60 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2015 Asia-Pacific Boating March/April 2015 61RACES & REGATTAS
Shift y winds in Kuah Harbour made for some interesting racing on
Nov 22, the fi nal day of the 2014 Raja Muda Selangor International
Regatta (RMSIR).
Bill Bremner’s Foxy Lady VI emerged as winner to retain the
respective Class One title and the Raja Muda Cup while Geoff Hill’s
Antipodes snatched the Class Two title and the Jugra Challenge Cup
for the fi rst time.Th e other winners were:- Class Th ree (Th e Dato’ Abdul Aziz Ismail Challenge Trophy) –
Gordon Ketelby’s Fujin - Class Four (Th e JCC RE Challenge Trophy) – Mike Downard’s Piccolo
- Class Five (Th e Royal Langkawi Yacht Club Cup) – Philip Auger’s
Sophia - Class Six (Th e Eveline Trophy) – Barry Wickett’s Kay Sira
- Class Seven (Th e Westports Cup) – Rolf Heemskerk’s Hurricane
- Th e Mount Gay Passage Race Award – Gordon Ketelby’s Fujin
Th e harbour races in Langkawi had wind speeds averaging 8 knots.
However, the unreliable winds saw the Class One and Class Two boats
having to put up with only one race instead of two on the penultimate
day, and a fair bit of waiting on the last day for the start and end buoys to
be moved around the course to make things work for three races.
Th e Sultan of Selangor, HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, presented
the Raja Muda Cup for Class One and the Jugra Cup for Class Two to the
winners at the awards ceremony held at Bella Vista Waterfront and Spa.
Th e Selangor Sultan is the patron of the RMSIR and the Royal Selangor
Yacht Club (RSYC).
Th e Regatta had a rough start aft er the fl ag-off from Port Klang on Nov 15.
Th e race to Pangkor saw the boats fi rst being deluged by a major downpour,RAJA MUDA SELANGOR INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
- SILVER ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Th ere were 248 competitors in the 2014 RHKYC Around the Island Race
on Nov 16 in association with Simpson Marine.
Race Offi cer Inge Strompf-Jepsen and Deputy Race Offi cer Brenda
Davies had 90 minutes of start sequences to set up on two lines, with a
strong ebb tide and very little breeze.
All classes started as planned, with no general recalls but lots of
individual boats over the line early. Most of the boats that were over earlyROYAL HONG KONG YACHT CLUB
AROUND THE ISLAND RACE 2014
chose to accept a 5 percent time penalty instead of trying to fi ght their
way back to the line to restart.
Th e 200+ boat parking lot off Hung Hom was an impressive sight from
the shore, but sailors had to be vigilant about keeping reasonable distance
from other boats in the bottleneck trying to get out of Victoria harbour.
Relief came at around 1030 when the breeze freshened and the front of
the fl eet started to pick up speed.
With steady breeze through beyond Stanley Gate, Strompf-Jepsen toyed
with the idea of allowing the boats to continue to Green Island, but with
only 0-2kts at Cyberport and with RP72 Jelik in sight, a shortened course at
Ap Lei Chau was considered to be the best course of action.
Jelik claimed line honours just under three hours aft er her start, with
TP52 FreeFire a worthy second on the water some 17 minutes later. From
then on, a wall of spinnakers descended on the fi nish line until the fi nal
boat, Shahna Bacal, crossed just before 1600.
Th e 420 RHKYC Sharks sailors Calum Gregor and Wilhelm
Christensson came out on top of the ATI results, with another 420 Sea
School 1 helmed by Ka Chun Siu in second place and Etchells Jezebel
helmed by Peter Backe in third. Th e prize ceremony took place at RHKYC
Kellett Island on Nov 17.
http://www.rhkyc.org.hkwhich took the winds with it to leave many yachts fl ailing.
Th e 65nm (120.38km) second passage race from Pangkor to Langkawi
turned out to be a punishing one with the wind disappearing at one point,
leaving the fl eet parked out in the water for almost fi ve hours. Th e boats
eventually made it to Penang on some light winds, in one of the slowest
passage races in the Regatta’s 25-year history.
In the end, there were strong winds for the fi nal passage race to
Langkawi, which helped all the boats get in quickly and in good time.
Th e RMSIR spans a total of 260 miles (418.43km) with unpredictable
winds, weather and tide making its passage and harbour races an
interesting challenge. Th e 2014 RMSIR had 40 boats from 11 countries
fi ercely vying for honours in this world-class event that moves from the
start point of Port Klang to the islands of Pangkor, Penang and Langkawi
in an attempt to win the prestigious Raja Muda Cup, among other prizes.
Th e RSYC commemorated the RMSIR’s 25th anniversary with a book,
which takes a fond look at the history and the legacy of the Regatta.
http://www.rmsir.comPHOTO: RHKYC/ XAUME OLLEROSLight winds did not dampen the enthusiasm of the ambassadors who
competed in the 15th annual Changi Sailing Club’s Ambassadors’ Cup
in Singapore on Nov 15. Th e competitive spirit was alive and well as the
skippers and crew battled it out for the prestigious prize. Th e sailors
aboard the 44 boats from the Changi Sailing Club and other clubs around
the island were ready to race and to party.
In the end it was Brazilian ambassador Fernando Luis who danced
his way onto the stage to accept the trophy for winning the 2014 edition
of the race. Luis was aboard Born In Fire Too owned and skippered by
Pascale Radue.
“Th e Ambassadors’ Cup is a thrilling event that brings the world
together,” says Luis. “It has been a joy for me to offi ciate at this glorious
day of billowing sails, fl uttering fl ags, tacking rudders and gusting
breezes, among the wonderful camaraderie of all participants.”
Michael Pulch, Ambassador and Head of Delegation for the EU, was
aboard Shardana, which was skippered by Owner Joe Lombardo and
came in second place. Shardana was followed by John Button’s Simba with
Spain’s Ambassador Federico Palomera Guez aboard.
Airbus Helicopters, once again a sponsor of the race was joined by
co-sponsors Shenton Wealth Holdings, DHL, Yart Marine, Cosmosteel,
CBMM and Leisure Charter / Acclaim.
“I am absolutely delighted to welcome the Ambassadors and the crews
to this very special event,” says Airbus Helicopters CEO Derek Sharples.
“Th ere is no other event like this in Singapore, which is just one reason
that it is so special.”
In the Non-Ambassadors Division Sweet Phoenix, skippered by Lim
Hock Boon and representing Korea, took the hardware for fi rst place
ahead of Ad Smit’s Dream On with the team from Kazakstan on board.
Zaheera Hashim and the Malaysian team took third place on Balqis.
Barnaby Birkbeck coaxed Sycorax across the line fi rst in the Beach
Catamaran Division, with Jeremy Perrier in second and Uli Braun
taking third.
“Anything can happen,” says CSC Commodore Anthony Lim. “At this
time of the year we can get everything. Wind, calm, storms.” In fact theCHANGI SAILING CLUB’S
AMBASSADORS’ CUP
storm happened aft er the last boat was in, when the drinks were already
in the glasses.
Th e Cruising Multihull Division had three entrants who fi nished.
First place went to Vectis with Matthew Lutter skippering for the Irish
delegation. Anthony Lim was at the helm of Annette fl ying an Austrian
fl ag and Ximula sporting Angola’s fl ag came in third place with Wong
Tet Choong at the helm.
Stuart Birkbeck claimed fi rst place in the Trimaran Division, followed
by Tim Hill on Cicak while David Stanton fi nished third.
“Here to defend our belt,” Cambodia Ambassador Chetch Naren said
prior to the race. He didn’t manage to do it this year, but as he is newly
appointed to the position he has several more years to return and try
again for the coveted Ambassadors’ Cup.
http://www.csc.org.sg/events/ambassadors-cup059-061 RR-new-1.indd 60-61 07/03/15 2:12 pm