AsianYachting November
2005
News and Views
Building
onto the success of the inaugural Top
of the Gulf Regatta Ocean Marina's
very
active sailing Group in Pattaya, Thailand are eager to publicise
next years event (May
4th to 7th 2006) so foreign entrants can get organised
in time. They will be catering for dinghy classes, including windsurfers
and
like to see more International Racing Teams, chartering Platu 25's for
the Thai Navy's premiere event and long running
Coronation Cup. More
info at info@topofthegulfregatta.com
and Inaugural
2005
AY
Regatta Reports
at: http://asianyachting.com/news/TOTGR05.htm
Anyone longing for
a sailing fix in Bangkok, please note Jon Vause's
Tuesday
"raft-up"
at
the Barbican
Pub is
now on this Thursday 10th Nov @ 1900hrs to
discuss over
a cold beer,
before race weekends,
all things sailing and
more. E-mail vausejon@pacific.net.ph
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CONTENTS
1.
Editorial - 2005-06
AYGP
Championship
officially kicks off
2. "Unluckiest sailors of the month" -
Pride
of Baltimore II - Örn
(SWE 63) Sweden's Victory Challenge
3. Austral - Asian News - RMIR,
SEA Games, SMT- Monsoon Cup 2005 coming
up this Nov
4. International News - 7th
Transat Jacques Vabre and 2005/06
Volvo Ocean Race blasts off...
5.
World Speed Records - NEW
single handed ROUND IRELAND RECORD
Goto Archived AY News & Views and Race Reports 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 2000-01 98-99
1.
EDITORIAL
The 2005-06 AYGP Championship officially kicked off with the RHKYC - China Coast Race Week 2005. Defending 04-05 Champion Neil Pryde started the season where he left off by winning the five-star China Coast Regatta IRC A class with a race to spare on the new Hi Fi Team Pryde Farr 52 OD racing machine.
Familiar
suspects on Robert Knight's DK 46 Drumstick got the better of
Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth owned Farr/Mills 50
Mandrake this time around. Browse past AYGP
Championship winners
at: 2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
or follow the 2005-06
seasons progressive results tally or rankings at: http://asianyachting.com/news/AYGP05-06.htm
Recording speeds in excess of 24 kts on the 356nm Biennial Hainan Island Race to China, Sam Chan's 2003/04 AY Boat of the Year, ULDB sled Ffree Fire, originally designed for long passage racing, took out the daily double of Line and Handicap honours, as well as set a new time of 29hrs 25min 08secs, eclipsing his previous record run in 2000 by 20 mins.
As
luck would have it, the Asian region is once again blessed by Singapore
hosting the ISAF Annual Conference
(3-13 Nov), Rolex Sailor
of the Year Awards (Tues 8th) at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront
Hotel, the Young Enabled Sailor (YES)
Asia - International Foundation
for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) Conference (4-7 Nov) at Changi
Village Hotel and the International Sailing
Schools Assoc (ISSA) Conference (Sat 5th) at the River
View Hotel.
Asian
national member organisations should take the opportunity to send office
bearers along and see how mainstream sailing works plus benefit from the
Connect to Sailing Seminar
on Mon 7th and Tues 8th. See
Meetings
& Social
Schedule
We'll be reporting as the Learn to SAIL
with Asian Yachtmasters
training scheme becomes a member of ISSA and hoping our old friend Bruno
Peyron gets up in the Rolex Awards.
Regatta's this November include the Raja Muda Int Regatta, 23rd South East Asian (SEA) Games, Swedish Match Tour 2005 - Inaugural Monsoon Cup (See Asian News below) For more info as the 2005-06 AYGP gets into full swing consult the AY Calendar or to get an idea of how these Asian events panned out over past years goto: AY Race Reports
On
the International scene Singapore's own Elaine
Chua and her 21ft Feng,
are the first Asian competitors to ever enter the grueling Mini
Transat Race. Despite pulling up completely exhausted
with a malfunctioning auto-pilot and damaged rudders, midway along the
4000nm Atlantic Ocean course she managed to swap parts with other competitors
and have the damage repaired in time to set sail again and is near completing
the race to
Salvador in Brazil.
Send your congratulations
to elaine@elainechua.com
and we are looking forward to seeing the photos and movie clips on her
return. By our standards
anyone that finishes this race is a winner!
See you around during the season
Capt Marty Rijkuris
2.
"Unluckiest sailors of the month"
Have you ever seen what happens when the forward bobstay iron band fails, causing the bowsprit to break about halfway along its length and in turn bring the entire rigging of the tallship Pride of Baltimore II tumbling down. With no support system, the foremast splintered and collapsed, hitting the mainmast on the way down. The mainmast then splintered and also came down. Repairs will take three to four months and costs associated with rebuilding the rig and repairing the damage are estimated at $500,000. A fundraising campaign is underway. -- Here's a link to a blog with photos and first person description of the dismasting. http://www.pride2.blogspot.com/ or go the their site at: http://www.pride2.org/ThisWeek.html
While
Örn (SWE 63) Sweden's Victory Challenge was being
lifted with the travel lift from its cradle at the team base compound
in Trapani the mast broke in three sections and the top section fell onto
containers in the neighboring Luna Rossa.base and could not be salvaged.
The cause of accident was human error under huge stress as the halyards
are attached to anchor points on the ground at night to keep the boat
secure, were not released when the lifting maneuver started. No personal
injuries occurred and no damage was sustained by Luna Rossa. Having a
spare rig enabled them to compete with distinction on the Louis Vuitton
Acts 8 & 9.
3. Austral - Asian News
3.1
RMIR next up...
Fleet Racing now swings over to Malaysia for the annual island hoping
Raja Muda Int Regatta starting
in Pt Klang and finishing up in Duty-Free Langkawi. This year, entrants
will be celebrating the opening of Penang's Inner
City Marina
by staging a
day of harbour racing off Gurney Drive. The Royal Malaysian Navy
is entering the racing class frey with their new custom DK built Farr
520 Bahtera Perdana. Apart from a small Singapore group led by
Bill Bremner this time on a Sydney 40 the lack of local racing teams sees
the IRC Racing Class mainly turn into a championship for the Hong Kong
based boats. The RMIR 2005
AY
- Race Report page surrounded
by Links back to past winners and yearly summaries can be found at:: http://asianyachting.com/news/RMIR05.htm
3.2
SEA Games
in the Philippines
November also sees the Philippines
host the 23rd South East Asian (SEA) Games
(Nov 25 to Dec 4)
for Optimist
dinghy and Olympic classes. More
info or keep up with the results during the 2005 Games at: http://www.seagsailing2005.cjb.net
A
Hobie Foundtion event in Subic will be held on the SEA Games race course,
on Nov 26, 27th. The first race of the SEA Games sailing event will start
on Monday the 28th. If you would like to know more about the very active
Taal Lake Yacht Club, click on http://www.tlyc.com
3.3
Inaugural SMT
- Monsoon Cup 2005
Professional match racing takes off in SEA waters as the Swedish
Match Tour celebrates its 50th event, when the inaugural
Monsoon Cup (Nov 29-Dec
4) gets underway in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. One of three new events
on the Tour, this event has a MYR400,000 (approximately us$105,000) prize
purse.
The Tour was founded
in 2000 to unite the world's best match-racing events under one umbrella.
In the midst of its seventh racing season the main sponsor Swedish Match
has had to with draw due to tobacco advertising rules but the organisers
are confident the Tour will continue. For news on the Monsoon Cup including
celebrities attending or book accommodation goto: http://www.monsooncup.com.my/
To keep up with the overall SMT 2005 results and news goto: http://www.swedishmatchtour.com/
SMT - Monsoon
Cup 05 press releases and AY
Race Reports at http://asianyachting.com/news/SMT-MonsoonCup05.htm
3.4
Phuket King’s Cup Regatta in December
’The feedback from sailors, spectators and sponsors has been exceptional,
and we are now keen to ensure that the Phuket
King’s Cup Regatta retains its position as Asia’s
top yachting event,’ said Khun Santi, President of the KC committee.
’At the same time, we are very much aware of our other obligations
– to help the local community recover from last year’s catastrophic
Tsunami by bringing more people to this lovely island.' More at http://www.sail-world.com
or get all the info at: www.kingscup.com
3.5
Sunsail Asia expanding the fleet into Vietnam
Sunsail Asia
are very excited to announce the launch of Vietnam as
a new yacht charter sailing destination for 2006. Leading the way in opening
new Asian destinations, Sunsail brings you interesting sailing along a
stunning 96km stretch of awesome coastline. From the top beach resort
of Nha Trang, discover one of the most intriguing and unspoiled countries
in Asia… and do it soon! Also after a very successful 2005 season
they are expanding both Flotilla and bareboat charter yacht fleet in Koh
Samui during Mid May to Mid September 2006. Check out the weekly RYA Courses
and charters for the Phuket King's Cup in December by Calling +66 76 239057
Fax: +66 76 238940 Email: sales@sunsailasia.com
or visit http://www.sunsailasia.com
3.6
Neil Pryde RS:X taking the
world by storm
Neil Pryde has established a dedicated website for all things RS:X. In
addition to the rules and regulations of RS:X racing events, there are
also guidelines on how to host an event, write Sailing Instructions and
suggestions for the best possible courses in all wind conditions. Four
time windsurfing Olympian Mike Gebhardt has joined the Neil Pryde forum
as resident RS:X expert and will be available to answer all your questions
and give advice on how to get the most out of your RS:X. The website also
features a comprehensive rigging and tuning guide at: www.neilpryde-rsx.com
3.7 Looking at retiring in the tropical Asian region?
Raimon
Land PLC, are not
only the main sponsors at the Top
of the Gulf Regatta, Evason
Phuket
Race Week 2005 and Thailand's prestigious Phuket
King's
Cup Regatta but this Bangkok-based property
company has an excellent track record of delivering quality residential
projects in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket which achieve high yield holiday
rentals through their professional asset management team. They
are also known for hosting the more lively and entertaining parties at
their sponsored events. More at: www.raimonland.com
3.8
Dame Ellen's Tour of Asia in 2006
When Ellen MacArthur's B&Q trimaran returns to the UK, it will be
prepared for shipping to Asia – Ellen’s next very unique challenge.
Sailing will begin in March when Ellen and a crew will complete a record
circuit between a number of major Asian cities. Running from Japan through
South Korea, five ports in China and then Vietnam and Taiwan, the tour
will conclude in Singapore in mid May. More on Ellen's sailing program
goto: http://www.teamellen.com/
3.9
Dare 2 be Different
- Charter a winner!
Following
on from a successful first event during August at the Billabong in Bo
Phut Bay, the Koh
Samui Regatta are now running weekend racing events each
month at Koh Samui from the Tradewinds Cottages on Chaweng Beach. The
Radical Bay 8000 - a production
8m tandem mast, bi-plane rigged catamaran built right here in South East
Asia is available for bare boat or skippered charter around Koh Samui
and the surrounding islands. So now YOU can find out what it is like to
sail the Phuket Kings Cup
2004
and Koh
Samui winner! Want to own one or see just how easy and safe
this radical new design and simple rig handles by going to the Coco
Sailing website: http://www.cocosailing.com
For more info on how to join in the fun as a participant, crew member,
spectator, on-the-water helper or partygoer, visit www.samuiregatta.com
3.10
CHINA CUP update
Mike Golding updated IMOCA skippers on the exciting progress of The China
Cup. He confirmed that the start will on 26th March 2006 and the proposed
route is from London to Brest (FRA) then via the Cape of Good Hope (SA)
and to the North West of Australia to Qingdao (Olympic venue, China) and
on to the finish in Shanghai. Arrangements are well advanced in the cities
involved. The support from the Greater London Authority and Canary Wharf
has been outstanding. Brest is also vastly experienced in hosting such
events and there have been extensive planning and appraisal sessions in
China in each of the cities, as well as in Beijing. The departure of the
race will be the concluding event to a massive, six-month long festival
in the city called "China in London 2006". More at: http://www.mikegolding.com
or try http://www.chinacup2006.com
3.11
Don't miss the best boatshow in Asia...
IMAGE
Asia - organisers of the Phuket
International Marine Expo (PIMEX) have announced that
85% of the air-conditioned space at this year's show has sold, more than
half the water berths booked and a good chunk of hardstand space reserved.
Despite Pkuket's popularity as a major tourism destination they have just
launched the strongest Industry media campaign yet for the show’s
third year. Holding boatshows in developing regions were pleasure yachting
pursuits are relatively new, has shown that those who do come are like
minded souls and are seriously interested in growing the leisure industry
in neighboring countries. This has led to a number of International Marine
and Yachting Tourism players showing their wares and invited to work together
with local distribution agents and eventually even manufacturing their
products in SE Asia. For more information, visit www.phuketboatshow.com
or email boatshow@image-asia.com
3.12
Quantum's FusionM
just keeps getting faster!
With the southern summer coming on Quantum's
FusionM sails are gaining
a big foothold in the professional and grand-prix sailing circuits in
Australia and NZ. Asian
sailors should take advantage of having one of the world's leading edge
sailmaking factories in their own backyard. By
taking the knowledge gained from International events and applying it
directly to the sails they make, now, more than ever, you can count on
FusionM providing you with great boat-speed and reliability. Goto: http://asianyachting.com/news/QuantumSails.htm
3.13
LIMA on again
- 6th to 11th Dec
Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) '05 returns. LIMA
'05 promises something far better than the previous years'. Please visit
LIMA website at http://www.lima.com.my
Only information on the Maritime exhibition is available at http://www.limamaritime.com.my
which is being organised by RMN. This year, LIMA will be held from the
6th to 11th Dec 2005.
3.14
Something for the rich and famous...
The annual
PHUKET INVITATIONAL
is an exclusive Superyacht rendezvous, to be held this year at the five-star
Trisara Hotel, Phuket, Thailand on the 19th & 20th of Dec. It's for
Owners, Guests, Captains and Crew of Superyachts visiting the Phuket area
in the run-up to Christmas. Regular features of the rendezvous are a fun
sailing event, afternoon cocktail parties onboard the participating Motor
Yachts and a gala dinner party, complete with superb buffet and live entertainment,
hosted by the five-star Trisara Hotel. More at: http://www.phuket-invitational.com/
4. International News
4.1
- 7th Transat Jacques Vabre
Thirty-seven two-crew entries are confirmed starters for the 7th running
of the Transat Jacques Vabre between Le Havre and Salavdor de Bahia in
Brazil, with the 60ft monohull class being the largest with 14 entries.
The deadline for all boats to be in Le Havre by 1200h 28th October, in
time for lead in promotional events and scrutinizing before the main event.
The organisers of the two-handed transatlantic race announced at a press
conference in Paris "That safety of the 37 two-man crews is their
primary concern as they set sail from Le Havre on 5 and 6 November. One
to watch out for is brothers Stève and Yvan Ravussin, who are to
skipper the 60ft trimaran Orange Project More at: http://www.jacques-vabre.com
4.2
Warning to all offshore racers.
DK Yachts are warning all offshore racers to watch out
for when one of their Malaysian built Mum 30, Farr 36, 40, 52, 520 or
Mills DK46 lines up on your starting grid. As the summer unfolds a growing
group of DK46's and Farr 52's are knocking on the doors of success and
standing high on the podium. One to watch this season is Hi
Fi Team Pryde
who have already notched up their first win at this years China Coast
Regatta. Serious Yachts
for Serious Sailors can
be found at http://www.dkyachts.com
4.3
Get ready for the Volvo Ocean Race
Formerly known as the Whitbread Round the World Race the Volvo Ocean Race
starts with an in-port race in Sanxenxo on November 5th and the first
leg starts in Vigo, Spain, on 12th Dec looks set to achieve record numbers
of television and Internet viewers. Ocean Race Adventure is a new classroom
website to help students learn while following the 2005-2006 VO Race on
the U.S. entry Disney's The Black Pearl. http://www.oceanraceadventure.net
Each
of the boats in the race will have 10 on-board cameras with direct satellite
links back to the race headquarters in Portsmouth, UK, where weekly TV
programs will be produced. It is expected that a cumulative audience in
excess of 1.5 billion viewers will tune in to see what promises to be
unique pictures, beamed from the Southern Ocean, following the lives of
nearly a hundred of the world's top sailors as they battle their way around
the planet. More at: www.volvooceanrace.org
The Volvo Extreme 40 class will race in five stopover ports; Sanxenxo (ESP), Rio de Janeiro (BRA), Baltimore/Annapolis (US), Portsmouth (UK) and Rotterdam (NED), and have been introduced to the Volvo Ocean Race to add spectacle to the entertainment package for stopover crowds. Five Volvo Extreme 40's will be due in Sanxenxo from the 4 November with racing taking place in the bay from the 6-10 November. To date there are entries from Team Holmatro, Motorola-CHR and Team Volvo Ocean Race. The announcement of two further boats will be made shortly. Full details can be found at www.volvoextreme40.org
4.4
Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race
The 4650nm Leg 3 from Salvador, Brazil to Durban in South Africa started
on Tuesday. Jersey leads, followed by Singapore and Western Australia.
http://www.clipper-ventures.co.uk/n05_06/homepage.php
5. World Speed Records
5.1 Yet again a NEW single handed ROUND IRELAND RECORD
Wednesday at 14.49 GMT Belgian yachtsman Michel Kleinjans crossed the
finish line off Dun Laoghaire to set a new single handed record time around
Ireland of 4days, 1h and 52m on board his 1997 Open 40 Roaring Forty,
bettering the previous record by 1day, 10h and 8m The previous single
handed Round Ireland record, 5 d, 12 hrs and 11mins, set only last month
was held by Irishman Michael Liddy sailing his production Beneteau 40.7
AFAOM.COM. The record for crewed yachts is still held by the
French 60-footer CITY JET/SOLUNE, in a time of 2 days, 9 hrs
and 41 mins. More at: http://www.michel.kleinjans.be
5.2
Aussie's to regain ultimate World Speed Record?
A Star Wars-like craft and Aussie determination are being combined for
a crack at sailing's world speed record and the elusive 50-knot mark.
Victorian sailors Tim Daddo and Simon McKeon, along with designer Lindsay
Cunningham, will be hoping for favourable conditions at Sandy Point, near
Wilsons Promontory, in Victoria, to break the record before their December
16 deadline. http://www.macquarie.com.au/speedsailing.htm
-----------------------------------------------------
Come
on girls, lets go shopping!
As the South East Asian
region is expected to turn into a world-class yachting tourism destination,
AY
is expanding the Shopping
Mall to include a Charter
Yacht page for the popular "Fly
in, have fun, fly out" sailors with Sabah's recent
award winning Touchdown Charters and a Real-Estate
page to promote the ever increasing residential
Condominium, Resorts
and Marina developments the region has on offer. Browse the full
AY
advertising
rates and find other things for-sale including the Fastest
Sailing Gloves on the Planet in the AY
Shopping Arcade here...
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