"KOLEK" RACING SAMPAN OF RIAU ARCHIpELAGO

Kolek is traditional racing sailboat found in Riau Archipelago (mostly around Batam and Karimun Islands vicinity). It is built strictly for racing which is held around August every year. Usually racing season start at Belakang Padang (near Batam) on Indonesian Independence Day, August 17th. Few years ago there were over seventy sailboats took part in that race.

They are divided into five different  classes. Class determined by the number of crews, so there are twelve men crews, nine, seven, five and smallest one three. Lately three men crews are more popular, because it is easier and cheaper to find and feed the crew. Not to mention bigger boat cost more to equip and maintain. Feeding twelve men crew (who come with their family) is not simple matter for the boat owner (who are local themselves). But still, twelve men crew boats carry more prestige and attract more attention. 

Starting, just like any saiboat race is the most exciting part where usually timid and shy Malay goes trough personality transformation when all of sudden they become very aggressive and vocal. Sometimes it looks like mayhem on the water where capsizing is a normal occurrence. Speaking of capsizing, this particular boat is highly unstable. For instance, in case of twelve men crews boat, there are about ten men are on trapeze just try to keep the boat upright. What keel? This boat hardly has any keel. Well it has v shape hull, but it comes to tacking, it tacks as well as well a super tanker. So action around markers can be very exciting with everybody try anything under the sun to get the boat changing her direction. They are fine going downwind, but upwind is another matter. To steer it you need a basically long oar which double its function when there is no wind. Yes, it is probably the only racing sailboat in the world which still races when there is no wind.

When there is no wind, the helmsman using this steering oar will scull like crazy assisted by one or two men. There are unwritten rules which sometimes hotly contested when some start their own interpretation. Traditionally there are rivalries among sailboats which come from different islands. Once I had to threat them with the arrest if they did not stop arguing (it is a good idea to have somebody with uniform on your side). 

These boats are sailed by people who are almost all of them are fishermen from surrounding islands, so they can not take to many days off. They just do it for the love it. When they go racing sometime the whole village are empty because most people  just leave everything to attend the race. Racing day is more like a social gathering with people from different islands get together and be entertained by local music group playing their own traditional songs which are pretty much like American country songs minus alcohol. Street peddlers and coffee shops have their field day. Only dead Malay who doesn't drink coffee or smoke.

The boat itself are beautiful thing to look. Sleek hull and colorful sail made of nylon. Some crews treat themselves with fancy football uniforms. Each boat has her own name such as "Unrequited Love" etc. Some are outright funny and outrageous.

Do they cheat to win? Hell, yes....they are human after all. For instance like when there is no wind where you have to depend on this single oar to move the boat, all of sudden somebody come up a piece of wood, plastic bottle not to mention using hand and feet. Also there is a sculling technique some people say it is illegal.

For prize, there are prize money....and trophy. Size matters, so bigger is better. It can be made of cheap plastic crap or whatever, it does not matter. Just make sure the color is gold.