AsianYachting December 2003
News and Views

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CONTENTS

1. Editorial
2. "Unluckiest sailors of the month" - Jean-Pierre Dick's Virbac
3. Austral - Asian News - Next up is the Singapore Straits Regatta (14 -18 Jan)
4. International News - Follow the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race this month
5. World Speed Records - New WSSR set

Browse past News & Views - Web Editions click on: Dec Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov  

Ray Roberts Hollywood Boulevard still remains tied with Peter Ahern's YO! in the 2003/04 AY Skipper and Yacht Rankings after the Kings Cup and the 4th ***** five star, grand prix yacht racing event held this Season.

Looking at the Omega AYC rankings after two events Ray Roberts and Hollywood Boulevard (Australia) remain one point ahead of three other yachts: Hi Fidelity (Hong Kong), Stella Minter Ellison (Hong Kong) and Yo! (Malaysia). Having watched the short film clip produced at the Kings Cup I can't wait to see the full show on TV.

Go to the International Section if you are interested in following some sailing action over the festive season. Website links for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and 2 single handed round the world sailors Francis Joyon and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede are attempting to set new records in different directions can be found.

Next up is the Singapore Straits Regatta (14 -18 January) and the organising committee have advised that all the racing will take place off Singapore's eastern freeboard between the Changi Sailing Club and Nongsa Point Marina in Batam, Indonesia. The North East tradewinds are expected be in and last year this event was voted one of the windiest regattas on record.

Selamat Hari Raya, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.
From Capt Marty and AsianYachting

2. "Unluckiest sailor of the month"

Initially it was going to be Ray Roberts and Hollywood Boulevard, as after winning the RMIR we were expecting big things at the Kings Cup but a number of slow starts, ripping the mainsail in race 3 and being out of sync with the wind lines in other races nearly won him a second title.

But at 0200 GMT Wednesday 10th Dec, Jean-Pierre Dick's Virbac was dismasted 400 miles NE of Cape Verde Islands. The boat was under full main and genoa on starboard tack, when Jean-Pierre said that the deck fitting for the Port D1 shroud broke off (shroud to leeward going diagonally from the port side hull to the first spreader of the mast). It's this fitting which is in principal the cause of the dismasting which happened a few minutes later after Dick had taken down all sails. "I don't understand what happened. It's the first time I've seen a boat dismast with no sails up!" The mast fell, breaking "into three or four pieces."

The 9 meter boom will serve as a jury rigged mast so that Jean-Pierre can stay in the race to La Rochelle. Virbac is still in the race and is on track to finish the Défi Atlantique, which is a qualification race for the Vendée Globe 2004. "The most important thing is to keep racing!"

Right now the boat is still dismasted with no sails up but I am going to rig up the boom, which is on the deck, as a mast and then rig my small jib to finish the race." There are still 2092 miles - half the race - yet to go. According to the Sailing Instructions, Jean-Pierre must arrive less than 10 days after the first Open 60 finishes in La Rochelle to be ranked and therefore qualified for the Vendée Globe.

3. Austral - Asian News

3.1 DK Yachts in Malaysia are riding on a high this season with their factory produced Farr 52 OD Hollywood Boulevard and Mumm 30 Panic taking a 1, 2 at the Raja Muda and the new Farr 520 Plis Play with the full interior winning the Kings Cup. Matt Allen's Farr 52 OD Ichi Ban is also lining up as one of the favorites for the Sydney Hobart Race starting on Boxing Day after convincingly winning the IRC division at the pre-race Rolex Trophy Series held offshore from Sydney heads. Serious Yachts for Serious Sailors can be found at http://www.dkyachts.com

3.2 The Manila Yacht Club advises that the Standard Insurance Manila to Boracay Race (starting 11th Feb) Notice of Race along with the comprehensive Safety requirements that will be enforced have been posted on the website. Copies may also be obtained from MYC Race Office, Tel. no. (632) 526-7868, Fax no. (632) 523-7183

3.3 A new racing event for Phuket was unveiled by Image Asia Events Co at the recently run International Marine Expo at the Boat Lagoon. Phuket Race Week 2004 hosted by the Evason Phuket sails into the breezy month of July (10 - 17) to be held off Phuket's east coast. You can rest assured that the Evason will provide 5-star catering and entertainment plus there will be classes for charter yachts and corporate boats made available. Check it out at: http://www.phuketraceweek.com or contact them at raceweek@image-asia.com A full report on the boatshow (PIMEX 2003) which has been hailed by the marine industry exhibitors as a resounding success.

3.4 Nippon Cup 2003, Hayama Marina Yacht Club in Japan.
Australia's Peter Gilmour and his Pizza-La Sailing Team defeated Sweden's Magnus Holmberg and the SeaLife Rangers 3-1 to claim his record eighth Nippon Cup title. After the Swedes took the first match, Gilmour and his team of Mike Mottle, Yasuhiro Yaji and Kazuhiko Sofuku won the next three in a row. Gilmour's win further solidified his position at the top of the Swedish Match Tour 2003/2004 Rankings. The Nippon Cup 2003 is the third event on the Tour.

3.5 Match racing at the 2003 CCRW - K-Challenge 4 Oracle BMW Racing 3
On the final day of the China Coast Race Week, Oracle BMW Racing took on K-Challenge in a match racing spectacle in front of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Kellett Island clubhouse. A large crowd was enthralled by the two talented crews battling it out in identical match racing boats. K-Challenge, driven by John Cutler, with Romain Troublé, John Ziskind and Cameron Dunn out dueled and came back from 3 down to defeat Gavin Brady of Oracle BMW Racing with Jon Gundersen, Sean Clarkson and Jamie Gale 4-3 in the match racing event.

4. International News

4.1 The punters were right - Valencia in Spain will host the 32nd America's Cup in 2007. If you heeded earlier calls or read between the lines, Russell Coutts has predicted this all along. The main consideration in making the decision was to find a venue with consistent weather conditions to ensure the racing proceeds as scheduled.

The first pre-regatta will be in Sep 2004 and an opportunity to bring America's Cup racing to different venues by offering each of the four final Host City candidates one of these events. Challengers will again race for the Louis Vuitton Cup. Press release on the official website at: http://www.americascup.com To read or download a copy of the latest (58-page) draft of the new AC Class Rules (Please be patient)

4.2 The world's largest cruising sloop, the 247-foot (75m) Mirabella V, was launched on Wed 26th of Nov. After several delays and years of design and construction, the carbon-fibre super yacht owned by Joseph Vittoria was launched at VT Ship Builders at Woolston in Southampton.

The boat will be available for charter at US$250,000/ week. There are photos on the Yachting Universe website

4.3 Défi Atlantique - Exciting one to follow
The 4,100 nm Défi Atlantique, a new West-East transatlantic race for Open 60 IMOCA class monohulls set off on Sunday 30 Nov from Salvador, Brazil to La Rochelle, France (ETA first boat from 18th December 03). This race has gripped us all since the 10 strong solo fleet left Salvador; constant lead changes, unpredictable weather systems, damages, a dismasting and not least of all, a world record-breaking performance from ‘rookie’ Alex Thompson, still amongst the leading pack in his first ever Open 60 yacht race. He’s been on a two-week roller coaster ride so far, but it’s your turn to fasten your seat belts as the young British ‘star sailor’ goes head to head on the high seas with French rival Vincent Riou on ex-Vendée Globe winning boat PRB in the final run to the finish… The skippers will use this race as a qualification race for the next Vendée Globe as they must complete one solo transatlantic race before their entry is approved. This new race is run under the same rules as the Vendée Globe: for Open 60 monohulls only, non-stop, with no routing, no outside assistance, and of course single-handed. This is the first opportunity each skipper has had  to gauge each other's performance in solo mode, some on their new boats over 20 days of competition against their future rivals.

4.4 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race - Coming Soon
With the countdown to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race looming, international and local Aussie skippers have been working on the Rolex Trophy Series as a last chance to fine tune their boats and crew under the full pressure of competition, plus benchmark themselves against their rivals. Matt Allen's Farr 52 Ichi Ban, Grant Wharington's brand new 98ft super maxi Skandia, Syd Fischer's Ragamuffin, Geoff Ross's new Judel-Vrolijk 52 Yendys and George Snow's Brindabella have all featured in the top places. They will be joined by Zana, the biggest ocean racing monohull built in New Zealand which poses the major threat to Grant Wharington’s and Sean Langmans line honours aspirations. Follow this years race on the official website at: www.rolexsydneyhobart.com

4.5 The Quantum Sail Design Group reports enormous success with their Structurally Reinforced Membrane (SRM) sails and spinnakers produced in Malacca, Malaysia for the world wide market. Place your order or obtain a obligation free quotation before the New Year to enjoy Great discounts at all US Quantum Sales Outlets - Check them out at: http://www.quantumsails.com

4.6 The Farr 40 Executive Committee and Rolex Geneva announced that the dates and venue have been finalized for the 2005 Rolex Farr 40 World Championship in Sydney, Australia. Racing will be run by the highly respected Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), on March 2-5, 2005. CYCA is Australia's premier yacht club and home to what is considered yachting's 'Everest' - the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The Australian Farr 40 fleet is planning their 2004/05 season now to include events that visiting yachts can participate in prior to the Worlds. The Aussie national fleet is 20 boats strong, and a large turnout from Europe and North America is expected. Boats will be able to ship directly to Sydney upon the conclusion of the 2004 Rolex Farr 40 Worlds and the 2004 Rolex Big Boat Series in San Francisco.

5. World Speed Records

5.1 Subject to WSSR ratification, the 10 year old 10 sq.m. Class Record over 500m. has been broken. On Wed 3rd Dec at the St Maries de la Mer "canal" in the South of France, Finian Maynard claimed a speed of 46 24 kts on a windsurfer. The current 10 sq.m. record was established in April 1993 by Thierry Bielak with a speed of 45.34 kts. The outright World Speed record stands at 46.52 kts, established in October 1993 by Simon McKeon. - John Reed. Secretary WSSR Council, http://www.sailspeedrecords.com/news.html