The Horst Legend

and a maritime marvel

This story starts some 20 years ago when “The World’s Toughest traditional Boat Race” article landed on my desk. I’d never heard of it but it certainly got my attention! An email exchange ensued to make sense of The Great Sandeq Race” put me in touch with one Horst Liebner. The Sandeq is a traditional outrigger indigenous to the Mandar people of West Sulawesi, Indonesia. Renowned for its speed and maneuverability, it has been used for centuries for fishing but in modern race mode, she’s 40' long, has 5 guys hanging in trapezes and is capable of 25 knots!

Horst Liebner immersed himself in Indonesia in 1987, a German anthropologist with a deep interest in Southeast Asian cultures. He recognized the Sandeq as a valuable part of the Mandar people's maritime heritage. In true German fashion, Horst introduced class rules to make order in the chaos and at the same time has created what is SEA largest traditional One-Design Class. Horst has been in Indonesia since 1987 and has worked ceaselessly to get Sulawesi’s traditional boat builders recognised by UNESCO and is now an inclusion on the World Heritage listing! Apart from that, his real legacy will be initiating the “World’s Toughest Traditional Boat Race”.

For 20 years I’d been dying to see these in action. Sadly in 2024 we missed the race by mere hours! But to actually stand next to a Great Sandeq was a good feeling - next year then, as a competitor perhaps!