Malaysian
Match Racing Circuit Jeremy Koo wins the final race shootout...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
The
wind finally arrived just after lunch and racing got away in earnest
soon after. The skippers were determined to get the better of each
other, which was plainly obvious during the vigorous pre-start maneuvers
and close cover tacking on the first windward beat. As both semi final
matches went to five races the grand final was shortened to a single
race shootout between Jeremy Koo (Koo Racing Team) and Hazwan Hazim
Dermawan (Permai Hotel Match Racing Team). The Petit Final came down
to two of the navy's finest, Harisfabillah b Muhammad (Royal Malaysian
Navy Match Racing Team 3) and Masyuri Rahmat (Royal Malaysian Navy
Match Racing Team 1). Despite Jeremy having the starboard entry advantage,
Hazwan led of the startline. After splitting tacks Hazwan held the
lead for the first lap but Jeremy rapidly closed in, to momentarily
hold Hazwan head to wind and after rounding the top mark taking them
off the race course. This resulted in Koo Racing Team taking over
the lead to eventually win Stage 1 of the inaugural MMRC by half a
boat length and RM8,000 in prize money. Masyuri returned to form and
overcame match racing rookie Harisfabillah that has preformed way
above expectations to end up 3rd and 4th respectively. Goto AY
Day 3 Race
Report & Summary
Malaysian
Match Racing Circuit finally comes to fruition...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
Lumut
(May 10th): Due to the overwhelming response from local sailors
and the growth of match racing as a sport in Malaysia, T-Best Events,
the organisers behind the highly successful Monsoon Cup are partnering
with the Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA), and finally bringing
the much talked about and anticipated Malaysian Match Racing Circuit
(MMRC) to fruition. The first stage of the MMRC begins tomorrow (11th
May) at the Royal Malaysian Naval Base in Lumut, Perak. The seven
skippers to confirm their entry are defending Champion Jeremy Koo
(Koo Racing Team), Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Permai Hotel Match Racing
Team), Masyuri Rahmat (Royal Malaysian Navy Match Racing Team 1),
Nurul Ain Md.Isa (Ri-Yaz Heritage Sailing Team), Nik Ashraf Qaedi
(Royal Malaysian Navy Match Racing Team 2), Rizal Mahadi (Setia West
Marine) and Harisfabillah b Muhammad (Royal Malaysian Navy Match Racing
Team 3). Goto AY
Pre-Regatta
Report
Top
Of The Gulf Regatta - Final
day shootout ends in a fizzer...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
8th May 2012: Although
the morning arrived surrounded by ominous dark storm clouds, there
was a light breeze blowing which looked promising. As the 11:00am
start time drew near, the building storm over Pattaya temporarily
exerted its pressure and disrupted the flow from the SW. After three
stunning days of racing the breeze completely deserted the race course
and left the fleet waiting for something to materialise. Eventually
just before the 1300 cut off time, with the sea completely glassed
over, PRO Jerry Rollin had no other alternative but to call it a day
and send everyone back to the marina. What a let down as everyone
was full of anticipation for the final day showdown. Only thing left
to do was apply the drop race and recalculate the points tally which
still held a remarkable twist of fate in some classes.
Goto AY
Race Report
4 & Summary
Best
of the best at 2012 Top Of The Gulf Regatta
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
4th April 2012: Over
eight years the entry list and competing classes at the Top of the Gulf
Regatta has continued to grow impressively and the
2012
fleet line-up, off
Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Jomtien, is set to be one of the most
competitive yet. More than 600 participants in 300+ sailing craft, from
30 countries will compete in 12 classes, on four racing areas over four
days of racing at Asia's largest multi-class regatta.
Organisers from any major regatta should take a look at how carefully
allocated resources,
imagination and hard work, the TOTGR has really come into its
own. Everywhere
you look there is a hive of activity taking place. Truckloads of Optimist
dinghy's being offloaded, travel-lift continually trundling from boat
park to launching ramp, sail and boat measurement on the lawn and swimming
pool area, boat entry registration, handing out sponsor kit bags, skippers
briefing, media press conference, crews being weighed, boats out practicing,
new launching parties on the docks and
setting up tables, stage, food and beverage outlets for tonight's
grand opening party. Bring it on! Goto AY
Pre-Regatta Report
2011/2012
AYGP
Championship - Closing
in, on the end of the 2011-12 Season
By
AY
MultiMedia
25 April 2012:
With only two pointscoring regatta's to go, Top
of the Gulf (May 4-8) & Samui
Regatta
(May 29 - June 3) an interesting scenario has developed and after the
Rolex
China Sea Race and the Commodore's
Cup have been run and done, a couple of new possibilities
come into the equation. This now makes it 234 skippers and 221 yachts
that have scored points after ten events have been completed. Although
Neil
Pryde has contested all but one of the regattas held this
season and Hi
Fi has contested eight events, only the best six results
count towards the prestigious AYGP
Skipper
and Yacht of the Year awards, so their increment has been
reduced to bettering earlier regatta scores. Two good results for the
Fred
Kinmonth/Nick Burns EFG
Bank Mandrake brings
their regatta tally to six and close in to only eleven points behind
Pryde. They are entering the Samui Regatta in the hotly contested 40
foot class and exceptional results will be their last chance to topple
Pryde at the final event. A similar situation has developed between
them in the Yacht
of the Year pointscore, although a lot closer. Full run
down goto AYGPApril
Newsletter
Commodore's
Cup - The winners are Hi FI, Frantic and Selma
By
AY
MultiMedia
14
April 2012: The departure of two US Naval ships delayed the
start of racing until they cleared the port. After three days of fluctuating
Easterly breeze in the morning, the emphasis was to get the first race
run quickly while continually monitoring any signs of the seabreeze
arriving. As the land breeze continued into the afternoon the second
and final race flowed straight on which surprisingly stayed true for
the entire race and produced fair results. Despite all this there was
no shortage of determination amongst the troops right up to the last
race when Hi Fi, Mandrake and Freefire were recalled
for being over the start line as the horn sounded. Neil Pryde had the
pedal to the metal on Hi Fi in the first race and went on to
claim the daily double. Second place for Simon Powell"s A40 Sell
Side Dream provided a bit of breathing space for Hi Fi
over their closest rival Fred Kinmonth / Nick Burns Mills 40 EFG
Bank Mandrake in the overall stakes. The start of the last race
was like a winner take all event as they charged into the start line
with no escape route. Goto AY
Race Report 4 &
Summary
Commodore's
Cup - Change in breeze brings mixed fortunes...
By
AY
MultiMedia
12
April 2012: Despite the grim looking weather forecast, the
relative seamless change from the morning land breeze to afternoon sea
breeze, allowed the race committee to complete two scheduled races for
the IRC Classes and one passage race for the PY Cruisers. Once again
the fluctuating wind strength at strategic parts of the course determined
the race placing's and overall results. At the end of the day, only
a few minutes here and there separated the yachts which is an indication
of how close the racing was. Neil Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi
and Sam Chan's TP52 Freefire continue to duke it out at the
front of the fleet with several lead changes but Hi Fi's lower
IRC rating gives them an advantage when the handicap is applied. The
breeze change over, at the end of the first race played into the hands
of the 40 footers, with Simon Powell"s A40 Sell Side Dream
coming out on top and Fred Kinmonth / Nick Burns Mills 40 EFG Bank
Mandrake calculating out in front of Pryde's Hi Fi in
third. Goto AY
Race Report 2
Commodore's
Cup - It's on again tonight in dear ole Subic Bay...
By
AY
MultiMedia
10
April 2012: The wide expanse of water that forms Subic Bay,
comes alive again with four days of windward/leeward and passage races
conducted by the Subic Bay Yacht Club and Saturday Afternoon Gentlemen
Sailors (SAGS) under
the auspices of the Philippine Sailing Association.
Being a superb natural
harbour protected from the China Sea, Subic
Bay normally serves up brilliant sunshine, flat blue water and wind
conditions that demand close attention by tacticians and skippers. This
is the 10th point scoring event on the 2011-12
AYGP Championship and brings to a conclusion the East Asian
segment before racing swings over to the Gulf of Thailand for two final
events (Top
of the Gulf - Samui
Regatta) and rap up the Skipper
and Yacht of the Year awards. After the physically draining
Rolex
China Sea Race several Hong Kong yachts have improved their
standings and will join the stalwarts of the Philippine sailing scene
for some spectacular racing before venturing on to the final events.
Tonight is the welcoming party hosted by the Lighthouse Marina Resort
and as the North Easterly breeze has returned, the stage is set for
an extremely competitive four days of racing in a splendid warm and
welcoming tropical setting. Got AY
Pre-Regatta Report...
Rolex
China Sea Race - Zanzibar
scoops the IRC overall title
By
regattanews.com - Photo Credit: Rolex / Daniel Forster / RHKYC
8th April 2012
- Day 5 – 1400hrs: By 1330hrs (UTC +8) the results
for IRC Overall were in: Zanzibar has won the 50th Anniversary Rolex
China Sea Race on corrected time. With an official finish time of 20:44.48
yesterday (April 7, UTC +8), Zanzibar beat out the “big boats”
and all other competitors on handicap to take the Overall title, the
Sunday Telegraph Trophy and a Rolex Yacht-Master Timepiece. While Zanzibar
had been leading the standings before their finish, the jury was still
out on who would take the Overall win, with many boats, including EFC
Bank Mandrake and Red Kite II, still in the running. EFC Bank Mandrake
needed to finish before 0115hrs local time in order to topple Zanzibar’s
lead, but with the quiet breeze off the finish, the team only crossed
the line at 2:30.30. Red Kite II needed to finish at 1330hrs but at
the time of writing is still racing, 24.8nm to the finish. Jonathan
Mahony, Owner/Skipper of Zanzibar said the team had a broad game plan
to stay left of the rhum line, which ultimately paid off. “We
had an OK beat out of the Harbour and the wind was taking everybody
right early on, so we sort of went with that for a bit and as soon as
we saw an opportunity to head back out to the left we took it. Goto
Rolex Day 5 Race
Report...
Rolex
China Sea Race - Genuine
Win
By
RHKYC Media - Photo Credit: Rolex / Daniel Forster
/ RHKYC
7th April 2012
- Day 4 - 0600hrs: At
02:43:26 this morning, after 62+ hours of tactical sailing, Geoff Hill’s
Dubois 90, Genuine Risk, slipped across the finish line at Subic Bay
to take Line Honours in the 2012 Rolex China Sea Race and lift the Sunday
Telegraph Trophy. On hand at Subic Bay Yacht Club was Wolfgang Weibach,
representing Rolex Philippines, who presented Hill with the Rolex Timepiece
reserved for the fastest boat to finish the race. Hill
admitted that the start was tricky, but denied there were any low points
in the race, saying “it was frustrating with the weather; we would
have liked more breeze – we didn’t have the running kites
up at all, but other than that it was very enjoyable. Out to the oil
rigs, [Genuine Risk] just pulled away … it was pretty much as
advertised and we stuck to our game plan .. although it looked as if
the boats who stayed North made some pretty good gains overnight.”
Goto Rolex
Day 4 Race Report...
Rolex
China Sea Race - Genuine
Risk leads the fleet South, slower boats head East
By
regattanews.com
- Photo Credit: Rolex / Daniel Forster / RHKYC
5th April 2012 1000hrs:
Almost 24 hours into the 50th Anniversary Rolex China Sea Race has seen
a split in the fleet, with the top three boats branching off to the
South while the rest of the fleet has begun to move East. Genuine Risk
still leads the pack, sailing at 9.7 knots and with 386.6nm to go as
of 1100 (UTC +8). Hi Fi and Freefire are racing neck-and-neck, with
less than one nautical mile separating the two boats, while the current
IRC leader is Jelik V. Royal
Hong Kong Yacht Club Marine Services Manager, Roger Eastham, gave a
rundown on the current weather forecasts. “The overall weather
pattern is showing that the surge in the monsoon, which gave us a great
Harbour start, is slowly receding and being replaced by a south-easterly,
forcing the crews into some interesting tactical decisions. You can
see on the tracker that the majority of the fleet are choosing to head
east, positioning themselves for the expected replenishment of the monsoon
coming from the east, forecast by most models to arrive sometime on
Friday morning.”
Goto Rolex Day 2
Race Report...
Rolex
China Sea Race - Clean
harbour start for 50th anniversary Rolex China Sea Race
By
regattanews.com
Photo Credit: Rolex / Daniel Forster
4th
April 2010: The Rolex China Sea Race began today under
near-perfect conditions for a start in Victoria Harbour, just off the
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Good Easterly breeze at about 12-15 knots
gave the 26 participating boats the push they needed to get the 50th
Anniversary race underway. RHKYC Sailing Manager Alex Johnston “The
fleet got away very cleanly with no boats over the line early, and for
a race start of this size we had plenty of breeze, so from a start point
of view, one really couldn’t ask for anything better.” At
12:10 the first warning signal rang out as the boats crisscrossed the
Harbour beneath towering skyscrapers and in front of the RHKYC searching
for breeze. As the 12:20 start signal was given, Genuine Risk’s
mast rose well above the others and the fleet hugged the Kowloon side
heading out of the Harbour. The first boats were out of view from the
RHKYC by 12:35, as they continued across Junk Bay and out past the Po
Toi islands into the South China Sea. Goto Rolex
Press Release...
2011/2012
AYGP
Championship - Life
after the windswept Boracay Cup...
By
AY
MultiMedia
20 March 2012:
All the skippers and crew at the Boracay prize presentation were full
of praise for the fantastic sailing conditions they have experienced
year on year. The AY
Photo
Gallery and selected images posted on Facebook
have received a record number of views and comments. Many have vowed
to spread the word around when they get home and encourage others to
make an effort to attend next year and we guarantee that they won't
be disappointed. As the combined Subic
to Boracay Race and the Boracay
Cup are the main attraction, with trophies specially designed
and presented by the provincial government of Aklan, the decision was
made to score the combined results in the AYGP
Championship.
As a result, twelve Philippine skippers and yachts have joined the pointscore,
more notably Ray
Ordoveza's Excel 53 Karakoa,
Jesus Avecilla's
Beneteau First 36.7 Selma
Star C! Calibre ROX and
David
Mc Kenna's Sun Odyssey 42 Raparee
XXX ran away with the overall class honours. This
now makes it 221 skippers and 207 yachts that have scored points after
eight pointscoring events have been run and done. By opting to compete
only on the Boracay
Cup,
Neil Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi had to settle on second place
overall, despite convincingly winning the Cup. Although on the overall
scheme of AYGP
points, they are the only skipper and yacht to compete on six events
and hold onto an almost unbeatable position in the Skipper
of the Year award. Full
run down goto AYGP
March Newsletter
Subic
Boracay Race & Boracay Cup - And
the winners are Hi Fi, Selma Star & Freewheeler
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
02:03:2012
Boracay, Philippines: After yesterdays howling gale, the wind
mellowed down some what, to around 15-20 knots with a few higher spikes
in the gusts. All five racing class yachts were out to improve their
standing or recover some pride after various breakages and crew errors
have impeded their progress during the regatta. In a rush to catch an
afternoon flight, Neil Pryde and his professional crew on Hi Fi,
went out and won the first race today, making it four wins in a row
and a second place, enough to clinch the Boracay Cup with one race to
spare. Their departure from the course did not deter the remaining yachts
from having one last go at each other. Any sailing teams that like racing
in strong winds and surfing conditions, should mark the dates firmly
in their diary as a "Must Do Asian Regatta". As the news slowly
filters out to the International sailing community, in future this event
will be treasured in the crews sailing CV's for years to come. Goto
AY
Race
Report 5 & Summary
Subic
Boracay Race & Boracay Cup - 30+ knots increases the WOW! factor
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
01:03:2012
Boracay, Philippines: Some skippers exclaimed "That is
the fastest my yacht has ever gone" while others felt bruised and
battered after a rough and tumble ride in the Carabao Strait and the
windward side of Boracay. Clocking over 20 knots Frank Pong's Reichel/Pugh
76 Jelik III looked like a bullet train as it surfed downwind
and charged across the finish line. On the leeward side of Boracay,
wind gusts were peaking at 35 knots and short 2 -3 meter waves with
white caps on top, even managed to get the Philippine Coastguard Vessel
BRP Nueva Vizcaya into a steady rock and roll motion. PRO Jerry Rollin
decided it was time to send the Racing Class on a 28nm figure of eight
course around neighboring Carabao Island and clockwise around Boracay.
The Cruiser/Racer
and PY
Classes were
sent on a 13nm circumnavigation of Boracay Island. Most yachts carried
heavily reefed mainsails and small working jibs to suit the howling
conditions. With an average speed over 11 knots, Frank Pong's Reichel/Pugh
76 Jelik III completed the 28nm course in 2hrs 24mins 25secs
leaving everyone in their wake. The first casualty for the day was Sam
Chan's TP52 Freefire after pulling the tack off the jib and
shredded the replacement sail at the first windward mark. Neil Pryde's
Welbourn 52 Hi Fi also had the pedal to the metal and by finishing
seventeen minutes behind Jelik III, claimed the handicap honours
by four minutes, relegating them to second place plus hold onto the
overall lead by a healthy five point margin. Goto
AY
Race
Report 4
Subic
Boracay Race & Boracay Cup - Top line-up ready to take up the
challenge...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
24:02:2012
Subic Bay, Philippines: Anxious skippers and crew have descended
on Subic Bay in the Philippines and ready to embark on the second running
of the 200nm Subic
to Boracay Race (Feb 24-26) and 4-day Boracay
Cup (Feb 28 - March 3rd). In
the IRC Racing Class a strong contingent from Hong Kong includes defending
champion Sam Chan's TP52 Freefire, Frank Pong's Reichel/Pugh
76 Jelik II and Neil Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi. Up
from Singapore Jonathan Mahony's Humphrey 42 Zanzibar thrives
in strong conditions and are up for the challenge. However they won't
have it all their own way as Philippine sailors have upgraded with Ernesto
Echauz fielding a crew on the TP52
Jelik V and Ray Ordoveza's faithful Excel 53 Karakoa
enjoys heavy going and always in with a chance for handicap honours.
Unfortunately the strong head wind and huge waves in the South China
Sea over the past week has taken its toll on yachts coming from Hong
Kong that have either withdrawn or suffered irreparable damage on the
way. When the starting signal sounds off the Lighthouse Marina Resort,
Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales, 18 local and International yachts,
in three classes will set off on the 200 mile Subic to Boracay offshore
race. Depending on the yachts size and speed, they are expected to take
between 20 and 48 hours to reach Boracay. Goto AY
Pre-Regatta
Report
2011/2012
AYGP
Championship - Racing
now swings over to the Philippines and Hong Kong...
By
AY
MultiMedia
22
Feb 2012: After gracing Malaysia, Phuket, Thailand and Singapore
waters, big boat racing now swings over to the Philippines for the 200nm
Subic
to Boracay Race (Feb 24-26) and 4-day Boracay
Cup (Feb 28 - March 3rd). We are always happy when the
Boracay invitation arrives because year on year, strong 20+knot winds
have never failed to deliver, making this event consistently one of
the most exciting regatta's in the Asian region. Boracay is already
known as a mecca for popular marine tourism pursuits in the Philippines
and the prevailing winds has allowed them to host numerous International
Windsurfing, Kiteboard and Hobie Cat competitions during the year. Just
around the corner in April, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club presents
the 50th
Rolex China Sea Race (April 4th Start) across to the Philippines
and straight after Subic Sailing are conducting the Commodore's
Cup (April 10-14) at Subic Bay. These events will give
East Asian boat owners and skippers an opportunity to score valuable
AYGP
Championship points and the last chance to consolidate their overall
tally towards winning the AYGP
Skipper
and Yacht of the Year awards before the season ending Top
of the Gulf (May 4-8) and Koh
Samui Regatta
(May 29 - June 3) in the Gulf of Thailand. Full run down goto AYGP
February Newsletter
Mount
Gay Rum Neptune Regatta
- KukuKERchu, The Dash, O'BlueEyes & Kay Sira have winning grins...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
11:02:2012
Fifteen
to twenty knots with two meter seas, ends the regatta on a high note.
While the IRC Racing and Multihull classes contested two windward/leeward
races off Nongsa Point Marina, the PY and Classic classes completed
the second leg from the overnight stopover at
Karas Besar, up the Riau Strait to finish off the marina.
With the wind in the upper range the crews were forced to work hard
while overcoming the excesses from the last few days to complete this
years program. David Ross' Ker 40, KukuKERchu has completely
outclassed the other two yachts in the IRC Racing Class. By adding first
and second to their tally today, making it five wins out of seven races
to well and truly seal the deal. Last years winner Brent Morgans Archambault
35 Men at Work started of well winning the race down to Neptune
Island and snuck in the last race today by two seconds but a few mistakes
in between left them in second place. The thoroughly entertaining crew
on Chris Furness\Guz Wilkinson's Elan 410 Rikki Tikki Tavi
put up a good fight but just could not get over the speed hump and settled
on third place. Goto
AY
Race
Reports 4, 5 & Summary Catch all the action from the equator
and during the regatta on the AY
Photo
Gallery
Mount
Gay Rum Neptune Regatta
2012
- Turning Slimy Pollywogs into Trusty Shellbacks...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
05:02:2012
After the resounding success last year, the World's
only sailing regatta and motor yacht rally, that races to the equator
is back again. The brainchild of Regatta Chairman Tudor
John, is fully occupied with bringing a regatta to an uninhabited island
with no resources together. The benchmark was set last year and the
2012 fleet is twice the size plus they have added an extra day making
it a six day event. Now that's a lot of provisions and equipment to
be lugged around. Luckily this is a real passion which attracts great
support from some very capable people to bring all the logistics together
and make it a reality. Utilizing
the internet and all the social networks has garnered a lot of interest
in the event, which honorably ranks amongst the top 20 Facebook sailing
sites in the world. As the power boat community don't have organised
events, they have welcomed the decision to incorporate them into the
fold. This year
18 sailing yachts in four classes (IRC Racing 3, PY Cruising & Classic
11, Ocean Multihull 4) and 1 Motor Yacht have entered the event. Goto
AY Pre-Regatta
Report...
Singapore
Straits Regatta - Manning's
Wala Wala clinches victory on last day...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
31:01:2012
- Racing got underway on time despite dark rain clouds in the close
vicinity. Two more windward/leeward races were completed in a building
North Easterly breeze before the clouds opened up and a tropical downpour
of huge proportions engulfed the area. Eventually the longer waterline
on Steven Manning's Sydney GTS 43 Wala Wala paid off, by handling
the short chop better and spending less time in the current than the
competitors to win both races today and take out the overall IRC A title
on their first attempt. Bringing up the rear, Brent Morgans' Archambault
35 Men at Work sailed up to their handicap and just
missed out on the top step of the podium by a few seconds and had to
settle on second overall. Two third places for Sarab Jeet Singh's Sydney
40MOD Windsikher
leaves the defending champions in third spot on the podium but happy
to have won the running battle with Rick
Pointon's J130 Jing Jing that
ended up in fourth overall. Goto AY
Race Report 4 & Summary
Check out the AY
Photo
Gallery
Straits
Regatta returns to Singapore
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
26:01:2012
- For the past two years the entire regatta has been held at Nongsa
Point Marina Resort in Batam, Indonesia. After serious
discussions took place earlier this year amongst the yacht clubs and
marina stakeholders, it was decided to expand the number of organisations
taking part and bring the first two days of racing and social activities
back to Singapore. Although this move may have aggravated some sailors
it has helped organisers, sponsors and spectators alike, to get a return
on their investment and see sailors participate on their home waters
before the fleet disappear over to Batam. This edition is organised
by the Republic
of Singapore Yacht Club and hosted by ONE°15
Marina Club on Sentosa Island and Nongsa
Point Marina Resort in Batam. The program gets underway
with the Regatta Briefing and Official Opening Party at the RSYC tonight.
Racing kicks off tomorrow with two days of competition along Singapore's
East Coast Beach and prize giving at ONE°15 Marina Club, before
the yachts head over to Batam for the final two days of racing and social
activities at Nongsa Point Marina. Goto AY
Pre-Regatta Report
We
wish our Chinese friends Gong Xi Fa Cai
for their New Year celebrations.
2011/2012
AYGP
Championship - Round-up after reaching half way stage
of the season
By
AY
MultiMedia
As
we are half way through the 2011-12
Season an interesting scenario is developing in the AYGP
Championship.
Although Neil
Pryde heads the Skipper
of the Year standings with 75 points he has competed in
all six regatta's so far, which is the total number of regatta's that
count towards the overall score. All he can do now is improve on the
individual regatta points which will be only a small increment from
now on in. Trailing by 26 points are co-skippers
Fred
Kinmonth/Nick Burns
(49 points) after competing on four regatta's are still in with a chance
as they are likely to compete on several more regatta's before the season
finishes in June. Presently 186 skippers have scored points and in the
running for the end of season trophy. Next in line and well within striking
distance is Andrew Stransky (36 points / 3 regattas) and Alan Carwardine
(34/2) from the Multihull Class, Stuart Williamson (33/4), Rick Pointon
(32/3), Ben Copley (31/4), Sam Chan (27/3), David Ross (26/3) and Frank
Pong (25/3) from the mixed IRC 1 & 2 Classes. As some skippers have
chartered or changed boats through the season, a slightly different
scenario is playing out in the Yacht
of the Year award. Neil Pryde's Hi
Fi has 58 points with Hannes
Waimer's Team Premier/Hooligan close behind on
51 points. After winning three regatta's Alan
Carwardine's Stealth 12.6 Sidewinder
is tied on 49 points with Fred
Kinmonth/Nick Burns EFG
Bank Mandrake that
have three more regatta's to notch up a winning score. Goto full Jan
2012 AYGP Newsletter...
Royal
Langkawi Int Regatta - Blackmore's Hooligan Team becomes
the third winner in 10 years
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
13:01:2012
Langkawi, Malaysia: Marcus
Blackmore
and his Hooligan
team join the elite inner circle of Peter Ahern (3) and Ray Roberts
(6) that have won the Racing Class title and lifted the
Prime Minister's Challenge Trophy in triumph.
Winning seven out of ten races on their first attempt convincingly sealed
the deal in style. Gracious in defeat Neil
Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi put up a good fight
for second place, which means they will have to come back next year
as this is the only trophy that they have not won on the Asian circuit.
Two third places today for the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47
Uranus skippered by Mohamad Razali elevated
them to third overall and displaced Frank
Pong's 75ft Reichel
Pugh
Jelik II down to fourth. The two new Navy DK47's may have been
outclassed in this company but the match practice will come in handy
when they compete at other regattas against similar sized yachts.
Goto full AY
Race Report 5
& Summary
Royal
Langkawi Int Regatta - Frank Pong's Jelik II sets new round
the island race record...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
12:01:2012
Langkawi, Malaysia: With wind gusting up to 18 knots, Frank
Pong's 75ft Reichel
Pugh
Jelik II took
off at break neck speed and continued to set a blistering pace around
the islands to the South East of the 99 island archipelago. Averaging
10.8 knots, it took only 02:41:19 to complete the twenty eight nautical
mile course and they were back at the club in time for lunch. Frank
said afterwards " Although we slowed in the lee of Singa Besar
and took evasive action for a long fishing net we never stopped and
had a wonderful tour of the scenic islands". Despite this magnificent
performance the handicap honours goes to
Marcus Blackmore's TP52 Hooligan
making it five wins out of six races and has one hand firmly on the
trophy. Neil
Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi slotted
into second place which relegated Jelik II down to third. However
this result elevates Jelik II into third overall.
Goto full AY
Race Report 3
Royal
Langkawi Int Regatta - Straight into it with a vengeance
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
10:01:2012
Langkawi, Malaysia: With 10-15 knots of wind blowing down Kuah
Harbour, it was no time to worry about the festive season excesses and
straight back on the horse for two or three races depending on which
class they were entered. It certainly pays to come out fighting and
post a few early wins to put themselves in a good position for the rest
of the regatta. PRO Simon James choose courses inside Kuah Harbour for
the good wind and flat water, that certainly provided a spectacle and
quick times for the competitors. Aussie
Marcus Blackmore's hot shot team on the chartered TP52 Hooligan
came fully prepared and consequently notched up three wins in a row.
In hot persuit Neil
Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi clocked
off with three second places and needs to find a little extra speed
if they are to overcome Hooligan. The newest DK47 Uranus
skippered by Mohamad Razali Mansor praised his crew work for securing
two third places in front of their Malaysian Armed Forces sistership
Utarid skippered by Ishak Jab. Frank
Pong's 75ft Reichel
Pugh
Jelik II took line honours with the two 52 footers uncomfortably
breathing down his neck.
Goto full AY
Race Report 1
67th
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race - “Nothing accidental” about
Loki’s handicap win
By Lisa Ratcliff/Rolex Sydney Hobart media team
1200hrs, 30 DEC: It took Sydney-based Stephen Ainsworth
14 years to claim the elusive Tattersall’s Cup, and as he put
it so succinctly, “it was a big box to tick”. Commodores
Garry Linacre (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) and Graham Taplin (Royal
Yacht Club of Tasmania) and Rolex Australia general manager Patrick
Boutellier presented the stunning silver trophy and Yacht-Master timepiece
to Ainsworth and his crew aboard Loki in front of an appreciative crowd
at Kings Pier marina this morning. The 18-strong crew boasts more than
100 Rolex Sydney Hobarts between them with “not too many winners”
among this pool of experience,” Ainsworth reflected dockside today.
One thousand and eight crew contested this year’s race and of
those just 0.0178 have walked away winners. Ainsworth described the
victory as “pure joy”.
Goto AY Microsite
for full Day
4 Report and links to the official RSHYR Updates, tracking
& progressive results plus the magnificent Rolex Photo, Video and
Audio gallery Here...
67th
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race - Investec
Loyal survive protest & declared line honours winner
By Di Pearson, Rolex Sydney Hobart media team
1400hrs,
29 DEC: Investec Loyal is now officially the line honours winner
of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart
Yacht Race after the protest against her by the Race Committee was dismissed
by the International Jury. At 12.50pm today, the international jury
informed Investec Loyal’s skipper, Anthony Bell, that it was quashing
the protest lodged by the Race Committee over a conversation between
Investec Loyal’s navigator Michael Coxon and an ABC helicopter
crew. Anthony
Bell told reporters after the decision that the jury found that Investec
Loyal had not sought any advantage when Coxon asked the ABC crew whether
Wild Oats XI was flying a trysail and had received no advantage when
told that she was not. The jury process lasted nearly three hours. However,
Bell said he was pleased that the process had been so thorough and that
his win would now and forever be untarnished. “For the crew, it's
better to have a panel of our peers to come up with the answers,”
he said. “I’m really pleased that this is how it turned
out.”Goto
AY Microsite
for full Day
3 Report and links to the official RSHYR Updates, tracking
& progressive results plus the magnificent Rolex Photo, Video and
Audio gallery Here...
67th
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race - Investec Loyal’s line honours win
under protest
By Di Pearson, Rolex
Sydney Hobart media team
2100hrs,
28 DEC: Investec Loyal’s line honours win is under threat
following a protest by the Race Committee of the Rolex Sydney Hobart
Yacht Race this evening. Investec Loyal crossed the finish line of the
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia’s (CYCA) 628 nautical mile race
at 19.14.18 AEST in the time of 2 days 6hr 14min 18sec. Shortly after
Anthony Bell’s super maxi crossed the finish line off Constitution
Dock, a representative of the Race Committee, Howard Piggott, delivered
the protest to Bell aboard his yacht. The
Race Committee is protesting Investec Loyal under Racing Rule of Sailing
41 that states: “The sail number of a boat which receives outside
help will be notified to the Race Committee with details of the incident
and a hearing may be held (if required) to determine any penalty. The
penalty for Rule 41 shall be at the discretion of the Race Committee.”
The description
of the incident on the protest form is as follows: “Audio recording
of conversation between ABC helicopter and Investec Loyal seeking information
from the helicopter of the sail plan in use on Wild Oats XI. In particular
information as to whether Wild Oats XI was flying a trysail. This is
assessed to breach 41 by soliciting help from an outside source.”Goto
AY Microsite
for full Day
2 Report and links to the official RSHYR Updates, tracking
& progressive results plus the magnificent Rolex Photo, Video and
Audio gallery Here...
67th
Rolex Sydney Hobart Race - Cat and mouse as Investec Loyal closes
the gap on race leader
By Jim Gale and Bruce Montgomery/Rolex Sydney Hobart media
1800hrs, 27 DEC: Though the two leading boats in the
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race are separated by 10 nautical miles tonight
as they close on Flinders Island at the eastern end of Bass Strait,
an epic match race develops between them. Five-time line honours winner
Wild Oats Xl leads Anthony Bell’s super maxi Investec Loyal by
that margin but, in many ways, Investec Loyal holds the advantage because
the weather charts show the wind dying off the Tasmanian north-east
coast. According to Wild Oats Xl co-navigator Ian ‘Fresh’
Burns, an anticipated 50-60 nautical mile hole in the wind will enable
Investec Loyal, sitting on her hip to the east, to watch and wait to
see what happens to her nemesis. Wild Oats Xl beat her into second place
in last year’s race. Ten miles is not a great distance to make
up in modern ocean racing. “They are likely to play a game of
cat and mouse. They have plenty of leverage out there,” Burns
said. “If ever there was an opportunity in a yacht race, tonight
is the night.” He explained that this was because the following
boat could see what was going on ahead, take evasive action and sail
around the leading boat. “They will throw everything at us,”
Burns said, a situation made worse by valuable minutes lost during the
day when the race leader hit a sun fish and had to back the boat up
to allow the fish to swim off the keel.
Goto AY Microsite
for full Day
1 Report and links to the official RSHYR Updates, tracking
& progressive results plus the magnificent Rolex Photo, Video and
Audio gallery Here...
67th
Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Wild
Oats XI leads Investec Loyal out of Sydney Harbour
By
Jim Gale/Rolex Sydney Hobart media
1430hrs, 26 DEC: Despite her electric mainsail winch failing
just 11 minutes before the start of the 2011 Rolex Sydney Hobart, Bob
Oatley’s Wild Oats XI led the rest of the 88 boat fleet through
Sydney Heads. In
the final minutes before the start, Wild Oats XI’s mainsheet was
led through headsail winches as crew frantically worked below decks
on the winch’s electronic drive. The pressure didn’t prevent
Wild Oats XI skipper Mark Richards winning the start at his favourite
pin, or western end of the start line. Just
metres behind the five-time Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours winner
was Anthony Bell’s Investec Loyal, the biggest threat to Richard’s
ambition of a sixth line honours victory on the silver grey racer. Bell
declared before the race that he would go for broke, putting as much
pressure on the race favourite as possible, and he began the race the
way he intends to sail it, forcing Wild Oats XI to tack back to the
west as she tried to get away from the tightly packed spectator fleet
under Clifton Gardens. Goto AY Microsite
for full Start Report
and links to the official RSHYR Updates, tracking & progressive
results plus the magnificent Rolex Photo, Video and Audio gallery Here...
Seasons
Greetings - Free photos for Christmas & New Year
By
AY
MultiMedia
Following on from last years success
the Christmas/New
Year Image Giveaway is on again. The action packed
King's
Cup and Raja
Muda AY
Photo
Gallery have been posted online. Its easy, check out the
extensive AY
Photo
Library and if you find a photo you like, email
info@asianyachting.com the
details under the image and which gallery it came from. Remember to
click on image to enlarge and click on arrow button (above) to activate
slide show. We will then send you "Absolutely
free" the highest quality resolution images that
we have on file. It's that easy! So what are you waiting for? Start
clicking the mouse, we
are ready and waiting to send your Christmas presents.
168
skippers have scored points in
the AYGP
Skipper & Yacht of the Year awards
After
five point scoring regattas, 168 skippers have scored valuable points
and placed themselves in the running for the 2011-12
Skipper and Yacht of the Year. This covers a broad spectrum
of yachts, ranging from the elite racing class to the age old classics,
at regattas stretching from Phuket, Thailand to Hong Kong, China and
anywhere in between. Twelve selected events are evenly distributed between
East Asia and South East Asia to give skippers a chance to rack up a
tally before moving onto the two final season ending events in the Gulf
of Thailand that are central to both regions. After
competing on all five events held so far, Neil
Pryde takes a healthy lead in the Skipper
of the Year but as other skippers compete at more events
they are racking up the points and closing in as time goes by. In the
Yacht
of the Year, Alan
Carwardine's Stealth 12.6 Sidewinder and Fred
Kinmonth/Nick Burns co-skippered EFG
Bank Mandrake are
tied on 49 points and lead Hi
Fi by three points. It must be remembered that the
"Best of Six regattas count"
so there is still room for improvement and a long way to go before the
season ends. Goto December
Newsletter
Phuket
King's Cup Regatta - Team Premier takes IRC Zero on windy last day...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
10 Dec 2011: Protest
and counter appeal hearings over rounding the windward mark, went long
into the night and caused tempers to flair between Neil Pryde's Hi
Fi and Hannes Waimer's Team
Premier. The
International jury reversed their initial decision to award Hi Fi
and Freefire time and in doing so the results reverted to the
original posting where Team Premier held a four point advantage
going into the final day. The race committee announced early in the
morning that the racing classes will have a short windward/leeward race
followed by a passage race around the islands to the SE of Phuket. A
slim chance existed for Hi Fi to overtake Team Premier
and win the title. Fireworks were expected at the start line and the
media boats crowded in to watch the action. The North East tradewinds
returned with a vengeance and was a great finish to the regatta with
gusts in the 25 knot range. A little to much for some as Joep Kleine
Staarman's X-342 Minx reported dismasting and taking on water,
Jon Wardill's Cassidy
55 Australian Maid a broken boom, Sam Chan's TP52 Freefire
mainsail damage, China's
Shihai Lagoon
500 Snail collided with the gate boat and several other yachts
retired from the days racing. The kite boards were back in action and
completed three races before heading back to the beach completely exhausted.Goto
AY
Race Report 5 & Summary
action
packed
AY
Photo
Gallery
and
daily video's
Phuket
King's Cup Regatta - Record fleet lining up for 25th anniversary
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
04 Dec 2011: The rapidly expanding
sailing program sees 38 dinghies taking part in a three-day series this
weekend before the main show gets underway. On Monday there will be
90 keelboats and multihull's, plus for the very first time an invitation-only
class for 19 kite boarders, from the world tour. The total sailing fleet
is expected to be 147 boats with over 1000 participants from 35 nations
around the globe. This regatta is often considered the Jewel in the
Crown of Asian regattas as it is the biggest and by far the best known
on the International sailing scene. The entries come from all continents,
with a strong contingent coming from Asian countries including Hong
Kong, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Japan, Philippines and of course Thailand.
Participants not only come for the racing but to enjoy the Island, the
tropical sailing conditions and the wonderful Thai hospitality at the
nightly prize giving parties that are second to none. The yachts have
been divided into 10 classes by IRC handicap bands or by design and
style of construction. The top IRC 0 class is a little down on numbers
but high on quality and a healthy spread is divided amongst the other
classes. Goto AY
Pre-Regatta Report
2011-12
AYGP
- 100 skippers have already scored AYGP
points
By
AY
MultiMedia
After four 5 star regattas under
the newly revamped AYGP
pointscore, 100 skippers and yachts have scored valuable points and
placed themselves in the running for the 2011-12
Skipper and Yacht of the Year. A unique situation has cropped
up after the Raja
Muda Regatta, where Neil Pryde heads the Skipper rankings
while Fred
Kinmonth/Nick Burns Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake takes the lead
in the Yacht of the Year. The main
aim of the expansion plan was to include all classes and get more yachts
competing at more events seems to be working well. A mixture of multihull
and IRC boats that have done two or more regattas are close behind the
leaders and likely to further shape up as the season progresses. The
hunt is also on to secure Title
and Trophy Sponsors for the AYGP
and company's
looking to increase their exposure in Asia are
invited to look at the Sponsors
entitlements and rights Here....
Search
the updated 2011-12 AYGP
Pointscore by Overall
Skippers - Yachts
- Regatta
Results
WMRT
- MONSOON CUP 2011 - Williams
Wins the Double
By
Monsoon Cup media
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia – 27 November, 2011: Ian Williams has
added the Monsoon Cup to his third ISAF Match Racing World Champion
crown after the British sailor defeated Johnie Berntsson 3-1 in the
final of the World Match Racing Tour’s finale event in Kuala Terengganu,
Malaysia. The double is a feat Williams first achieved in 2007 and is
the second consecutive year a British sailor has won both the Monsoon
Cup and the World Championship after Ben Ainslie in 2010. Speaking after
his victory, the British skipper of Team GAC Pindar, said: “This
really tops off a terrific season! We couldn’t let our emotion
run too high yesterday because we were so focused on winning today.
We came here to win and to take the World Championship yesterday and
then this today, it’s just superb. “The team has done so
well, we are a new team who have come together and just got stronger
and stronger all year. We won all three regattas on five man boats so
I think that just shows the strength of the team.” Full
Final rapup Here... Watch the YouTube
replay...
Raja
Muda Selangor Int. Regatta - Mandrake pulls the trophy out of the
bag...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
26 Nov 2011: Despite heavy
rain there was 15 knots blowing down the middle of Bass Harbour. Two
windward / leeward races for the racing classes and one passage race
for the cruisers went off smoothly. Several classes were dependant on
the final races to determine the overall results. Yesterday afternoon
some weary crews from the overnight race in Class 2,
5, 6 and 7 ventured out in the strong breeze and completed a harbour
race. It must be remembered that there is no drop race at this regatta,
which means all race points will count when determining the overall
class placing's. For the whole regatta Fred Kinmonth/Nick Burns Mills
40 EFG Bank Mandrake have been on top of their game and by
clinching two handicap wins today, sealed the deal and take home the
Raja Muda Cup on the small Mandrake"s first attempt. Stirred on
by the Penang Langkawi race win, David Ross Ker 40 KukuKERchu
scored two second places to lift them into third overall. Thailand's
Tom Whitcraft's GP 42 Won Ma Rang and the Malaysian Armed Forces
DK 47 Utarid skippered by Mohamad Razali traded third and fourth
places which was enough for Utarid to hold onto second overall
and the Navy very pleased with the new boat and crews performance only
a month after launching. Goto AY
Race Report
5 & Summary
for the full round-up.
Anna
Tunnicliffe, Iker Martinez & Xabier Fernandez, awarded 2011
ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year
The
highly anticipated announcement of the recipients of the ISAF Rolex
World Sailor of the Year Awards was made Tuesday 8 November, in a ceremony
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The winners, selected from an impressive and
star-studded gathering of nominees, were Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), who
claimed the female award for the second time, and the two-man crew of
Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez (ESP), awarded the male prize. It
marks only the third time an American female has won the Award since
its inception in 1994, although each victory has come in the past six
years, marking a significant shift following a period of dominance by
European athletes. Tunnicliffe claimed the honour for the first time
two years ago in Busan, South Korea. It is a case of third time lucky
for Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez. The world's greatest sailing
duo have twice been nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the
Year Awards. In 2002, they missed out to three-time winner Ben Ainslie,
before Brazilian Robert Scheidt took the plaudits in 2004. Eleven years
on from their first nomination, these sailing legends may now, deservedly,
see their name inscribed in the list of the sport's greats. The Spanish
duo were unable to attend the Award ceremony as, fittingly, they are
currently at sea competing for Team Telefonica in the first leg of the
Volvo Ocean Race from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa. Through
a video feed recorded on the Team Telefonica boat, the pair confirmed
that they will be celebrating this prestigious achievement despite the
immediate distractions of an ocean race. Check out the video highlights
on the ISAF
Channel...
2011-12
AYGP
- 75 skippers have already scored AYGP
points
By
AY
MultiMedia
After three 5 star regattas have
been completed and under the newly revamped AYGP
pointscore, 75 skippers and yachts have already scored valuable points
and placed themselves in the running for the 2011-12
Skipper and Yacht of the Year. This covers a broad spectrum
of yachts ranging from the elite racing class to the age old classics,
that stretch from Phuket, Thailand to Hong Kong, China and anywhere
in between. Twelve selected events are evenly distributed between East
Asia and South East Asia to give skippers a chance to rack up a tally
before moving onto the two final season ending events in the Gulf of
Thailand that are central to both regions. The main aim is to get more
yachts competing at more events, as the AYGP
was originally designed to
fairly grade competing Boat owners and Skippers ability to successfully
run full-on racing campaigns through Asian waters over the 2011-12
Season. Search
the 2011-12 AYGP
Pointscore by Overall
Skippers - Yachts
- Regatta
Results Full report goto October
Newsletter
China
Cup International Regatta - Wind shows up on the last day...
By
CCIR Media
There was 15 to 20
knots of breeze blowing through the harbour at the Shenzhen Maritime
Sports Base in Daya Bay as boats were being rigged and readied for the
last day of racing. Boats were in such a competitive mood that there
were collisions in the harbour even before the boats were on the water.
Top spots in several classes were left to be decided on the last day,
and the tension could be felt up and down the docks. The final race
of the day was won by The Beijing Sailing Center in the Beneteau First
40.7 class, and they took the overall honours for the weekend as well.
Red Kite II won the final race for the IRC A class, and Jelik II won
the regatta. Team ThinkPad Authority won Race 8 to take the weekend
for IRC B. Hainan Freedom Community won the final race for The J80 class,
putting them in first place overall. Constant Wind led the Far East
26 class across the line in the final race, and Constant Wind took the
top position for the weekend. Team Snail won their second race of the
day in the HKPN class, but were piped by Shan Tou Shuang Jun for the
overall win. At the end of the day everyone returned to Sheraton Dameisha
for more cold beers and the chance to bask in the glory of their wins
and congratulate their friend on their success. Goto Regatta
Report...
RHKYC
- Hong Kong Vietnam Race - Jonathan
Mahony's Zanzibar takes Div 1 by 8 minutes after 656nm of racing
By
RHKYC Media
1749hrs 22 Oct 2011: With FreeFire limping in to Vietnam with rudder
and bowsprit damage, the IRC Racing Division 0 prizes were all settled
before midnight on day 3. However the IRC Division 1 battle was just
hotting up. Widely fancied to take Division 1, Zanzibar, skippered by
Jonathan Mahony, arrived at a wet, cold finish line at just after 0500hrs
HKT. Giving the other boats in her division ‘time’ under
her IRC handicap, Mahoney and his crew had a nail-biting wait of 4.5
hours to see if they had clinched the Division on corrected time. The
breeze was picking up, and both EFG Bank Mandrake and Ambush had a good
last hour as they neared the North Cardinal for the final tack towards
the finish line. EFG Bank Mandrake pipped Ambush by exactly five minutes
on the water, an incredible finish after 656nm of racing, however after
correction, Zanzibar emerged triumphant by only eight minutes over the
Kinmonth/ Burns owned Mills 40. Goto RHKYC
Press Releases
Hong
Kong Vietnam Race - Neil
Pryde's Hi Fi takes handicap honours
2000hrs 21 Oct 2011:
Second on the water, but certain to take IRC Overall as well as defend
her 2008 IRC Racing Division 0 title, Hi Fi crossed the finish line
just after 1500hrs Hong Kong time today. Owner and skipper Neil Pryde
was a very happy man, saying “Great race, absolutely fantastic.
Unbelievably good conditions, except cold and wet today, incredibly
consistent breeze with 18 to 20 knots all the time, so the boat speed
only dropped below 10 knots as we came into the finish.” This
win makes it two in a row for Hi Fi, although Pryde would not be pushed
on whether or not 2013 would see him celebrate his 75th birthday on
the open water but confessed to a softening of discipline on this race,
with crew smuggling two bottles of champagne on board to celebrate his
birthday on the first night out – according to one long time crew
member, this was the first time he could remember consuming alcohol
during a race. The
crew felt that, in spite of the great breeze, the 2011 edition was the
calmest race to date, labeling it “sunny, flat and fast”
, noting that the introduction of electric winches, while pushing up
Hi Fi’s IRC rating, had also made the atmosphere on board “less
testosterone driven”.Goto
RHKYC Press Releases
Hong
Kong Vietnam Race - Audi
ultra takes line honours but no cigar...
1347pm 21 Oct 2011:
At 09 39 24hrs (HKT) Audi ultra finally coasted across the finish line
in Nha Trang to claim line honours in one of Asia’s toughest races.
Her elapsed time of 43h 44m 24s was less than one hour outside Skandia’s
seven year old record, which, given the demands of the race, was a phenomenal
performance by the slightly smaller maxi. Crew reported several severe
squalls during the race, particularly overnight, and there will be some
repairs to be carried out in due course, not surprising for a trip averaging
around 15kts boat speed. Three hours after the race finish, although
at anchor in the lee of Hon Tre Island, the crew was still fully occupied
on board, substituting the delivery main for the race main and tidying
up the boat, so it has not yet been possible to get Ludde Ingvall’s
thoughts on Audi ultra’s performance. The next boat expected with
an ETA of 1503hrs HKT is Neil Pryde’s Hi Fi, which looks certain
to defend her IRC title of 2008. Goto RHKYC
Press Releases
Hong
Kong Vietnam Race - Audi
ultra still on target to break the race record...
2030pm 20
Oct 2011: After over 30 hours on the water, the nine boats competing
in the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race continue to make good progress.
Earlier this afternoon, Ludde Ingvall of Audi ultra filed a report detailing
her experiences, noting that “after a careful start, she settled
down offshore and the crew has been seing a lot of bird life, a lot
of reefs and a lot of fishing boats”. Ingvall went on to say went
on to say what a great experience the young Singapore sailors on board
were having, with one, Sam, admitting that it was the first time he
had been sailing out of sight of land. The
longest offshore Category 1 race in Asia is a true test of Audi ultra’s
mettle, with Ingvall reporting squalls of up to 26kts overnight, and
an average boat speed of 23kts, one blown spinnaker and a little damage
to the bow which cost them around 8 minutes. Looking
at the latest position at 1800hrs HKT tonight, that will not deprive
the super maxi of a new Race record as she has 185nm to go to reach
the finish line travelling at around 17kts, however the crew still faces
the challenge of the early morning gybe towards the Vietnam coast, which
may offer a flat calm as daylight dawns.
Goto RHKYC Press
Releases
China
Coast Regatta eventually lives up to its reputation
Initially
the wind gods served up two days of light northerly breeze that plagued
the fleet to the south east of Lamma Island with shortened courses and
cancelled races during the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's annual China
Coast Regatta. However the wind picked up on the third day and allowed
the race committee to complete the racing program. This did not detract
from the over enthusiastic competitors in the popular Division 1, as
a mass OCS led to a general recall – even on the restart, Ambush
and Stella contrived to be over, taking some time to get back
and clear the line. Nick Burns / Fred Kinmonth Mills 40 EFG Bank
Mandrake had a cracking regatta to secure the Racing Division 1
title. In Division 0 Ludde Ingvall's visiting Super Maxi Audi Ultra
managed to hit the straps and share line honours with Frank Pong's Jelik
2. However it was Neil Pryde's Hi Fi who scored on corrected
time, putting them in an invincible position for the overall series.
IRC Racing Division 2 saw Anthony Root's Red Kite II defend
the title. Torben Kristensen's Authority triumphed in the Cruising
Class and Mike Delaney & Chris Gordon's Boadicea in the
HKPN Class. Eventually the competitors were left with a memory of the
sort of breeze traditionally enjoyed in October at the China Coast Regatta.
Under the newly revamped 2011-12
AYGP
pointscore all the competitors will score points towards the AYGP
Skipper
and Yacht of the Year Goto CCR
Race Reports
2011
AMRC - William Tiller (Full Metal Jacket Racing) are the
new Asian Champions
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
PULAU
DUYONG (OCT 15th): After winning 9 out of 12 races in the round robins
and defeating Chin Yew Seah (Zoke Kiwi Match) 3 - 0 in the semi final,
then winning three out of four races in the final, William Tiller (Full
Metal Jacket Racing) has won the Asian Match Racing Championship and
earned a place in the Moonsoon Cup to be held at the same venue from
22nd to 27th November. In Race 1 David Gilmour (Team Gilmour) started
in the leeward berth but his team were a bit quicker around the course
and took the lead by the windward mark and never looked back to win
by 22 seconds. Perhaps the words of wisdom from Gilly senior after lunch
may have spurned them on. The fresh seabreeze at 8 to 10 knots made
it a level playing field and a spectacular finish to the championship.
Changing boats after each race also keeps racing on an even keel, so
there is no advantage to either team. In Race 2 William Tiller (Full
Metal Jacket Racing) was given a penalty for a port/starboard incident
in the pre-start but were not going to give up so easily as they led
of the startline. Tack for tack, up the windward beat saw Tiller rounding
a couple of boat lengths ahead but still had a penalty. Tiller extended
the lead to 10 boat lengths on the downwind and wiped off the penalty
at the finish line to make it 1 - 1 by 29 seconds. Goto the full Day
4 Final AY Race
Report
2011
AMRC - Asian qualifiers up for grabs...
PULAU
DUYONG (OCT 11th): Seven international teams are fronting up for the
Asian Match Racing Championship (October 12-15) or better known as the
Asian Qualifiers for the honour of representing the Asian region at
the Monsoon
Cup on November 22-27, the final and deciding leg of the
World Match
Racing Tour (WMRT). Most teams are a product of their own
national youth training scheme and intend to make a career out of match
racing. The winners of the qualifiers will race against the best international
match racing teams at the Monsoon Cup and also stand a chance to win
a share of the RM1.5 million prize money. These
qualifying events are designed to pave the way forward to join the World
Tour. Since the introduction of the Asian Qualifiers back in 2007,
they have already successfully produced a world champion in Kiwi Adam
Minoprio's Black Match Racing team that won the qualifiers that year
and went on to become the 2009
ISAF Match Racing World Champion after defeating triple
Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie at the season ending Monsoon
Cup. Goto
team line ups in the full AY
Pre-Regatta Report
2011
MMRC - Thrilling finals as Jeremy Koo defends the title...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
PULAU DUYONG (OCT 10th): After four days of match racing it eventually
all came down to the first to win three races in a final shootout between
defending champion Jeremy Koo (Abdullah Chan / KRT) and Hazwan Hazim
Dermawan (Permai Hotel Match Racing Team). Very spirited pre-start calls
and maneuvering close to the marina pontoons as the teams jockeyed for
position kept the spectators entertained onshore. Learning from their
earlier mistakes Jeremy Koo was first off the line and kept a close
cover throughout to notch up win number one. Not to be outdone Haswan
reversed the table and equalised to be 1 -1. Haswan won the next start
and stayed on the pace to make it 2 -1. With the time limit extended
to 6:30 and despite the fading seabreeze racing continued to complete
the finals. Hazwan then dug deep and during the pre-start managed to
force a penalty on Koo, who recovered during a close tacking duel. Then
equipment failure onboard Hazwan's yacht threw a crew member into the
water, allowing Koo to comeback and equal the score at 2 - 2. Time for
a few boat repairs then straight into the final of all time. Taking
advantage of the starboard entry Koo held Hazwan in irons for what seemed
like an eternity before breaking away and having another go at them,
this time forcing a penalty on Hazwan. Good boatspeed in the windward
berth won the title and an extremely elated and tired Abdullah Chan
/ KRT crew are happy to go on and represent Malaysia at the Monsoon
Cup. Goto full AY
Day 4 Final
Race Report
2011
MMRC - Knock out day - Jeremy Koo comes out on top
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
PULAU
DUYONG (OCT 9th): Seven teams started in the competition and after two
Round Robin's, three teams go home and four teams proceed into the semi
finals. This is no place for the feint hearted, or teams learning to
sail or make up the numbers, as the cruel nature of match racing will
quickly have them heading out the door. The weather forecast improved
so PRO David Tallis set about the task of completing the six remaining
flights of Round Robin 2 and rather ambitiously the first round of the
semi final by days end. The early arrival of the sea breeze saw racing
get away in high spirits, as all the teams have improved and know this
maybe the last chance to show their true colours. The remaining six
flights saw significant movements up and down the order. Defending champions
Jeremy Koo (Abdullah Chan / KRT) made a clean sweep of all their races
to take over the top of the leaderboard. After a disappointing start
to the regatta Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (Permai Hotel Match Racing Team)
came through undefeated yesterday and kept up the momentum today to
eventually end up in second place. After loosing three matches Masyuri
Rahmat (Malaysian Armed Forces 2) fell off the top perch but stayed
in the running with third place. Newcomer Mohd Romzi (UPM Sailing Team)
run of good fortune faltered a bit as they lost against Masyuri and
Koo but still ended up in the top four to go through to the semi finals.
Goto full AY
Day 3 Race Report
2011
MMRC - Terengganu comes alive with on the water action...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
PULAU
DUYONG (OCT 6th): The normally tranquil waters of the Terengganu River
comes alive over October and November with one-on-one match racing combat.
Calls of starboard, windward boat, keep clear, buoy room, protest and
jury decisions will echo across the purpose built racing stadium in
front of the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa. While most sailing
disciplines rely on boat speed and the fastest time around the course,
match racing is more a game of strategy and tactics between two dueling
racing teams. There is only one winner in a knock out competition and
second place does not count. Classic maneuvers include dial-ups, circling,
lead/push, the hook and shift left/right, which transform match racing
into a captivating form of sailboat racing – fully engaging, relentlessly
exciting and great fun for the participants and spectators. First
up is the Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC) October 7-10 and
the Asian Match Racing Championship (AMRC) October 12-15. The
MMRC is designed to encourage the participation of young, upcoming Malaysian
sailors on the professional match race scene. These qualifying
events determine which team has the honour of representing Malaysia
and the Asian region at the Monsoon
Cup on November 22-27, the final and deciding leg of the
World Match
Racing Tour (WMRT). Goto full AY
Pre-Regatta
Report
Sabang
International Regatta - Racing
is over but the show goes on...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
September
22nd: After the lavish welcome party and the Mayor of Sabang
inviting the entire regatta to dinner at his residence, the sailors
were back on the water today to contest the final two races which concludes
the racing program. Although the wind has died down since the blustery
arrival in Sabang, there was still plenty to play with and several blasts
between the hills caught skippers unprepared and overpowered the yachts
resulting in spectacular broaches and some ripped sails.
Scoring two bullets in a row, the Royal Malaysian Navy Farr 520 Zuhal
skippered by Lt Cdr Chin In, have outclassed the racing class in the
first two races but a slight lapse in concentration allowed Robert
Azzopardi's 13m Dreamtime to
sneak in under their guard and take the win in the third race to secure
second overall. Although
Dato Alex Nah's Hunter 14.9m Virgo scored
two second places today, the juggling of places at the top,
leaves them in third overall but happy to have also beaten the navy
in the last race.
Go to AY
Race Report 3
Sabang
International Regatta - When
the going gets tough the tough get going...
By
AsianYachting
MultiMedia
September
20th: Not long after leaving Langkawi the forecasted strong
South West / Westerly tradewind kicked in with a vengeance. This resulted
in a hard slog to windward in 25 to 30 knots of wind and most skippers
reported burying the bows up to the mast in the 3 to 4 meter confused
seas. From 20,000 feet the patches of white caps could be clearly seen
and as the palm trees were violently swaying in the wind, safety concerns
for the competitors bashing to windward were being expressed by the
committee in Sabang. As tropical Storm Roke situated South East of Japan
intensified into a Typhoon it produced a strong South Westerly flow
over the entire SE Asian region.
As the racers from Langkawi approached International waters they also
felt the full brunt of the Westerly wind. When the sea started to quickly
build most skippers eased off and some made a bee line for the lee of
the Sumatra coast. The yachts that opted to stay offshore made hard
work of their passage and most chose to use power assistance to complete
their journey. The Royal Malaysian Navy Farr 520 Zuhal skippered
by Lt Cdr Chin In, were the first to arrive a little after 4:00 in the
morning, taking 42 hours 16 mins 25 secs to complete the 260nm passage.
A lengthy wait ensued and it was not till the afternoon when small white
specs appeared on the horizon and proceeded to the finish line. Go to
AY
Race Report 2
