Restoring a long-standing tradition, last weekend Riga sailing season opening regatta took place in the Daugava River water area. About one hundred sailors from various yacht clubs in Riga and Latvia took part in this exciting competition.

The regatta was organized by the yacht club ”Riga Sailing Center”, where this year, within the framework of the project co-financed by the Estonian-Latvia Cross-Border Cooperation Program for 2014-2020, several infrastructure improvement works have been carried out, thus continuing the modernization of the yacht port started a year ago.

Last year, with the co-financing of the “Improvement and Promotion of the East Baltic Coast Harbours Network” (EASTBALTIC Harbours) project, a new breakwater system was built in the yacht club – the existing breakwater was extended and a new one – a 64 m long breakwater/berth – was built to protect the yacht port from the impact of strong North winds. Furthermore, new equipment elements – mooring fingers, an electricity and water supply pedestal and navigation buoys – were installed.

This year, within the framework of the EASTBALTIC Harbours project, the Freeport of Riga Authority has installed additional pontoons and mooring fingers equipped with drinking water and electricity supply connections. The total length of the installed structures is 70 meters, the weight of each pontoon – 30 tons, and these are the largest one-piece concrete structures ever installed in one of the Latvian yacht clubs. Pontoons will perform the function of breakwaters for the yacht club, but it will also be possible to accommodate children’s sports school yachts and surfboards on them, as well as use them as a pier for river boats and other craft.

“Every year sailing sport is becoming increasingly popular in Latvia. It is great that the number of sailing fans is growing, and the water sport is developing in the city. Thanks to the marketing activities carried out within the framework of the Estonian-Latvian Cross-Border Cooperation Programme project, number of international tourists, attracted by marinas of Riga, is growing every year,” said A.Buls, emphasizing that the activities implemented within the framework of the EASTBALTIC Harbours project provided an opportunity to increase the capacity of the yacht club managed by him by 30%, and this season it will be able to accommodate and service up to 130 yachts at a time.

“Improvements in the yacht port infrastructure, investments in navigation safety, new berths, improvement and modernization of the range of services available to sailors are well-done homework, and now our yacht club can apply to host the ORC 2028 World Championship (boat class without restrictions) in Riga”, added Andrejs Buls, head of the “Riga Sailing Center” and sailing enthusiast, referring to his future plans.

The modernization works of the yacht port infrastructure on Matrožu Street were started last year and continued this year by the Freeport of Riga Authority within the framework of co-financing of the EASTBALTIC Harbours project. The aim of the project is to strengthen the network of Latvian and Estonian yacht ports with quality services and to promote the East Baltic coast as a sailing destination.

Total funding of the EASTBALTIC Harbours project amounts to 3 304 285.93 EUR (including European Regional Development Fund’s resources of EUR 2 808 643.01). Financing of the project part of the Freeport of Riga Authority amounts to 243 500.00 EUR (financing of the European Regional Development Fund – 206 975.00 EUR, co-financing of the Freeport of Riga Authority – 36 525.00 EUR).

The Lead Partner of the EASTBALTIC Harbours is the Riga Planning Region. Within the framework of the project, this year the Freeport of Riga Authority has delivered additional equipment – worktables and tools to the yacht port in Ķīpsala managed by the association “City Yacht Club”. The supplied equipment will provide for the maintenance and repair of inbound yachts, which will improve and extend the range of services offered at this marina.

There are currently five yacht ports operating in the Port of Riga on both banks of the Daugava River. Yachts of any size can enter the port without restrictions on length, height and draft. For yachts and recreational craft, navigation is permitted throughout all the water area of the Port of Riga.