Losing the 'Hawaii of Singapore': 'Long Island' project off East Coast worries sea sports lovers

SINGAPORE: Sea sports enthusiasts in Singapore are worried and saddened by the prospect of their activities along East Coast Park's shoreline being affected by the "Long Island" proposal.

Singapore on Tuesday (Nov 28) announced plans to reclaim 800ha of land – about twice the size of Marina Bay – off the island's east coast as part of the Long Island concept.

The decades-long project aims to protect Singapore's coastline from rising sea levels caused by climate change, and could also provide more opportunities for waterfront living and jobs.

The government will be carrying out technical studies and public consultations for the project, which would create an enclosed water body in front of East Coast Park, transforming the area into a freshwater reservoir.

While authorities have said this reservoir could host activities like canoeing and dragon boating, the fate of other water sports such as sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing is less clear.

This is because images of the planned reservoir, which were published by the media on Tuesday, appear to show that it is too narrow to support wind-based activities, sea sports enthusiasts told CNA.

While "flat water" activities like canoeing and dragon boating may be allowed on the reservoir, they are concerned this may not be the case for wind-propelled sports.

Wind flow may also be obstructed in a closed reservoir, especially if high-rise buildings are built in the area, they said.

East Coast Park is currently home to water sports facilities like Constant Wind Sports Centre, PAssion Wave @ East Coast, and Aloha Sea Sports Centre.

Constant Wind director Ho Kah Soon started sailing as a teen in 1975, and sea sports have been a fixture of his life since then. The 64-year-old now does stand-up