President's
Cup Regatta 2001
19th
- 24th February
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Stella, the Hong Kong based Sydney 38 wins the 9th President's Cup Regatta held in the Philippines over February 2001.
Report from Sydney 38 owner Fred
Kinmonth from Hong Kong.
Stella's victory in the Presidents Cup, one of Asia's top Regattas was remarkable because in the four months since her launch she took third in Kings Cup in Thailand, she won the 7th Singapore Straits regatta and now she's won the Presidents Cup, all with the same bunch of Etchell sailors from Hong Kong.
During the Presidents Cup conditions varied between 6 and 16 knots.
Stella was the most consistent boat in the regatta and won with a 3,3,1,2,2,2,4 record.
A
US chartered Farr 40 came second, an Andrews 53 third and two Sydney
46's filled fourth and fifth positions.
The first day Tuesday was a windward leeward in Manila Bay and in that race Stella had time on the fleet until she parked but managed to claw her way back into a third.
On the second day the fleet turned south to Maya Maya in a thirty five-mile passage race. The breeze died as the day progressed which delivered victory to the largest boat in the IRC fleet, the four year old Andrews 53, however the little Sydney 38 held on for a third.
On
Thursday in the two windward leeward saw Stella secure a win and a second.
On the fourth day Stella had a second in the morning behind the Farr
40, again in the afternoon the Andrews 53 were favoured by a dying breeze
and she won again but the consistent Sydney 38 again corrected to second
place.
The final race was a 20-mile upwind race back to the middle of Manila Bay and Stella's fourth secured the Regatta.
It
has not been a easy series, the conditions across the three countries
are very mixed and we've been racing against some gun crews, for instance
Jamie Wilmont and Steve Benjamin were aboard the third placed boat Karakoa.
The Farr 40, not limited by class rules had a fully professional crew
and Neil Pryde's Sydney 46 is always well sailed with a professional
crew.
We are looking forward to sailing the Typhoon series back here in Hong Kong through our summer. the locals are beginning to think the Sydney 38 must be "a point and shoot boat " as it has performed so well, but we've really had to work over these three regatta's because the conditions have been so mixed.
The Sydney 38's are just such fun to sail, we've been talking about coming down to the Whitsunday's to compete in your Nationals and the Australian IRC nationals. Unfortunately it clashes a bit with some of our racing but we'd love to join in the fun if we possibly can.
Fred Kinmonth
Hong Kong
The
regatta this year was held under a new, experimental format. It worked.
In spite of many unexpected occurances. In previous years, the regatta
had always been at Easter to dovetail into the finish of the China sea
Race, or the San Fernando, which are held on alternate years. This year,
the timing of the San Fernando made any "dovetailing" a useless exercise.
The organizers were left with the possibility that they could have it
any time they wanted.
After
consulting with HK sailors, and touring the region, it was decided to
hold the regatta at least a week after Chinese New year. The PCR committee
wanted to ensure wind, so they set it in February as requested, and they
set it there so that instead of timing it to be after the CSR or San Fernando,
it would be right after the Asian circuit / RM, KC, Straits regattas.
Things
turned out well on the passage race from MYC to Punta Fuego too. Sunshine
was in abundance at the start and finish line, and though it rained the
night of the party, the venue was big enough. The rest of the regatta
was sunny, with an unseasonal south westerly most of the time. But it
was better than "good enough" to race in. And nobody complained.
The
Venues were great. Punta Fuego showed the class it had, and Maya Maya
showed off their Marina facilities, and what a good party they could throw.
The band was really great, and the Polynesian feast sumptuous.