Welcome to the AsianYachting February 2002

NEWSLETTER

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1. Editorial
2. "Unluckiest sailor of the month" Award
3. Asian News
4. International
 
Editorial
 
The AsianYachting website was originally developed to publish the voluntary Asian Yachtmasters training scheme and make their activities available on the web. It has since grown into a informative and popular yachting news media site which covers the Asian Yachting Circuit and publicises other major regatta's in the region to a worldwide audience. As this service is provided at considerable expense to the webmaster various methods are being attempted to help finance this worthy exercise.
 
Now appearing on the home page are hyperlinked click thru advertising banners that generate a income of 3 cents per click where anything from sexy lingerie to computers can be purchased. The Internet sailing community can now also access the SailNet site where over 40,000 marine products can be purchased online. SailNet provides you with the easiest, most dependable on-line store for all your sailing needs and by simply purchasing through the AsianYachting website you will generate some needed income and help support this sailing organisation.
 
Advertising sponsors are continually being sort for this monthly newsletter that is circulated to over 1700 International media connections, privileged sailing organisations, yachting related businesses and racing enthusiasts with about 60% in the Asian region. Many of the articles appear on other yachting news websites and can be browsed and linked by millions from the http://AsianYachting.com homepage. Now that's value for your advertising dollar and persons interested in solving their marketing problems are asked to contact the editor by return email to find out the attractive rates presently being offered. All enquiries are treated individually and confidentially.

Now! for the sailing action. Congratulations must go to Neil Pryde and his crew on Hi-Fidelity for taking out the trifecta and handsomely winning all the major Asian regatta's this time around. His consistency has earned him a place in the record books and unlikely to be repeated for years to come. DK Yachts in Malacca have recorded some increased interest and sales of their Farr designs and with the formation of some new racing teams the competition is strengthening and will pose further difficulties in the regattas to come. Beware! and good luck in your sailing endeavours.

The 8th Singapore Straits Race Reports and associated photo's can be viewed by clicking on http://asianyachting.com/news/SSR2002.htm

"Unluckiest sailor of the month" Award

The AsianYachting award for the "Unluckiest sailor of the month" goes to Ken Kerr and Team Hooters sailing on Hi Min a Sydney 36 on the Asian Yachting Circuit. Preceding the official Straits Regatta awards ceremony was the traditional ‘down-down’ session masterfully conducted by Gordon Maxted. Down-downs are complimentary shots of liquor to be taken by any competitor that has committed an act of sailing outside the normal boundaries.

This years down-down champions where undeniably Team Hooters. A shot for the navigator for hitting the solitary pinnacle off Buffalo Rock, a shot for owner Ken Kerr for clipping the Committee boat and a shot for the bowman for hoisting the spinnaker while still beautifully packed in its bag. On all occasions they went from hero to zero in less than a boat length.

Also for nearly winning this award back in November during the Raja Muda Regatta when they got tangled up with the windward mark for over 1/2 an hour after holding a commanding position. No major damage was sustained and hopefully this delightfully tacky and unrefined crew will be back in force (hangovers and all) to entertain us in the future.

 ASIAN News

1. Hong Kong sailors Cheung Ka Ho and Ashun Tong Ping Shun (HK) sailed themselves into a unbeatable position to win the 420 class at the Sail Melbourne Regatta hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club. Ho and Shun were never seriously threatened during the regatta, they had eight wins from twelve to finish on 12 points from their nearest competitors, Louise Hutton and Clair McCartney (Aust), on 22 points. Firing a clear warning shot at other 420 sailors expecting to collect medals at the Asian Games in Pusan, Korea latter this year. So watch out for this dynamic duo ...full story and results at www.sailmelbourne.com.au

2. Etchell Australian Championships - Peter Ahern better known locally for his sailing endeavours on Yo had Noel Drennan steering who was taking a break from crewing on illbruck in the Volvo Ocean Race and Bill Browne on the bow won the event on his previously Hong Kong based Etchell No Jacket Required. As always the fleet was very strong with 5 former Aust Champs competing. Despite not having sailed a Etchell for a year they managed to win the first race and stay consistent over the rest of the regatta. Peter explained " The light air skills obtained from the last 2 Kings Cup's with out wind came in handy as many of the top boats had one or two bad races in these conditions". They managed to wrap up the series in 6 races without having to sail the last race. Second was Skip Lissamen who is a top Etchell sailor and sailed on Australia II when they won the AC.

3. Australia's Richard Perini's Mumm 30, Foreign Affair clinched the one-design class at the Key West Race Week with a race to spare. His yacht was built in Malaysia by DK Yachts and has never seen Australia. It was shipped directly to Sardinia for last year's class Worlds, then to Miami for the Lewmar Cup and finally to Key West. They could afford to send the final race result to the discard bin and probably took a carton of beer and a stereo out to have a good time. For complete results, standings, event info and photos:

4. Damien 'Shreda' Duke got his nickname after shredding 3 spinnakers in less than a hour onboard Australian Maid in Ambon harbour (Indonesia) a few years back and now the bowman on the Volvo 60 Team News Corp tells his experiences during the 2001 Sydney Hobart Race and Leg 3 of the Volvo Ocean Race. "Leg 3 was always going to be the leg I would like the least." See a collection of Hobart photo's and race reports at http://asianyachting.com/news/SydHobVolvo2001.htm

5. The Phang Nga Bay Regatta formerly known as the Phuket-Phang Nga-Krabi Regatta is on Chinese New Year (11th - 14th Feb). Organised by the Ao Chalong Yacht Club in conjunction with ArtAsia Press and the Phuket Yacht Haven. This regatta is one of the most popular sailing events in the region for cruising yachts and visitors held annually in Phuket.

6. The remaining events on the exciting 2001/02 Asian Yachting Circuit and their websites can be found below. Competitors, crew or interested by standers can get more info the NOR and Sailing Instructions by simply clicking on....
Phang Nah Bay Regatta - 11 to 14 Feb http://www.bayregatta.com
RHKYC's China Sea Race 2002 - 28th March
Philippine President Cup - 3rd to 6th April
Koh Samui Regatta - 28th April to 4th May

7. Puerto Galera Yacht Club will also hold a Chinese New Year’s Regatta between 13-15 Feb. The three race format around Puerto Galera and the beautiful Verde Island Passage with a laid-back nature is planned. PGYC will assist interested sailors in either chartering existing sailing yachts in Puerto Galera, or else finding crew slots on participating yachts. Visiting yachts will be more than welcome!

8. The President's Cup to be held in the Philippines (3rd to 6th April) has an interesting International standard racing and social program planned.

1. Tuesday 2nd. Practice race & Race briefing PM - Welcome drinks at Club Punta Fuego. [End CSR]
2. Wed 3rd. - Two Windward / Leeward races in the Nasugbu area - party at Maya Maya Yacht Club.
3. Thursday 4th - Two ocean Windward / Leeward races in the Nasugbu area - party at Club Punta Fuego
4. Friday 5th - Race 5 - Nasugbu Bay to Manila Yacht Club approx. 35 miles - free evening
5. Saturday 6th - Two Windward / Leeward races in Manila Bay - Awards Party at MYC.

9. The inaugural Koh Samui Regatta committee report that the event has been moved back a week and will now run from 28th April to the 4th May. Entries have been coming in with 8 boats confirmed and another 16 probable. Bill Gasson is also organising a passage race from Koh Samui - Pattaya to start straight after the KSR - scheduled departure date is 6th May. He is also trying to negotiate special rates at Ocean Marina Pattaya for 3 months for boats which take part in this ocean race so that they can stay and cruise up in the northern Gulf of Thailand. Their website www.samuiregatta.com should be up and running in the next few days.
 
10. At the recent Singapore Straits prize giving ceremony, a special moment for Steve Corigan who was better known for his role in Australia on Arthur Bloore's maxi yachts The Office, and Hammer of Queensland . Twenty six years ago Steve was part of a team to sail a reed raft across the Indian Ocean. No modern aids were allowed, navigation was by sun dial and the stars, food was as food was a thousand years ago. Somehow Steve never picked up his medal for his part in the historical event. It is indeed an honour to have Steve as part of the Asian Yachting Circuit and a pleasure to refer to him from now on as Sir Steve Corigan.

11. As enthusiasm in the yachting industry reaches a all time high in Europe the largest superyacht in the world is being built in the wake of difficult economic conditions. Mirabella V is being constructed by UK warship builder Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton, UK, for American businessman Joseph Vittoria, former Chairman and CEO of Avis car rental. She will be the biggest single-masted yacht ever constructed, measuring 75.2 metres (245 feet) and weighing 700 tonnes. Vittoria is no stranger to controversial and demanding building projects having set up his own yard in Pattaya, Thailand to build three 40-metre (131 ft) composite sloops back in 1987. (Remember the elephants pulling the yacht at the launching ceremony) The new Mirabella V project looks to be equally demanding as the plans will require everything from new hi-tech sailcloth, new developments in rigging and captive hydraulic winches to be custom designed and built.

12. Clipper 2002 Cities Update - Trade groups representing two of the world's major cities, London and Hong Kong announced their participation in the Clipper 2002 Round The World Yacht Race. Each will adopt one of a fleet of eight, identical 60ft racing yachts, to be called London Clipper and Hong Kong Clipper respectively. Equipped with a professional skipper and an amateur crew of 15 who will pay £26,500 for the entire circumnavigation or alternatively, they can participate in just one of the six legs. The yachts will do battle against six other cities: Liverpool, Cape Town, Bristol, Glasgow, plus two others yet to declare. This six-leg, 16-port, 35,500-mile race will begin from Liverpool, UK, on 27 October and return there eleven months later in September 2003. More at http://www.clipper-ventures.com/
 
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INTERNATIONAL
 
1. It turned out to be both an exciting and nerve-racking start when the Volvo Ocean Race-fleet left Auckland for the fourth leg to Rio de Janeiro. Fifty thousand persons assembled at the docks to see the fleet leave the Viaduct Basin. Just as many chose to follow them out on the water in a myriad of spectator craft. The fleet was extremely even, with only seconds between the boats up to the second rounding buoy. There the boats split up, sailing upwind in the prevailing easterly breezes. The fourth leg of the round-the-planet race is 6700 nautical miles and takes about three and half weeks to sail with the leaders expected to finish around February 19th. This leg is considered one of harshest of the nine legs in the race, as the crews are forced to dive down into the Southern Ocean and sail close to Antarctica to access the fastest sailing route to Cape Horn. Keep up with the yachts progress at http://www.VolvoOceanRace.org
 
2. The next Admiral's Cup July 12 - 26, 2003 will have a new format and be held at Dun Laoghaire, Dublin. Inshore racing will be followed by a Round Ireland race, approximately 710 miles. Two boat Club teams will represent Nations. Classes will be one big boat racing under IRC - over 50ft. (exact size to be confirmed) with no restriction on professionals and one IMS 600 Class boat - Class Rules will be used which may restrict professionals. More info at the Royal Ocean Racing Club Website: http://www.rorc.org
 
3. Clipper Ventures plc also owns the rights to "Around Alone" a solo circumnavigation race for top-flight professional with Champagne Mumm onboard as the official champagne . The event is held every four years and the next one, marking the event's 20th anniversary, will start on September 15, 2002 from Newport, Rhode Island, USA. For full story on all news announcements plus background race information, go to the official web site:
Race Schedule:
Start (Newport, RI to Torbay) : Sunday 15th September 2002
Leg 2 (Torbay to Cape Town) : Sunday 13th October 2002
Leg 3 (Cape Town to New Zealand) : Sunday 1st December 2002
Leg 4 (New Zealand to Salvador, Brazil) :   Sunday 26th January 2003
Leg 5 (Salvador to Newport) : Sunday 23rd March 2003
The first boats are expected to complete the round the world race in Newport around 14th April 2003, with the remainder of the fleet finishing by 23rd April 2003.
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Once again, I hope you have found this issue of AsianYachting News & Views useful and interesting please forward it to your sailing friends.

Kindest Regards
Capt Marty Rijkuris

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