3rd
Borneo International Yachting Challenge 2006
AY Race Report
3 & Summary
All
over bar the bragging...
For the past two events Kay Wilson's Ambil Angin has played brides
maid to Troy Yaw's Ulumulu, so this year the Brunei expat crew
were more than ever determined to be crowned champions. However coming
into the final day of racing they trailed Sarawak Sea Horse the
local heroes skippered by Johanis Dahaklay (Ambon Johnny) by two points.
Taking a commanding lead in race four they went on to take the gun and
get back one point. A close start followed in the deciding race with Sarawak
Sea Horse leading Ambil Angin across the line much to the
applause of the local media. As the wind backed by 40 degrees the race
officer Jerry Rollin had the windward mark relayed and despite all the
correct procedures to notify the skippers, the Sarawak Sea Horse
crew failed to notice and headed out along the old path and granted Ambil
Angin another win on the day. This tied the pointscore and as Ambil
Angin won the last race she goes on to win the title and be crowned
overall champions for 2006.
After
a group repair to the big headsail on the pontoons during the layday Colin
Craig's Simonis 50 Deja Vu from South Africa was back up to speed
to win race three and secure overall victory in Cruising B. Although a
dismal eighth place in the Labuan to Miri passage race John Stonham's
Tayana 47 Tui Tai from Hong Kong rebounded with second in race
three to end up second overall. Paul Caine's Adams 42 Bogart
scored a well deserved third place in today's race but had to settle on
fourth overall. Aussie Neil Langford's Ganley 50 Crystal Blues
cold only manage a ninth in race three but her first place in the passage
race secured them third place overall.
It
was a different story for Christoper Antolak's Brewer 34 Moca
who won all three Cruising C races and bag the overall class title with
a clean sweep. David and Cathy Scott's Adams 40 Strong Legs was
back up to speed after a fifth on the passage race with a second place
today that gave them second overall. Ron Fitzpatrick's Adams 12 Colombus
added another third place to their tally to finish up third overall.
The places were shared reasonably equally over three races amongst the
three Classic Class yachts. Christopher Chin's Cape Cutter 19 Bandoola
came to the fore today but double points for a third place in the passage
race leaves them in third place overall. American Wally Smith second place
on the Hunter H37C Patience gives them a slight points advantage
to become the overall champion. Aussie Ian Glover's extended Moonwind
32 Reeflections 2 finished with a third place but their win on
the passage race gives them second place overall.
Summary
Cruising through Borneo
is truly a unique experience. If your visit coincides with the Borneo
Int Yachting Regatta even better as the organisers guarantee yachties
a good time in Labuan and Miri. Next year they are looking at expanding
to Sabah and Brunei. The dates are set for September midway through the
favourable cruising season and Chairman Troy Yaw announced at the prize
giving that the US$500 incentive package and no entry fee will remain
in a all out effort to get thirty entrants next year.
YB
Lee Kim Shin unofficially appointed the sailors and media as ambassadors
for the regatta and hoped the word by mouth approach would get the news
out and attract more boats to the region throughout the year. The Miri
Marina has never looked so good with twenty extra boats (See aerial photo)
creating a hum of activity that they would like to see continue on into
the future.
Sail Indonesia have contacted the organisors and would like to incorporate Borneo into their rally which may be a bit of a rush for yachts traveling through Indonesia but I'm sure they will go the extra miles to take part with the all inclusive incentive package on offer. This is a win win situation for everyone concerned. The organisers get more entries and the normally cruising sailor that may have never competed in a race before get to learn more about their boat and develop some racing skills while being introduced to a exotic and peaceful part of the world.
More info and results at: http://www.borneorace.com
Fickle
winds so race record safe...
The
Racing Class yachts and Deja Vu were the only crews hell bent
on sailing the entire course and spent the whole day urging the boat along
to get to Miri Marina by late evening. This is a far cry from Troy Yaw's
record breaking run last year on Ulumulu that completed the entire
course in under 13 hours with an average speed slightly over 8 1/2 knots
that would appear to be safe for many years to come.
Much
to the delight of the Miri supporters the hometown boat Sarawak Sea
Horse skippered by Johanis Dahaklay (Johny Ambon) came in only 28
minutes behind Kay Wilson's bigger Ambil Angin from Brunei after
33 hours of racing to claim first place in the IRC Class.
Christoper
Antolak's Brewer 34 Moca added another victory onto the score
sheet and together with their Labuan harbour race win take the overall
lead in Cruising C. After competing last year Ron Fitzpatrick's Adams
12 Colombus knows the way from Labuan and after spending a year
cruising through the Philippines have returned to take second place. David
and Cathy Scott's Adams 40 Strong Legs stayed in the overall
running by claiming third place.
Up,
up and away...
Cruising
C saw a close battle staged around the course with Christoper Antolak's
well sailed Brewer 34 Moca, all the way from Canada making the
most of the breeze when it died out and changed direction. David and Cathy
Scott's Adams 40 Strong Legs fell of the pace toward the end
and are content with second place in the trying conditions. Karl Amundsen's
Augusta showed why the Saxe 40 is considered one of the best
cruising boats in Norway as they claimed third spot in front of a closely
knit bunch of three boats that had a good tussle all race.
American
Wally Smith's Hunter H37C Patience got an early break in the
Classic Class to go on and take the daily double of Line and Handicap
honours. Christopher Chin's newly acquired Cape Cutter 19 Bandoola
from Sabah is the only other Malaysian yacht competing and with tan sails
has the look of a real classic yacht to score a well deserved second place.
Aussie Ian Glover on the extended Moonwind 32 Reeflections 2
needs a bit more wind to get up to speed and quite happily settled on
third place.
The
course takes the yachts to sea, south along the Brunei coast, through
the bombing range and in between the many offshore platforms that fuel
the oil rich country. Racing on a obstacle course, through the night in
tricky conditions will keep crews on their toes. Most yachts come fully
equipped with refrigeration and cooking facilities, so if the wind is
in they could well have a very pleasant trip but light winds or calm spots
may see some yachts struggle to sail to the finish and may have to rely
on the trusty diesel engine to get to Miri in time for the next party.
A
2 1/2 hour AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Labuan in East Malaysia
is all you need to get to the startline for the 3rd Borneo Int Yachting
Challenge. The massive and diverse island of Borneo is probably better
known for the deepest, darkest and dankest rain forests with sandy tropical
Islands fringing the coastline, than a venue for yacht racing. That all
changed a few years ago when the State of Sarawak and the Federal Territory
Island of Labuan decided to jointly hold a International sailing event
to promote marine and sporting tourism pursuits in the region. Marina's
have been built in 
Eighteen
yachts have arrived in front of the Waterfront Hotel in Labuan from the
twenty one entries received to date. Five Aussie yachts form the largest
contingent, with two each from Malaysia, Brunei and Hong Kong, plus one
from the UK, USA, South Africa, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway and Canada,
truly reflects the International flavour of the event. The added attraction
of waving entry fees and providing a US$ 500 incentive to help cover costs
has doubled the number of entries over past years and seen a marked increase
in long term cruisers visiting the region.
Only
two boats have IRC certificates to be eligible for the racing class and
most others have either never raced before or are out and out, husband
and wife cruisers with jerry cans, gas bottles, outboard motors and dinghy's
strapped on deck. Not what you would normally see at a regatta but with
the lack of racing class boats over here, anything seems to go in this
part of the world. Two five-star parties with traditional dancers are
planned for Labuan, with three more in Miri, are bound to go down well
with the thirsty sailors in between the racing. Despite the cruising nature
of the regatta the overall intention is to do well and extra attention
paid to trimming the sails, a little tweak here and there to be marginally
faster around a designated course. After all winning is not everything
to these sailors but developing some camaraderie amongst the troops and
fostering new found friendships could just make this event very unique
indeed.