Singapore Straits Regatta - Manning's Wala Wala clinches victory on last day...
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
31:01:2012 - Racing got underway on time despite dark rain clouds in the close vicinity. Two more windward/leeward races were completed in a building North Easterly breeze before the clouds opened up and a tropical downpour of huge proportions engulfed the area. Eventually the longer waterline on Steven Manning's Sydney GTS 43 Wala Wala paid off, by handling the short chop better and spending less time in the current than the competitors to win both races today and take out the overall IRC A title on their first attempt. Bringing up the rear, Brent Morgans' Archambault 35 Men at Work sailed up to their handicap and just missed out on the top step of the podium by a few seconds and had to settle on second overall. Two third places for Sarab Jeet Singh's Sydney 40MOD Windsikher leaves the defending champions in third spot on the podium but happy to have won the running battle with Rick Pointon's J130 Jing Jing that ended up in fourth overall. Goto AY Race Report 4 & Summary

2011/2012 AYGP Championship - Round-up after reaching half way stage of the season
By AY MultiMedia
As we are half way through the 2011-12 Season an interesting scenario is developing in the AYGP Championship. Although Neil Pryde heads the Skipper of the Year standings with 75 points he has competed in all six regatta's so far, which is the total number of regatta's that count towards the overall score. All he can do now is improve on the individual regatta points which will be only a small increment from now on in. Trailing by 26 points are co-skippers Fred Kinmonth/Nick Burns (49 points) after competing on four regatta's are still in with a chance as they are likely to compete on several more regatta's before the season finishes in June. Presently 186 skippers have scored points and in the running for the end of season trophy. Next in line and well within striking distance is Andrew Stransky (36 points / 3 regattas) and Alan Carwardine (34/2) from the Multihull Class, Stuart Williamson (33/4), Rick Pointon (32/3), Ben Copley (31/4), Sam Chan (27/3), David Ross (26/3) and Frank Pong (25/3) from the mixed IRC 1 & 2 Classes. As some skippers have chartered or changed boats through the season, a slightly different scenario is playing out in the Yacht of the Year award. Neil Pryde's Hi Fi has 58 points with Hannes Waimer's Team Premier/Hooligan close behind on 51 points. After winning three regatta's Alan Carwardine's Stealth 12.6 Sidewinder is tied on 49 points with Fred Kinmonth/Nick Burns EFG Bank Mandrake that have three more regatta's to notch up a winning score. Goto full Jan 2012 AYGP Newsletter...

Royal Langkawi Int Regatta - Blackmore's Hooligan Team becomes the third winner in 10 years
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
13:01:2012 Langkawi, Malaysia: Marcus Blackmore and his Hooligan team join the elite inner circle of Peter Ahern (3) and Ray Roberts (6) that have won the Racing Class title and lifted the Prime Minister's Challenge Trophy in triumph. Winning seven out of ten races on their first attempt convincingly sealed the deal in style. Gracious in defeat Neil Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi put up a good fight for second place, which means they will have to come back next year as this is the only trophy that they have not won on the Asian circuit. Two third places today for the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47 Uranus skippered by Mohamad Razali elevated them to third overall and displaced Frank Pong's 75ft Reichel Pugh Jelik II down to fourth. The two new Navy DK47's may have been outclassed in this company but the match practice will come in handy when they compete at other regattas against similar sized yachts. Goto full AY Race Report 5 & Summary and the AY Photo Gallery

67th Rolex Sydney Hobart Race - “Nothing accidental” about Loki’s handicap win
By Lisa Ratcliff/Rolex Sydney Hobart media team
1200hrs, 30 DEC: It took Sydney-based Stephen Ainsworth 14 years to claim the elusive Tattersall’s Cup, and as he put it so succinctly, “it was a big box to tick”. Commodores Garry Linacre (Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) and Graham Taplin (Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania) and Rolex Australia general manager Patrick Boutellier presented the stunning silver trophy and Yacht-Master timepiece to Ainsworth and his crew aboard Loki in front of an appreciative crowd at Kings Pier marina this morning. The 18-strong crew boasts more than 100 Rolex Sydney Hobarts between them with “not too many winners” among this pool of experience,” Ainsworth reflected dockside today. One thousand and eight crew contested this year’s race and of those just 0.0178 have walked away winners. Ainsworth described the victory as “pure joy”. Goto AY Microsite for full Day 4 Report and links to the official RSHYR Updates, tracking & progressive results plus the magnificent Rolex Photo, Video and Audio gallery Here...

Phuket King's Cup Regatta - Team Premier takes IRC Zero on windy last day...
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
10 Dec 2011: Protest and counter appeal hearings over rounding the windward mark, went long into the night and caused tempers to flair between Neil Pryde's Hi Fi and Hannes Waimer's Team Premier. The International jury reversed their initial decision to award Hi Fi and Freefire time and in doing so the results reverted to the original posting where Team Premier held a four point advantage going into the final day. The race committee announced early in the morning that the racing classes will have a short windward/leeward race followed by a passage race around the islands to the SE of Phuket. A slim chance existed for Hi Fi to overtake Team Premier and win the title. Fireworks were expected at the start line and the media boats crowded in to watch the action. The North East tradewinds returned with a vengeance and was a great finish to the regatta with gusts in the 25 knot range. A little to much for some as Joep Kleine Staarman's X-342 Minx reported dismasting and taking on water, Jon Wardill's Cassidy 55 Australian Maid a broken boom, Sam Chan's TP52 Freefire mainsail damage, China's Shihai Lagoon 500 Snail collided with the gate boat and several other yachts retired from the days racing. The kite boards were back in action and completed three races before heading back to the beach completely exhausted.Goto AY Race Report 5 & Summary action packed AY Photo Gallery and daily video's

WMRT - MONSOON CUP 2011 - Williams Wins the Double
By Monsoon Cup media
Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia – 27 November, 2011: Ian Williams has added the Monsoon Cup to his third ISAF Match Racing World Champion crown after the British sailor defeated Johnie Berntsson 3-1 in the final of the World Match Racing Tour’s finale event in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. The double is a feat Williams first achieved in 2007 and is the second consecutive year a British sailor has won both the Monsoon Cup and the World Championship after Ben Ainslie in 2010. Speaking after his victory, the British skipper of Team GAC Pindar, said: “This really tops off a terrific season! We couldn’t let our emotion run too high yesterday because we were so focused on winning today. We came here to win and to take the World Championship yesterday and then this today, it’s just superb. “The team has done so well, we are a new team who have come together and just got stronger and stronger all year. We won all three regattas on five man boats so I think that just shows the strength of the team.” Full Final rapup Here... Watch the YouTube replay...

Raja Muda Selangor Int. Regatta - Mandrake pulls the trophy out of the bag...
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
26 Nov 2011: Despite heavy rain there was 15 knots blowing down the middle of Bass Harbour. Two windward / leeward races for the racing classes and one passage race for the cruisers went off smoothly. Several classes were dependant on the final races to determine the overall results. Yesterday afternoon some weary crews from the overnight race in Class 2, 5, 6 and 7 ventured out in the strong breeze and completed a harbour race. It must be remembered that there is no drop race at this regatta, which means all race points will count when determining the overall class placing's. For the whole regatta Fred Kinmonth/Nick Burns Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake have been on top of their game and by clinching two handicap wins today, sealed the deal and take home the Raja Muda Cup on the small Mandrake"s first attempt. Stirred on by the Penang Langkawi race win, David Ross Ker 40 KukuKERchu scored two second places to lift them into third overall. Thailand's Tom Whitcraft's GP 42 Won Ma Rang and the Malaysian Armed Forces DK 47 Utarid skippered by Mohamad Razali traded third and fourth places which was enough for Utarid to hold onto second overall and the Navy very pleased with the new boat and crews performance only a month after launching. Goto AY Race Report 5 & Summary for the full round-up or check out the AY Photo Gallery

Anna Tunnicliffe, Iker Martinez & Xabier Fernandez, awarded 2011 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year
The highly anticipated announcement of the recipients of the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards was made Tuesday 8 November, in a ceremony in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The winners, selected from an impressive and star-studded gathering of nominees, were Anna Tunnicliffe (USA), who claimed the female award for the second time, and the two-man crew of Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez (ESP), awarded the male prize. It marks only the third time an American female has won the Award since its inception in 1994, although each victory has come in the past six years, marking a significant shift following a period of dominance by European athletes. Tunnicliffe claimed the honour for the first time two years ago in Busan, South Korea. It is a case of third time lucky for Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez. The world's greatest sailing duo have twice been nominated for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards. In 2002, they missed out to three-time winner Ben Ainslie, before Brazilian Robert Scheidt took the plaudits in 2004. Eleven years on from their first nomination, these sailing legends may now, deservedly, see their name inscribed in the list of the sport's greats. The Spanish duo were unable to attend the Award ceremony as, fittingly, they are currently at sea competing for Team Telefonica in the first leg of the Volvo Ocean Race from Alicante, Spain to Cape Town, South Africa. Through a video feed recorded on the Team Telefonica boat, the pair confirmed that they will be celebrating this prestigious achievement despite the immediate distractions of an ocean race. Check out the video highlights on the ISAF Channel...

Go Sailing has a new home in PD
Good news for people that just want to go for a ride on a sailboat or learn the basics and see if they want to take up sailing pursuits in the future. We have moved the practical sessions for the Discover Sailing trips and Learn to Sail courses to Admiral Marina in Port Dickson. These sessions would suit a small family or agile group of friends that would like to share in a sailing experience on our 25ft racing keelboat over the weekend or during the school holidays. Although no experience is necessary, participants are expected to be involved with sailing the yacht and agile enough to move from side to side during the maneuvers. If you are looking for a more hands on approach to sailing on a racing yacht then the 2-Day Introduction to Sailing course is recommended. The aim is to provide a brief taste of sailing for novices. By the end of a Two-day Course, participants will have had a short introduction to the sport, including basic boat handling techniques and a healthy dose of essential background knowledge thrown in. Check out the courses and dates available at: http://asianyachting.com/AYmasters/classes.htm

RHKYC - Hong Kong Vietnam Race - Neil Pryde's Hi Fi takes handicap honours
By RHKYC Media
2000hrs 21 Oct 2011: Second on the water, but certain to take IRC Overall as well as defend her 2008 IRC Racing Division 0 title, Hi Fi crossed the finish line just after 1500hrs Hong Kong time today. Owner and skipper Neil Pryde was a very happy man, saying “Great race, absolutely fantastic. Unbelievably good conditions, except cold and wet today, incredibly consistent breeze with 18 to 20 knots all the time, so the boat speed only dropped below 10 knots as we came into the finish.” This win makes it two in a row for Hi Fi, although Pryde would not be pushed on whether or not 2013 would see him celebrate his 75th birthday on the open water but confessed to a softening of discipline on this race, with crew smuggling two bottles of champagne on board to celebrate his birthday on the first night out – according to one long time crew member, this was the first time he could remember consuming alcohol during a race. The crew felt that, in spite of the great breeze, the 2011 edition was the calmest race to date, labeling it “sunny, flat and fast” , noting that the introduction of electric winches, while pushing up Hi Fi’s IRC rating, had also made the atmosphere on board “less testosterone driven”.Goto RHKYC Press Releases

RHKYC - China Coast Regatta eventually lives up to its reputation
By RHKYC Media
Initially the wind gods served up two days of light northerly breeze that plagued the fleet to the south east of Lamma Island with shortened courses and cancelled races during the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's annual China Coast Regatta. However the wind picked up on the third day and allowed the race committee to complete the racing program. This did not detract from the over enthusiastic competitors in the popular Division 1, as a mass OCS led to a general recall – even on the restart, Ambush and Stella contrived to be over, taking some time to get back and clear the line. Nick Burns / Fred Kinmonth Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake had a cracking regatta to secure the Racing Division 1 title. In Division 0 Ludde Ingvall's visiting Super Maxi Audi Ultra managed to hit the straps and share line honours with Frank Pong's Jelik 2. However it was Neil Pryde's Hi Fi who scored on corrected time, putting them in an invincible position for the overall series. IRC Racing Division 2 saw Anthony Root's Red Kite II defend the title. Torben Kristensen's Authority triumphed in the Cruising Class and Mike Delaney & Chris Gordon's Boadicea in the HKPN Class. Eventually the competitors were left with a memory of the sort of breeze traditionally enjoyed in October at the China Coast Regatta. Under the newly revamped 2011-12 AYGP pointscore all the competitors will score points towards the AYGP Skipper and Yacht of the Year Goto CCR Race Reports

Six Senses Phuket Raceweek - Blustery end to a great regatta...
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
July 24th: Persistent overnight rain dampened the sailors spirits as they arrived at the Evason this morning. Swirling wind and small whitecaps deterred some teams from participating for fear of breaking valuable equipment on the boats. After winning six races on the trot, Neil Pryde was the first to announce they were not racing the borrowed TP52 Team Premier, as the IRC 1 Racing trophy is already in the bag, even if two races are held. A mixture of windward/leeward and passage races were selected for different classes as conditions moderated to a steady 10 to 12 knots with a rolly seaway left over from the passing storms. With a sigh of relief that Premier Racing, two Phuket 8's and Baby Tonga had withdrawn, it was left to the four 40-45 footers to do battle amongst themselves for the remaining podium places. Ben Copley's Swan 42 Katsu nailed the start line but was quickly overhauled by David Ross' new Ker 40 KukuKERchu and Rick Pointon's J130 Jingjing as they lifted up the first beat. As they circulated Katsu hauled Jingjing back in as the race for handicap honours unraveled. Race 7 results 1st Jingjing, 2nd Katsu and 3rd KukuKERchu meant that Katsu held a slender one point lead over Jingjing with one race to go. Down to the final passage race showdown. As they reappeared from behind Ko Lon it was hard to determine who held the advantage on handicap. After crossing the finish line and number crunching completed, two wins for Jingjing tied them on points with Katsu and after count back gives Jingjing second overall and Katsu comes to rest with third on the podium. Goto AY Race Report 4 & Summary Here...

AY Travel Advisory: Pirate infested Arabian Sea & Indian Ocean - Don't go!
In view of the recent escalation in pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden, Yemeni and Somali coasts, and the consequent very high risk, the latest advice is not to enter this area. The U.S. Coast Guard strongly advises against all operation of and travel by U.S. yachts and sailing craft, or by U.S. citizens on foreign registered yachts and sailing craft, on the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Somali Basin and the western parts of the Indian Ocean. While some of the US Navy got called away during the recent disturbance in Egypt and now standing off Libya, a U.S. registered sailing vessel was hijacked by pirates in February 2011, off the southern coast of Oman in the northern Arabian Sea and all of its crew were tragically killed. This case is a stark reminder of the grave dangers of operating in these high risk waters, especially by recreational vessels. As per 07 March 2011, 20h30 UTC, at least 49 foreign vessels plus two barges are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 784 hostages or captives - including a South-African yachting couple as well as a Danish yacht-family with children - suffer to be released. But even EU NAVFOR, who mostly only counts high-value, often British insured vessels, admitted now that many dozens of vessels were sea-jacked despite their multi-million Euro efforts to protect shipping. All mariners already in these waters are urged to register with the Maritime Security Centre (Horn of Africa) for up to date advice and guidance on passage round the Horn of Africa. They should also report regularly to the UKMTO (Email: ukmto@eim.ae Tel: +971 50 552 3215), giving location, course and speed, and plan their routing carefully to reduce the risk of an attack. Full advisory and more details on the International Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) and confirmed contacts can be found in the AY Pirate Travel Advisory Here...