10th
Western Circuit Sailing Regatta 2007
AY
Race Report 4 & Summary
Final
countdown reveals all...
Race five got underway in a light 7 to 8 knots of South Westerly breeze.
It was not long before a passing storm whipped up the conditions on the
final lap and produced for some a passing lane and others a hairy downwind
ride to the finish. The brisk conditions stayed in for the remainder of
the day which saw the conclusion of the regatta sailed in front of Raffles
Marina in champagne sailing conditions. Four IRC A yachts were a little
to keen to get away on race six and were recalled for being over the line.
All that remained was for the committee to calculate the results and announce
the overall class winners at the gala reception up in the ballroom.
IRC
A
Jeff Davison's Mumm 30 Panic continued on their winning ways
to stamp his domination on the Singapore racing scene with two more wins
today and claim overall victory with five wins out of six races. Gordon
Maxted Shoon Fung Too clung onto second overall despite two third
places today. Last weeks SMU President’s Cup winner Keith Dunn's
Lunchcutter II held onto third place overall after two forth
places in the final races. Bill Bremner's Foxy Lady III has experienced
some bad luck through out the regatta but made a big comeback with two
second places after playing catchup for being over the startline to finish
a creditable fourth at the end of the regatta.
IRC
B
SMU's Renfred Tay's Platu 25 SMUve held a slim lead coming into
the final races and by finishing with a first and third did enough to
hang onto first place overall. Hellmut Schutte's Elan 340 Aquavit
IV tried desperately to get as far as possible in front of the Platu
25 but after trading second and first places found them just one point
short and in second place overall. Peter Forbes on Next Page stayed
close on their tails taking a third and second but could not improve on
third place overall.
J24 One Design
Vladimir Borstnar's
Angel held a commanding lead coming into the final races but
had come increasingly under pressure from Tim Tan's Juno. Leading
of the start line Angel was soon challenged by Juno
who held a close lead for most the race until the last hundred meters
from the finish when Angel slightly to windward picked up a wave
and surfed by to claim first place by less than a boat length. Next race
the roles were reversed but Vladimir Borstnar's Angel had done
enough to claim first place overall. After a bad start to the regatta
Lee Sea Yean's Jangan Main Main stayed in contact with the leaders
and two third places today puts them in third overall.
SB3 One Design
This rapidly growing class is one of the reasons why one design racing
is becoming the talk of the town and rejuvenating sailing interest in
Singapore. After a few up and down performances Richard Killip's crew
on Hamster Hammock hammered home the advantage with two wins
to help themselves to overall victory. In the early races Hans Hviee's
Compass Rising scored a few wins but an OCS and sixth and third
today sees them drop back to second overall. Sean Cox on Komodo
has improved throughout the event and two second places brings them a
third place on the podium.
PY
Class
Blake Deberry's No Alibi has dominated the class from the very
first race. Despite withdrawing from the passage race they made up with
a first and second place to score a resounding overall victory. John Ramsden's
mixed results on Sofa So Good has enabled them to round out the
day with second place on the podium. Scoring first place in the last race
has elevated Bill Hamlen's Tropical Beaver into third overall.
Gallant efforts by Timo Bretschneider's Wild Thing and Jovin
Tan's Skud 18 came a little to late to have any affect on the
overall standings.
OTB
Multihulls
James Cole A Class Cat Full Noise is by far the fastest and best
sailed multihull on the water. Finishing with three firsts and three second
places puts him on the top of the podium. These nippy lightweight catamarans
seem to pop up everywhere and Nicholas Hart's Taipan 4.9 was no exception
and missed out being top cat by one point at the end of racing. Not far
behind Martin Pickrodt's Taipan 4.9 has consistently scored four third
places to end up third overall
Summary
It just does not get much better than this. Wind conditions ranging from
light to very heavy going is a good test on the sailors ability to handle
the boat in all conditions. For crews going onto other events latter in
the year, this outing should put them in sync with one another and just
maybe the ingredient required to stimulate them onto bigger and better
performances in the future. The resurgence in one design racing has kept
the sailors on their toes and proves that a bigger boat is not needed
to win but a well drilled racing team that concentrates on boat speed
is an important factor in obtaining the most fun out of yacht racing.
The Singapore Management University (SMU) team must be commended for their sponsorship and organizational roles as with out them there possibly would not be an event at all. Having several teams out on the water has encouraged other boats that have been dormant for some years to join in and produce the resurgence of keelboat sailing pursuits especially amongst the youth that will no doubt bear fruit in the future.
WCSR 07 results available at: http://www.westerncircuit.com/
Crews
ready to pounce on final day 
The
Singapore Management University (SMU) organising team are all set up for
the final onslaught and are proud to co-organise the 10th Western Circuit
Sailing Regatta with Raffles Marina. The two weekends so far have produced
exhilarating racing, great parties and lots of fun. Tonight's prize presentation
in the ballroom is expected to do the same and conclude the regatta with
lots of back slapping entertainment.
Storm
produces mixed results on second racing day.
The ominous dark clouds gathering over the second crossing did not dishearten
the sailors on 43 boats in contention for the inaugural SMU President’s
Cup challenge and Race 4 of this years Western Circuit Sailing Regatta.
The start line became extremely crowded with 3 starts for 6 classes, which
saw Lunchcutter, Aquavit IV, Next Page and Sofa So Good
setting the pace in the early stages. In the J24 class Juno and
Angel were all over each other trying to get the better of the
second start.
Spinnakers
bloomed after each boat rounded Mark 1 but as the wind increased in strength
it caused many boats to broach out of control. An unfortunate SB3 sporting
a white spinnaker met a strong gust and the spinnaker gave way. It was
one of many boats that had trouble with their spinnakers. Shengli’s
spinnaker got nicked in the wind causing them to slow and allow RSYC
Dua to overtake them before rounding the second mark.
As
the storm was brewing at a fast pace it forced the skippers to decide
whether or not to lower their spinnakers and sail with genoa's or continue
on flying their kites. The impending storm took its toll on some of the
boats at the second mark. Mark Jewell's Dogs IV broke the mast,
leaving them stranded in the rain that was getting stronger by the minute.
The wet hounds were not the only ones braving the storm. James Cole on
Full Noise was leading the Multihulls up to the first upwind
mark. However, after rounding the second mark, capsized just as the rain
came pouring down and the rest of the race became a very cold and dreary
affair.
On
a lighter note, being the SMU President’s Cup Race, sailors wore
fancy clothes to be in contention for the Best Dressed Crew award. Gordon
Maxted's Shoon Fung Too crew substituted their sailing gloves
for white Mickey Mouse ones and pink t-shirts to match the new spinnaker
that won them the award. Sapphire Star added some tropical flavor
with Hawaiian print shirts and Next Page came in full-force with
royal blue shirts and tinsel garlands.
Also
to celebrate the inaugural event a MOU was signed between SMU and Raffles
Marina to provide a home for the Universities sailing activities, boats
and racing teams for the next three years.
A
fusion of colour in the Johore Straits...
IRC
A
IRC
B
J24
One Design
SB3
One Design
PY
Class
OTB
Multihulls
All
classes open for the taking...
The diverse IRC Class ranges from Renfred Tay's Platu 25 SMUve,
Dickon Addis JS9000 Roo, Jeff Davison's Mumm 30 Panic,
Hellmut Schutte's Elan 340 Aquavit IV right through to Bill Bremner's
Sydney 40 Foxy Lady III and Fredrick Roswold's Serendipity 43
Wings. The committee have broken the class into A and B but as
they start at the same time and sail the same course both are in the running
to be crowned overall champions. Recently at the 
PY
Class has attracted six entrants with John Ramsden's Elan Impression 43
Sofa So Good, winner at the 
The revival of the J24 One Design Class comes at a time when small keelboat
classes have been included into regional games. Many yacht clubs, state
associations and national authorities in Asia are interested in forming
teams to contest a variety of future fleet and match racing events being
planned. Going through the entry list there are some previous winners
here and top performing boats from past 
Four
off the beach catamarans are expected to have a good battle. Two nippy
Taipan 4.9's skippered by Martin Pickrodt and Nicholas Hart will be taking
on Jon Veel's Nacra Inter 17 and James Cole A Class Cat. The performance
differential between the three designs is quite significant, so weather
conditions and handicaps will play a big part in determining the overall
outcome.