1. Editorial
2. "Unluckiest sailor of the month" Award
3. Asian News
4. International
5. Olympic classes

Editorial

Anyone looking for inspiration to live a normal yet challenging life at the moment should switch from the damaging political news on TV and follow some real time achievers the world can respect and their interesting sailing escapades on the Internet. New world records are being set all the time, shattering the previous ones (Go to International Section) and sailing teams building technologically advanced yachts to tackle these global challenges seem to be endlessly emerging and setting sail.

How do they do it? What is it like living onboard? What sort of person does it take to sail on the boat and accomplish the targets set? are the most frequently asked questions at the moment. By browsing the numerous sailing websites or following the yachts progress on the virtual Volvo Ocean Race or keeping in tuned to the numerous press releases, one can get a little insight into what it takes to tackle a serious sailing challenge. Believe me, these are no ordinary people and there is no place for the feint hearted.

Ocean racing demands the successful combination of human skills and modern day technological resources to harness natures ever changing elements. As a race unfolds numerous scenarios and possible outcomes materialize based on performance. The winner is usually the one who makes the least mistakes, experiences the minimum amount of downtime with breakages and takes the best advantage of all situations with inevitably the most luck.

Congratulations to John Kostecki and the Illbruck crew (withstanding the protests lodged) for snatching victory back from Grant Dalton's Amer Sports One bringing an exciting conclusion to the 31-day drama ridden leg 1 of the Volvo Ocean Race. In terms of preparation for the race the Illbruck team are deemed to be several years ahead and yet at the finish in Cape Town, only two hours separated the two boats as they decimated their six rivals. A jubilant Michael Millbrook, who welcomed his victorious crew home said "You have to have the guts to fail".

The hardships these sailors have endured include food rationing, bitterly cold and windy conditions, lengthy periods becalmed in the tropics, major part breakages and conducting repairs in unexpected rough head seas including failures to the all important electronic data transmission equipment delayed the yachts arrival in Capetown by up to 10 days from expected with a starvation diet to finish. Some of the most interesting crew comments collected recently are repeated below and give some answers to the FAQ's above and an idea on the type of person it takes to be considered suitable crew on a lengthy ocean yacht race:

Arve Roaas, djuice dragons: As our FSP (food saving program) is starting to impact on peoples behaviour, we will try to remember all the tips and tricks from our team building sessions but I have a feeling we are going pretty fast down what is defined by Wouter as human lowest level of thinking - food, sleep and sex (for most of us that means no big changes).

We might be hungry, dirty, frustrated and uncomfortable out here, but it's very safe.

As the sailing scene now switches to the Southern Hemisphere for the spring and summer seasons many sailing identities, local heroes and yachting legends even, can be found in real life strutting their sport at a regatta or a yacht club probably near you. See 2001/02 Asian Yachting Circuit dates and websites in the Asian News below.

On the local scene the Asean Regatta 2001 for the regions fastest racing yachts starts for real on Friday the 2nd with 3 windward/leeward races scheduled offshore from the Admiral Marina & Leisure Club, Port Dickson. Everybody is welcome! The newly formed Racing Yacht Club are the organisers and ask that you firmly mark this event in your yachting diary. They expect at least 10 competitive racing teams to battle it out on the Malacca Straits showdown this weekend.

Daily AsianYachting - Race Reports will be emailed during the Asean Regatta and featured as the lead News & Views story on the homepage to keep you up dated on the web with the latest News at http://AsianYachting.com

There is lots of racing to come from South East Asia, yet. The Asean regatta is often considered the curtain raiser to the up and coming 3 regatta Asian Yachting Circuit 2001/02 starting latter in November with the famous Malaysian island hopping 2001 Raja Muda International Regatta first up, then the Phuket King's Cup in Thailand which is often considered Asia's premier yachting event in early December and the 8th Singapore Straits back in Sing mid January.

Anyone interested in crewing on the yachts during the regatta's are asked to contact the event organisers who have a number of yachts entered that are looking for experienced or able bodied people to be their crew during the races.

"Unluckiest sailor of the month" Award

The AsianYachting award for the "Unluckiest sailor of the month" must go to DJuice Dragons skipper Knut Frostad and his formidable crew. Well after almost three weeks of racing around with a broken headboard car that initially caused endless delays on the first and crucial leg of the Volvo race.

They finally could make the desperately required repairs that plagued them from Sept 25 to Oct 13th when they manoeuvred Djuice next to a fishing vessel at Ilha de Fernando de Noronha. Fellow dragons BJ Grimholt and Jo Lunde at 23.45 GMT embarked equipment onto the boat. By 23.48, they were off again. As many yachts have suffered from broken equipment (mainly headboard cars) the Volvo Race Committee on Sept 30 ( 7 days after the start) announced their approval for competing yachts to replace their broken parts at sea.

Thanks to the marvels of the internet we can even get a bird's eye view from the top of the mast of the damaged headboard car via a short video clip taken during the race or view the colour edition of News & Views for a photo of the jury rigged repairs.

I sometimes wonder how they used to get the news out in the good ole days... 

ASIAN NEWS

1. The 11^th Malaysian International Boat Show (MIBS 9^th–11^th Nov) has been cancelled due to the difficulties in getting enough firm commitments from marine industry exhibitors in the present period of economic uncertainty. Thus Protemp the organisers thought its best for exhibitors and the show as a whole to be re-scheduled to next year and definitely want you back on board. They feel positive for next year, and look forward to work with everyone in the industry to have a good show in 2002. The new dates are : 25-27 OCTOBER 2002 at the same venue Admiral Marina, Pt Dickson.

2. Hong Kong's Stella a Sydney 38 skippered by Fred Kinmoth, sailed a great race to come in sixth over the line, nearly 7 hours behind the Frank Pong's 77ft line honours winner Jelik to take race honours on corrected time on the Hainan Race last week. Kinmonth's Hong Kong Etchell crew described their exciting race 'The '38's are great offshore boats and there big rudder gives great control in surfing seas. We regularly hit speeds of 22 knots, with long periods of 18 knot averages. In offshore racing, size is not everything.'  For a full account including Neil Pryde's China Coast Race Week win on Hi-fidelity and final results of the Hainan Race can be found at http://AsianYachting.com/news/ChinaCRW.htm

3. Anybody interested in crewing or attending any or all of the major Asian Yachting Circuit 2001/02 events starting this month the dates and websites are listed below. Don't miss out this year as the regatta season gets into full swing starting with the:

Asean Regatta at Port Dickson Nov 1st to 4th
Raja Muda Int Regatta - Nov 16th to 24th
Phuket Kings Cup - Dec 2nd to 8th
8th Singapore Straits Regatta - 16 to 20 Jan
Phang Nah Bay Regatta - 10 to 13 Feb
RHKYC's China Sea Race 2002 - 28th March
Philippine President Cup - 3rd to 6th April

4. DK Composites in Malacca the manufacturer of the international Farr 40, Mumm 30 and new Farr 52 classes have finally got a website at www.dkyachts.com The sheer size of their operations and capability can now be viewed and appreciated by web browsers at last.

A interesting read is how designer Juan Kouyoumdjian approached the new unrestricted 115' Super Maxi design presently being built for Hong Kong businessman Frank Pong. The intention is to build the fastest possible monohull sailing yacht to challenge the worlds ocean passage records which seems to be the latest craze around and the best game in town by far. Go directly to the interesting story with drawings at http://www.dkyachts.com

5. Due to heightened security worldwide The Swedish Match Tour's Nippon Cup 2001 has been cancelled by the event's organizer, the Hayama Marina Yacht Club (HMYC). The fourth event of Swedish Match Tour Year 3, the Nippon Cup 2001 had been scheduled for Nov 19-25. The next scheduled event is the Sun Microsystem's Australia Cup, March 12-17, in Perth, Australia.

-------------------------- SPONSORS OF THIS ISSUE --------------------------
This months newsletter is also brought to you by . . . . . . . .

AsianYachting is a yacht racing and sail training group that promotes regional sailing events and its boating activities globally at http://AsianYachting.com

 

So come on, check out some of the yachts we have for sale in our part of the world including a charter yacht business in Bali. So what are you waiting for click on http://asianyachting.com/boats/yachtsforsale.htm to browse current listings

 

Also for the only complete sail training syllabus containing easy step by step boat handling manoeuvres and the essential skills to safely master any type or size of pleasure yacht available for free today on the web by clicking on http://asianyachting.com/AYmasters/aymenu.htm

INTERNATIONAL

1. Something for everyone - Whether you sail a 40ft ocean going trimaran, a small childs Minnow or are training on a 420, Laser or 49'er for the 2004 Olympics Sail Melbourne in Australia has an event for you. International Teams can charter a boat and save the hassle of shipping. Online entries are available and homestay accommodation with yacht club members and local residents is another attractive option when choosing to attend some competitive International standard sailing regatta's. All is revealed...

2. Great American II, a 53-foot trimaran was 710 nautical miles southwest of Cape Town, South Africa on October 26, as co-skippers Rich Wilson and Bill Biewenga continued on their attempt to set a new sailing record from New York City to Melbourne, Australia. They are 961 miles ahead of the comparable position of the clipper ship Mandarin that set the 69-day record nearly 150 years ago during the Australian Gold Rush. This attempt to break Mandarin's record set in the winter of 1855-56 is the latest education adventure program for schoolchildren undertaken by Wilson's Boston-based website tracking the voyage of Great American II.

3. Mission Control, UK 10 October 2001 - American millionaire adventurer Steve Fossett and his international crew aboard the 125' maxi cat PlayStation have smashed the previous trans Atlantic record set 11 years ago by Serge Madec on Jet Services 5 by the huge margin of almost 44 hours. They have set a remarkable new W-E TransAtlantic world sailing speed record (officially ratified by the WSSR Council) of 4 days 17 hours 28 mins 6 secs against the official WSSRC course distance of 2925 nm.

Shortly after passing the finish line at The Lizard an elated Steve Fossett said, "This is enormously satisfying. We put it all together; an extremely fast boat in PlayStation, ideal weather and a crew who sailed brilliantly." Navigator Stan Honey added, "I'm absolutely delighted. It is an honour to sail with Steve and these guys."

PlayStation crossed the start line at Ambrose Light, NY on Friday (5 October) at 17.19.17 GMT and maintained an incredible 25.78 knots average speed all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, finishing at 10.47.23 GMT today (Wednesday 10 October). A new 24 Hour speed record of 687.17 nm was also set during the period 22.00 GMT 6 October - 22.00 GMT 7 October with 28,36 knots of average speed. This record was previously owned by Grant Dalton, who had eaten 655.13 miles in 24 hours back on February 8, 2001, while competing in The Race aboard Club Med.

4. Jean Luc Van Den Heede set out on the 09th October to attempt the singlehanded around the world "the wrong way" (against the prevailing winds and currents) sailing record, aboard his specially built aluminium yacht Adrien from Brest, France. Philippe Monnet currently holds the record (151 days, 19 hours, 54 minutes) a record that Van Den Heede has every intention of beating by up to ten days with his 26 metre monohull. Follow VDH's progress at (in English also)


5. The 2960 mile second leg of the Mini TransAtlantic from Lanzarote to Salvador de Bahia (Brazil) presently being contested by 54 solo sailors on tiny 21 foot skiff like yachts is considered one of the toughest and purest challenges in ocean racing was finally won by Yannick Bestaven (Aquarelle.com) beating Brian Thompson (IRE) who has dominated the event for the last two weeks by finishing six minutes ahead of Thompson sailing Lighthouse Life Foundation after 18 days at sea. Strict and stringent safety and qualification procedures have made the event considerably safer since its inception some 26 years ago. However, it is still very much (wo)man against the elements and a greatest tests of human endurance and skill.

Unfortunately one the perils of going to sea in this gruelling event was revealed on the first leg out when Italian skipper Roberto Varanelli was tragically lost overboard from his 6.5 metre yacht Metallurgica Calvi. It was also the first solo race that Ellen MacArthur competed in en route to her heroic 2nd place in the Vendée Globe. Updates daily at  http://www.offshorechallenges.com

6. The Middle Sea Race starts next Saturday, 3^rd November 2001 at 11am from the waters opposite the Royal Malta Yacht Club. This annual classic has been graced with some of Italy's finest racing yachts including the new generation Maxi yacht named IDEA.

7. The beginning of October saw the christening of Olivier de Kersauson's giant 34 metre trimaran after 12 months of construction at the Multiplast yard in France. Named Geronimo after the famous Apache Indian chief, this great multihull is going after all the ocean going records, with the Jules Verne Trophy, the absolute record round the world, as the first great challenge. There is talk of 55 days around the world beating the present record he has held since 1997 in 71 days on Sport Elec. Is this really possible? 

 

The yacht’s godmother, Mary Tabarly - daughter of the famous French skipper Eric Tabarly, was unable to hold back her emotion, as she contemplated the elegance of the three hulls. The next moving moment which lies ahead is the day the trimaran is flying along at 35 knots, her skipper at the helm with a huge satisfied smile on his face. Which will be even more emotional than the launching.

 

8. INCREDIBLE photo of Ellen MacArther and Alain Gautier on Kingfisher - Fornica training off Lorient last week for the Transat Jacques Vabre, a 2 handed ocean yacht race to Bahia, Brazil from Le Havre, France, starting on November 3rd.

Twelve Open 60's will be joined by 7 Open 50's to start the 5th edition of the 4,340 mile double-handed race. Official website:

Olympic Classes

 

1. NEW LASER RULES - The International Sailing Federation approved a long-awaited set of rigging changes for the Laser. The changes, which will allow sailors to alter the boom vang, cunningham, and outhaul, are intended to make the boat easier to sail, especially for lighter sailors, and open up the competitive weight range of the boat. The rule changes, the text of which is available on the North American Laser Class Association website www.laser.org went into effect at the beginning of October.

 

WARNING: No one can go back and make a brand new start but from now on you can make a brand new ending.