shanika instilled the discipline, resilience, and tactical sharpness that carried the sailors through tight waters.
The victorious S. Thomas' College sailing crew
This year’s regatta once again highlighted the intensity of the Royal-Thomian rivalry while also underlining the rapid growth of sailing as a sport in Sri Lanka. For S. Thomas’, the win was especially significant, it marked the return of the trophy to Mount Lavinia after two years, a fitting reward for teamwork, strategy, and enduring Thomian grit. Acknowledgement is due to the Ceylon Motor Yacht Club for hosting, and to sponsors Future Fibre and North Sails for their continued support of the Roy-Tho sailing tradition.