Welcome to the AsianYachting October 2001

NEWSLETTER


SPONSORED BY the 11th Malaysian International Boat Show
Going along to the only boatshow in S.E. Asia this year (MIBS 9th–11th Nov) at Admiral Marina, Pt Dickson?
 

1. Editorial
2. "Unluckiest sailor of the month" Award
3. Asian News
4. Book review of "A Deadly Exchange"
5. International
6. Olympic classes
Editorial

The reverberating shock waves are still being felt globally in the aftermath to last months earth shattering attacks in the heart of the worlds financial capital and military centre. Americans have rebounded with tremendous national spirit although showing just how vulnerable we all are to these horrible warring acts. People not directly affected have got on with their normal lives although harbouring thoughts of future uncertainty and hope that the powers to be, can solve their indifferences with out inflicting any further loss or suffering to innocent civilians of any country.

Life on the internet has seen improved communications and a tremendous speed up in the transfer of information from all parts of the world. Sailing as a sport or recreation activity may yet be the biggest beneficiary of this new technology. Race fans can now watch film footage of races, play games, receive up to date news and results even pit their sailing and tactical skills against the real racing fleet in the Virtual Volvo Ocean Race game. Watch out for the colourful AsianYachting entrant to make a move from the centre of the pack after making a 4 day late start due to experiencing technical problems. Yet again, reducing the size of the globe to merely being Only a click away!

After spending years becoming computer wise and internet savvy producing the AsianYachting News & Views my faith in human nature finding some good and a way through the present crisis have been restored after assessing the many e-mails received lately. Reprinted below are two which make all the long voluntary hours and dedication to the sport seem all worth while.
 
Dear Mr. Marty,
It pleases me to greet you very kindly on behalf of the Hemingway International Yacht Club of Cuba and on my own, as well as to join hundred of people that I am sure they have congratulated you for the first year of the News and Views that makes an excellent work in favor of the promotion of Sports, Recreation, and Nautical Tourism in the Asian Continent.
 
I join myself to the celebrations of the first year and I wish you great success in your noble work to teach the love and respect for the sea.
Happy Birthday
Lic. José Miguel Díaz Escrich
Commodore and Representative of IGFA in Cuba
 
Dear Captain Marty
I wish to congratulate you and Asian Yachting for a first class job in the coverage of the recent SEA Games. Your efforts I am sure will contribute towards the levelling up of the sport of sailing, in every aspect, from competitive sailing to leisure sailing, race officiating and race management, sailing organisations and the sailing industry as a whole, in this part of the world. 
Keep it up and fair sailing,
Regards,
Teo Ping LOW
President, Singapore Sailing Federation

and ISAF Council Member and ISAF Technical Delegate to the XXI SEA Games

 

"Unluckiest sailor of the month" Award

Entries for the AsianYachting award for the "Unluckiest sailor of the month" have been coming in thick and fast this month. As early as Sep the 1st at the Port de Fécamp Grand Prix the Gilles Martin-Raget photo's of Fujifilm - Loick Peyron's broken mast and the collision between Bonduelle (Jean Le Cam) and Fila (Giovanni Soldini) have stayed on top of the list with Loick's unfortunate dismasting piping them at the post. Watch out this could happen to you! This is a European grand prix event for Open 60 multihulls won by Foncia skippered by Alain Gautier. with Groupama and Banque Populaire respectively on the podium. More can be seen of this exciting class and photo's of the spectacularly close racing on these flying machines.
 
ASIAN NEWS

1. Read the daily race reports, final results and overall medal tally of the Sailing Events at the XXI SEA Games KL 2001 - from the AsianYachting News & Views pages Click on here
To browse photo's of the Medal Presentation Ceremony Click on here

2. Info on the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Clubs - China Coast Race Week and offshore race to Hainan Island in China (19th - 27th October) is available from their website http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/chinacoastraceweek.html or from the RHKYC sailing manager Ailsa Angus by emailing aangus@rhkyc.org.hk

3. Last year saw tremendous success at the inaugural Asean Regatta. This year (1st - 4th Nov) sees many of the regions top racing yachts including a new Farr 40 Mumm 30 and possibly a Farr 52 built by DK Composites in Malacca joining the keen sailors who have chosen to base themselves at Admiral marina Port Dickson Malaysia.
AsianYachting will be there to cover the event and click here to browse last years inaugural Regatta reports, results and summary

4. China Sea Race 2002 (28th March) 12:00hrs starting signal for the 600 nm race from Hong Kong to the Philippines for offshore racing and cruising yachts with valid IRC Certificates or HKPN numbers organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Manila Yacht Club. Website http://www.chinasearace.com or e-mial the race secretary at the RHKYC. To go to Final Results and press releases of the 2000 race click here to browse

5. President's Cup Regatta 2002 (3rd - 6th April) Organised by the Manila Yacht Club in the Philippines.

6. Sheryl Stafford thought that imagining a good plot and writing an exciting, entertaining book were the difficult parts of writing. She has since found out that the hardest part about being a new author is spreading the word about one's book and meeting sales targets. As her first book "A Deadly Exchange" is a nautical thriller set on a sailing yacht in the northern Bahamas and has received some raving reviews I agreed to read the book and help with some publicity.

I thought, What the hell! A well deserved few hours of relaxation and escape from my busy routine for a while. The story opened with a bang, literally where every thing that can go wrong for the sailing couple does. After the foundation is laid the pace of "A Deadly Exchange" is jolted into high gear and the action doesn't stop till the end. Yachties will thoroughly enjoy this extraordinary book for many reasons, least of which is Stafford's accuracy in describing the Bahamas, sailing, bone fishing, the cocaine trade, weather and guns. She's done her homework.... and it shows.

My only grumble was that after capturing my attention and leading me through some terrifying experiences during which I could not stop turning the pages until I finished is that I was left begging for more. Highly recommended and available by searching online.

7. Boating OZ Sailing Report #130 - 04 September 2001 13:27
TRAINING
Sep 4 The Asian Yachtmaster's is now online. Download the individual practical and theory syllabus pages to form a sailing handbook containing easy step by step boat handling manoeuvres, covering essential skills to safely master any type or size of pleasure yacht. To browse the only complete Yachtmaster's syllabus found on the web today click on here
-------------------------- SPONSORS OF THIS ISSUE --------------------------
 
This months newsletter is also brought to you by . . . . . . . .
 
Any dinghy clubs or regional yachting organisations that would like to join AsianYachting in promoting a practical 'Try a Boat' campaign during the coming Boatshow at Admiral Marina 9th - 11th Nov are asked to email Capt Marty
 
Learn to SAIL and race on Malaysia's favourite racing yacht 'Gotcha Lagi' at Admiral Marina, Port Dickson. Return email for more info and browse their interesting website at http://asianyachting.com/AYmasters/classes.htm
 
In conjunction with IKMAL (Malaysian Nautical Institute) RSYC sailors and interested persons are invited to visit the Control Centre of the Malaysian Ship Reporting System (Malacca Straits) - VTS Port Klang on Sat 13th OCT from 10:00 am till 13:30.
 
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INTERNATIONAL

1. Volvo Ocean Race started from Southampton, England on Sept 23rd. This professionally crewed event will cover 32,250 nm in approximately nine months, circumnavigating the world with the prevailing winds on 8 Volvo 60 racing yachts.  The nine-leg race will visit 10 ports, including the 2001 Sydney-Hobart and will race through four oceans, finishing in Kiel, Germany in June 2002. Down load some spectacular photo's of these flying machines at http://www.VolvoOceanRace.org or for direct online Internet coverage subscribe to Virtual Spectator for their 3D Internet viewer with sound, film clips, animations and news from the yachts during the event.

"So what is it like to be the skipper right now, looking the guys in the eyes every hour. Seeing the optimistic smile just barely covering the begging thoughts and dreams of better days to come, on everyone's face." Dejuice Dragons skipper Knut Forstand reports on day 10.

2. At the recent press conference for The Colorcraft Gold Cup match-racing regatta to be raced in Bermuda between October 14th - 21st this year, Magnus Holmberg added these words of advice to competitors seeking success at the 53rd running of this classic event where some of the world's best amateur and professional skippers will be competing at the third event on this season's Swedish Match Grand Prix Sailing Tour.

MAGNUS HOLMBERG: Well, I think the important thing is to focus on your own performance and try not to think too much about who you are sailing against. Rather, try to focus on doing everything as well as possible and keep your . . . keep your level of sailing up there, because if you start to think about who you are sailing and maybe start thinking that this should be or that should be  . . . you'll be . . . it could be a quick way out of the tournament. So I think that you have to just try to focus on your own performance and do as well as possible.

A new page on the Club's web site at invites sailors to watch the racing, attend the press conferences, and meet and greet top match racers like America's Dennis Conner and Ed Baird, Australia's Peter Gilmour, and Sweden's Magnus Holmberg. Try it out!
 
3. From Bruce Vandeventer: As many of your readers are doubtless aware, the claim by Volvo Ocean Race publicists that there is no current method of accurately measuring wave height is simply not true; NOAA's network of oceanographic buoys contain instruments to measure wave and swell height, period, steepness, and direction. This data, as well as meteorological data and water temperature, are all available online at the National Data Buoy Center website. There is also an automated voice service called "dial-a-buoy" where an automated system will read to you the data for a buoy of interest. Of course, there aren't any NOAA buoys in the Southern Ocean, only satellite coverage, so comparing the data obtained by yachts racing there to the satellite data would be valuable. As an 'electronic spectator', this is data that I would find interesting.

OLYMPIC CLASSES

1. The Langeland 49er Grand Prix No. 2 held in Denmark last month is fully funded by sponsors and the local city, so there is no entry fee and all the sailors stay in a hotel right at the regatta site for free, including breakfast and dinner. Sounds pretty good to me! With prize money of US$15,000 to be shared by the top 15 finishers one wonders why there are not more regatta's rewarding the competitors with prize money instead of the expensive and usual trophy pool. This was the first Grand Prix regatta for Aussies Mark Turnbull and Nick Partridge, who made it into the Gold fleet placed equal 14th out of 37 entries. Reports on their globetrotting 49er campaign are available.

2. Advice of the month. "If you fail to prepare then you can prepare to fail"
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Once again, I hope you have found this issue of AsianYachting News & Views useful and interesting please forward it to your sailing friends.

Kindest Regards
Capt Marty Rijkuris

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