Now everyone can win the 2011-12 AYGP
By AY MultiMedia
After canvassing boat owners, skippers, crew, supporters and sponsors during the season ending Sawadee.com Regatta and Regatta Forum discussions after the TOTG Regatta, the door has opened for everyone competing at any of the five star AYGP Championship events to have a chance of winning the prestigious 2011-12 AYGP Skipper and Yacht of the Year awards.

The pointscore system, has been whittled down mainly to keep it simple and fairly grade competing Boat owners and Skippers ability to successfully run full-on racing campaigns through Asian waters over the 2011-12 Season. All classes are included and the pointscore is based on the overall results at each of the 12 selected events on the 2011-12 Asian Calendar.

A new Pointscore System has been devised and launched into the new season with the following:
1. Everyone entered in any of the 12 regattas/races scores 5 points for attending
2. Six for winning the class, 4 for 2nd, 3 for 3rd, 2 for 4th and 1 for 5th place overall.
3. “Six best regattas to count” scoring system.
4. Plus a bonus point for each win within the regatta and a point loss for any DSQ. The bonus point for each win may encourage boats that may have placed well at the early regattas to compete the series for additional bonus point(s).

Regatta / Race Line-up for the season
Two more regattas have been added into the 5 star family of events that make up the AYGP. The combined Subic to Boracay Race and Boracay Cup in the Philippines, plus last years cancelled Hong Kong to Vietnam Race is being re-run, as well as the biannual Rolex China Sea Race is on again in April 2012. For sailors that want to race regionally, that makes it 12 *****events next season, 5 on the Eastern Asian seaboard (Hong Kong China, Vietnam, Philippines) and 5 in South East Asian waters (Singapore, Malaysia, Phuket SW Thailand, Indonesia) finishing up with the centrally located TOTGR and Koh Samui in the Gulf of Thailand. Under the “Six best regattas to count” scoring system these two regattas will be common events for the two regions as competitors come together for the grand final showdown. We should not over play the different regions as boat owners are not restricted to regional events and are free to compete on both circuits and in as many events they choose to contest.

Eastern Circuit
China Coast Regatta (October 14 -16)
Hong Kong Vietnam Race (2010 Re-run starts Oct 19)
Subic Boracay Race & Boracay Cup (New for 2012 - Feb 24 - March 3rd)
Rolex China Sea Race (Starts April 4th)
Commodore's Cup (April 10-14)

Western Circuit
Six Senses Phuket Raceweek (July 20-24)
Raja Muda Selangor Int. Regatta (Nov 18-26)
Phuket King's Cup (Dec 3 -10)
Royal Langkawi Int Regatta (Jan 9-14)
Singapore Straits Regatta (Jan 26-31)

Common final events
Top of the Gulf Regatta (May 4-8)
Samui Regatta ( May 29 - June 3rd)

It must be remembered that the early stages are very experimental and we will continue on with our "Work in Progress" policy that has served us well for nine seasons and further tweaking is expected to take place as the season unfolds. We will still be presenting the Perpetual AYGP Cup filled with chilled champagne and the winner donning the Armani Koh Samui blue blazer at the gala 2012 Samui Regatta season ending prize presentation.

Over the years Peter Ahern has won 2, Neil Pryde (3), Frank Pong (1) and Ray Roberts (3) should be asked what it takes to succeed. Now that we are opening up the competition to multiple classes, the degree of difficulty has just been elevated to a new and exciting level.

Check out the 2010-11 AYGP Photo Gallery and individual regatta Photo Galleries can be accessed from the comprehensive AY Photo Library

See how the annual AYGP panned out over the years click on: 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2009-10, 2010-11

AYGP media coverage comes alive...
We like to keep our readers up to speed, by generating monthly AYGP Newsletters with all the finer points on the upcoming events, expert analysis, race results plus links to the Progressive Pointscore & Rankings. Goto the latest AYGP Newsletter or the AYGP Update which notify's sailors when the regatta Photo Galleries are posted online after each of the twelve selected regatta/races that score points.