Drama plays out to the end...
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
27th Nov 2010 - Langkawi Harbour Races: Like men possessed by iron resolutions, all the racing teams headed out onto Bass Harbour and the fresh 10 knot North Easterly breeze ensured that racing got underway on time and in enough pressure to fight right to the very end. Ray Roberts TP52 Evolution Racing held a slender 4 point lead over Neil Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi at the start of the day and the cat and mouse game came to life just before the preparatory signal. PRO Jerry Rollin announced "Clear Start" and a tight tacking duel began on the first upwind. Frank Pong 75’ Reichel Pugh Jelik III steamed into the lead followed by the dueling Evolution Racing and Hi Fi that went out to the extreme right hand side on the downwind. Evolution Racing then got caught up in a fish trap and despite the quick thinking crew member that jumped over and detached the line from the keel, they rounded in last place and started on the long fight back. Neil Pryde's Hi Fi then went on to record first place and despite clambering back Evolution Racing finished in fourth place leaving them with only a one point advantage with one race to go.

PRO Jerry Rollin bellowed "All over the line except Strewth" and the boats then darted left and right to exonerate themselves. Neil Pryde went around the committee boat as Ray Roberts gybed back, mid startline and came back bow to bow staring Pryde in the eyes. A short tacking duel followed then Hi Fi broke to the right and Evolution Racing to the left. The wind veered to the right and Hi Fi rounded the windward mark in front of Frank Pong's Jelik III and marched off downwind with a commanding lead. The calculators were going crazy as fourth placed Evolution Racing began to fight back and eventually finished in second place and tie the pointscore on fifteen points. A protest was lodged against Hi Fi for a startline incident but was dismissed and by winning the last race, Neil Pryde and Hi Fi became the 2010 Racing Class champions and awarded the prestigious silver and gold Raja Muda Cup.

In the Premier Cruising class, Antony Hastings' Beneteau F53 Baby Tonga have kept a clean sheet and by scoring six wins in a row, have defended the title and now won the Jugra Cup three years in a row. Peter Cremers Warwick 53 Shahtoosh held on for second place and Hans Rahmann's Judel Vrolijk 21.3m Yasooda rebounded back into third place and thereby relegating Alex Takhovski's Russian team on his Jeanneau 50DS LeRo down into fourth place.

By putting the pedal to the metal Peter Wintle's Ker 36 Koull Baby overcame all odds to take out the IRC 3 class and take home the Dato' Abdul Aziz Ismail Trophy on their first attempt. Despite taking out line honors in all the races the Malaysian Armed Forces Farr 52 Zural skippered by Ishak Jab could not convert enough over to handicap wins and ended up in second overall. Although Mark Mizner's Sydney 40 Babe picked up the mooring line at the windward mark on the first race today and watched the fleet sail by, they rebounded with second place in the final race to secure third overall after all their difficulties during the regatta.

Once again defending champion David Ross' Kerr 32 Kukukerchu cleaned up in the IRC 4 class and take home the RSYC Cruising Challenge Trophy for another year. Bryan Gauson's 34 year old Farr 1104 Piccolo could not match the two year old Kukukerchu for pace but put in a sterling effort to end up in second overall. Vincent Chan's Titan 36 Mata Hari kept the pressure on the leaders but just couldn't climb the mountain to wind up with the third podium position.

By either finishing in first or second places in the IRC Cruising Class 5, Simon Connor's Olson 10 Sapphire did enough to take home the Tiger International Challenge Cup on their first attempt. Gavin Welman's Hallberg-Rassy 53 Rascal has won here before but after being in and out of the podium places had to settle on second place this time around. After severe juggling of places down the order, Andy & Jenni Brennan's Delphia 40 Jenzminc VI did the best of the rest to hold on for third place.

The grand old dames of the Non IRC Classic Class 6, saw Tim Wilson's 20m Cutter-Ketch El Oro skippered by Simon Blundell come to the fore to be awarded with the Eveline Trophy on their first outing. Simon Morris Sirius 1935 came good over the final races to slot into second place just in front of Dato Richard Curtis 100 year old Bristol Pilot Cutter Eveline skippered on this occasion by Trevor Richards in third place after a disappointing start to the regatta. It's good to see the real classics get the better of the plastic counterparts.

Summary
Looking back over the last week there has been a lot of water pass under the bridge. The trials and tribulations of the first few overnight legs have been forgotten or replaced with more recent memories. In his winding up speech John Ferguson pointed out that competitors participate once and either don't like the unique format of the event or continue to come back year after year. The likes of Jon Wardill's Australian Maid has participated in 19 of the 21 events held to date which should be proof that long distance racers will enjoy the event and come back for more. Judging by the music and merriment presently going on at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club this will ensure a superb future for many years to come.

More info and results on the 21st Raja Muda Selangor Int. Regatta at: http://www.rmsir.com

Goto RMSIR - AY Photo Gallery
AY Race Report 4
AY Race Report 3
AY Race Report 2
AY Race Report 1
AY Pre- Regatta Report

All the 2010-11 AY News, Views and Race Reports can be found Here...

This RMSIR 2010 - AY Race Report is kindly bought to you by the following supporters