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Raja Muda Int Regatta 2002
Royal Selangor Yacht Club AsianYachting
- Race Report 5 &
Summary
 Langkawi Windward / leewards
Saturday 23rd Nov
What started with a bang unfortunately finished with a fizz.
After yesterdays races being postponed the race committee tried in vain to fit in 4 races today on the last day of racing. As the wind gods were uncooperative once again only 2 races could be completed in 4 to 9 knots of variable breeze to complete the series.
Racing Class
Frank Pong's Jelik blitzed the course to take line and handicap honours in race 4 by a mere 16 seconds from Warwick Downes on Stella. Chris Gee's Matahari followed in another 16 seconds and only 2 minutes separated the top 6 finishers. Race 5 saw Stuart Harrison's Mumm 30 Panic jump into first place and once again relegate Stella to second place by 19 seconds this time. Jelik filled third and Matahari a well earned 4th.  Overall
- This year it's StellaThe 2002 Overall RMIR champion is Warwick Downes and his crew on the Sydney 38 Stella with 4 seconds and one first. Amir Zohri's Gotcha Lagi! hung onto second place for a consecutive year and Frank Pong's big performance on the windward/leewards displaced Dato Razif's Piccolo to forth place overall in the racing classes. Stella also took out racing A and Gotcha Lagi! racing class B.
Cruising Class A
Hans Hvide's big Swann 68 Irvmiren made it a clean sweep with 4 wins from Warren Ritchie's Vela who managed to claw back a win in race 4 to stay in front of Mike Downard's Bourgeouis Tag. The all girl crew on Dewi Bayu maybe disappointed with their performance on the water but made up for it by attracting the most media coverage in the local press.
 Cruising
Class BJim Eberhart's Infinity placed first overall despite sharing the honours today with Steve Dimmer's Windfall who took second overall. Mike Lane's Integrity II jumped up to third overall after El Sea decided to withdraw from today's race. Ayahudin's Chantique resumed racing after repairs had been completed from the lightning strike received on Leg 2 to Pinang.
Classic Class
The Royal Malaysian Navy's Dondang Sayang skippered by Mohd Hamdan took the overall honours from Musytari skippered by Chin A/L In with a mixed bag of results. Eveline and My Toy followed after withdrawing to assist Chantique and as the wind died watched their chances all but disappear.
Summary
As another year draws to a end the RSYC must be congratulated for continuing to organise this unique event. The mixture of overnight passage races with day racing windward leewards has drawn upon all the sailing skills necessary to safely pilot a racing yacht in all conditions. A true test of the crews seamanship as well as their racing qualities. |
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Raja Muda Int Regatta 2002
Royal Selangor Yacht Club AsianYachting
- Race Report 4
Langkawi Windward /
leewards
Friday 22nd
Nov
Unfortunately mother nature let the sailors
down today and a few minutes after the start of Race 4
OOD Jimmy Farquhar had no alternative other than to postpone the
race and wait for some wind to materialise. The early morning storm having
upset the trade wind pattern had the yachts hanging about until 3:00 pm
before the committee brought an end to the days proceedings.
With 2 Windward /Leewards postponed today
the committee face the daunting task of trying to fit in 4 races tomorrow
on the last day of racing when hopefully the sailing conditions will improve.
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Raja Muda Int Regatta
2002
Royal Selangor Yacht Club AsianYachting - Race Report 3
Pinang to Langkawi
Thursday 21st Nov
After the stormy Leg 2 the sailors repaired the previous nights damage and braced themselves for the notoriously famous heavy weather Leg 3 from Pinang to Langkawi. Fortunately it did not live up to its reputation although a storm built up and gave the boats a good hosing the strong winds normally associated with the rain did not appear. Most of the 70 nm course was spent either close 2 sail or shy spinnaker reaching in 8 to 15 knots of wind making it quite a quick passage with everyone finishing including the classic class before 5 am in the morning.
Racing
Warwick Downes Sydney 38 Stella took the honours to go to the top of the overall leader board from Dato Dr Razif's 26 year old Farr 1104 Piccolo showing she still has some speed left to be amongst the podium finishers when the conditions suit. Aussie Jon Wardill's bigger and more powerful Australian Maid screeched away to fill 3rd spot and almost got their time back after handicaps have been applied. Frank Pong's Jelik took 4th to record his third Line Honours and split the placings of the smaller yachts relegating Amir Zohri's Gotcha to fifth place and to 2nd place overall to Stella.
Cruising
As the Cruising Class B yachts have chosen to introduce handicap adjustments based on their placings after each race the overall Cruising Class winner will go to the winner of Class A and must be classified separately. Hans Hvide big Swann 68 Irvmiren has won all three races so far to lead Warren Ritchie's second placed 36ft Vela. Mike Downard's crew on Bourgeouis Tag took third and is putting the pressure on Trevor Matthews Simba for 3rd spot overall.
After applying handicap adjustments the Hunter 40 El Sea chartered by some sailing enthusiasts from the Pinang Swimming Club bounced back after some mediocre placings to capture first place from overall leader Infinity who has 2 first places so far. As a result of the adjustments the corrected times have dramatically shortened in with only minutes separating the four remaining class B competitors.
Classic
The Royal Malaysian Navy's entrants Mohd Hamdan on Dondang Sayang and Chin/l In on Musytari have taken 1st and 2nd place respectively for the last two races and must be congratulated for sailing the entire course on all the legs so far. Wulf Henning and Richard Curtis where awarded for their bravery and assistance given to the lightening struck Chantique during the storm swept Leg 2.
With the RMIR passage racing format completed this unique event changes to windward/leeward day races in picturesque Bass Harbour and passage races for the cruisers around some of the beautiful Islands that make up Langkawi. You can expect to see some changes on the leaderboard as some yachts and crew are better suited to this style of racing and the four races planned score the same points as the overnight passage races held so far.
Full results will be posted on the RSYC website after each race which can be found at http://www.rsyc.com.my/race3.asp
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Raja Muda Int Regatta 2002
Royal Selangor Yacht Club AsianYachting - Race Report
2
Pangkor
to Pinang
Tuesday 19th
Nov
A lurking
30 knot tropical thunderstorm hits the fleet.
What started with a building
afternoon seabreeze soon turned nasty as one of the many roaming thunderstorms
crossed the course halfway along, forcing the yacht crews to take
on a full scale tropical downpour along with thunder, lightning and over
30 knots of wind. Many of the long time participants have concurred that
it was probably one the toughest legs ever to be experienced during
the RMIR. First to retire was Tengku Nazim's F31 with mast damage
from rigging failure then lightening struck the Thai's on Pasaya
and Ayahudin's Chantique making their electronic systems next
to useless. Several yachts experienced torn sails and one had to be towed
to Pinang in the remaining 2 meter rolly seas.
Racing
Class
A surprise change in fortunes
saw Peter Cremers new Warwick 55 Shahtoosh weather the conditions
the best to take 1st place in the racing classes after being promoted
from the Cruising Class at the start of the regatta. Warwick Downes Sydney
38 Stella took second place again to beat Amir Zorhi's
fast finishing Leg 1 winner Gotcha Lagi! by a mere 5 seconds this
time around. Hong Kongs Frank Pong on Jelik completed the 70
mile straight line course in 8:39:23 to capture his second line honours
title in the regatta.
Cruising
Class
Hans Hvide magnificent Swann
68 Ivmiren revelled in the stormy conditions to take out a run
away win from Jim Eberhart's Infinity the winner of Class B and
Mike Downard's crew on Bourgeouis Tag made a quick impression
on and off the water after only joining the regatta from this leg onwards.
Colin Lane's newly acquired Integrity 11 took 4th overall plus
2nd in Class B and is very pleased with their heavy weather performance
to bounce them up the rankings.
Classic
Class
As Eveline and My
Toy had gone to the aid of the stricken Chantique and the
committee where involved with the late finishers and a rescue exercise
through out the morning the results have not been finalised for this class
at the time of releasing this report.
The next exciting instalment of the RMIR 2002 continues when racing resumes on Wednesday night from Pulau Pinang the Pearl of the Orient to the Legendary and duty free Islands of Langkawi. Full results will be posted on the RSYC website after each race which can be found at http://www.rsyc.com.my/race2.asp |
| Raja Muda
Int Regatta 2002
Royal Selangor Yacht Club AsianYachting - Race Report
1
Sunday
17th Nov
It's "Gotcha Lagi!"
again.
Leg 1. The overnight passage race from Pt Klang to Palau
Pangkor during this years RMIR proved to be a excellent test for
racing crews and their machines. Blessed with 10 to 18 knots of
changing breezes the yachts made quick progress along the coastal route
despite zig zaging in and out of the shallow waters to counteract up
to 2 knots of adverse current at times.. Being caught either inshore
or offshore when the evening land breeze filled in, inevitably played
a big part in determining the overall results.
Racing Class
The experienced Malaysian Rahim brothers on 4 times RMIR
winner Gotcha Lagi! showed they have not lost their touch
by narrowly beating an unlucky Warwick Downes who briefly went aground
on Stella to take first place overall in the racing classes.
Dato Dr Razif's Piccolo filled third spot after being placed
into the racing class this year after winning Cruising Class B last
year with the previous owners. A tight and interesting battle lasted
till the early hours of the morning with Frank Pong's 77ft sled eating
up the miles on the reaching sections to take line honours just after
midnight to average around 10 knots on the 100 nautical mile drag race.
Cruising Class
Jim Eberhart's Tayana 55 Infinity times corrected
in to take 1st place overall from Hans Hvde's big Swann 68 Irvmiren
which finished amongst the racing class leaders. In the ensuring overnight
battle for the places only minutes separated Steve Dimmer's Swann 61
Windfall and Piers Richardson on Chantique who where
within sight most of the race and fifth placed Warren Ritchie's 36 footer
Vela which only finished at 5:32 in the morning.
Classic Class
Richard Curtis's 100 year old classic Evelin
took the honours this time.and where very happy to have the good sailing
breezes to fan them along till morning and beat the Royal Malaysian
navies entrant Musytari skippered by Chin A/l In and Mohd Hamdan
on Dondang Sayang.
Racing continues on Monday night from beautiful Pulau
Pangkor to Pulau Pinang the Pearl of the Orient. Full results will be
posted on the RSYC website after each race which can be found at http://www.rsyc.com.my/race1.asp
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| Raja Muda Int
Regatta 2002
Royal Selangor Yacht Club Friday 15th
November
The pontoons at the Royal Selangor
Yacht Club in Port Klang are a hive of activity today as the 28 participating
yachts are making final preparations for this years Raja Muda Int Regatta
starting tomorrow. The 13th running of this coastal island hopping classic has
attracted a variety of large ocean racing yachts ranging from the
locally owned Mia a Valichelli 80 to Jelik
a Wylie/Juan Kouyoumdjian modified 77, Irvmiren a Swann 68, Windfall
a Swann 61, Australian Maid a Cassidy 55, Chantique
a Oyster 55 and Shahtoosh a brand new Warwick 55. Unfortunately
some local high tech racers have chosen not to race as they are not suited to
the overnight passage races and have opted to continue preparations for
the Kings Cup day racing program to be held in Thailand latter this month.
In racing class the Sydney
38 Stella is making her RMIR debut this year together with Pasaya
Schle Wood's new Farr 40 racing team from Thailand and Stuart Harisson's
Mumm 30 Panic. They will be joined by 4 time RMIR winner Gotcha
Lagi, Chris Gee's Titan 36 Matahari and John Wardill's Aussie
Maid a regular competitor on the Asian Yachting Circuit.
Frank Pong's 77ft racing sled Jelic is expected to take line
honours in the 3 passage races and if conditions are suitable could possibly
set new course records on the way.
With 12 competitors the Cruising
Class is expected to be hotly contested. Sunsail in Langkawi have sponsored
and supplied a Oceanis 44 and 46 for the Malaysian all women's crew
led by Natasha Smith and the Malaysian Yachting Association youth
team skippered by Ian Hewett. Joining them will be Waren Ritchie's restored
Gibb Sea 37 Vela and regular competitor Trevor Matthews Dehler
39 Simba from Singapore. The racing classes have been divided
into Division A and B to bring yachts with similar IRC handicaps
together into a secondary grouping.
The Classic Class is graced by 4
evergreen yachts from the past. Richard Curtis's 100 year old Bristol
cutter Eveline tops the list along with the Royal Malaysian Navy
entrant Musytari and Wulf-Henning Lenz's fun loving Roberts 34
My Toy. As these yachts are built for comfort not speed they
are adopting a rally style format to get them to the parties on time.
The stage is now set so hopefully mother nature plays her part and brings some favourable wind so the yachts can overcome the often tricky sailing conditions experienced in the Malacca Straits this time of the year. Judging by the number of social events planned whatever the outcome on the water maybe the competitors are bound to enjoy the hospitality onshore.
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Raja Muda Int
Regatta 2002 Royal Selangor Yacht Club
The regatta will follow the same format as it has in the past, island hopping its way up the west coast of the Kra peninsula in three legs; Port Klang to Pangkor, Pangkor to Penang, and Penang to Langkawi. Once the fleet reaches Langkawi two days of windward, leeward racing will be held in picturesque Bass Harbour. The regatta culminates with the royal awards dinner to be held at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club on Sat November 23. http://www.rsyc.com.my
Go to Past years RMIR Race Reports Return
to AsianYachting Homepage |
Despite
the holly Muslim fasting month of Ramadan falling over the traditional
regatta period the now Sultan and
former Raja Muda of Selangor has
stated that the racing will go ahead as planned. A all girl crew
and a team of RSYC youth sailors are expected to join a cast
of International rock stars and sailing legends at the Royal
Selangor Yacht Club for this annual classic. Notice or Race
at 