Races 4 & 5 - What a difference a day makes...
By AsianYachting MultiMedia
26th Nov 2010 - Penang to Langkawi Race: Surprisingly the North West breeze came in very early and as all the competitors were in the starting vicinity, PRO Jerry Rollin got racing underway fifteen minutes before the scheduled start time. Close hauled, leaving Penang Harbour most competitors favoured the Northern shore and those that could point the highest exited the hilly mainland and off lying islands without tacking. As the breeze backed to the left, it freed up the leading boats and allowed Frank Pong to ease his 75’ Reichel Pugh, Jelik III into overdrive. Conflicting wind predictions between PredictWind, WindGuru and local experts had tacticians scratching their heads, as a building storm appeared on the horizon and by the time it descended upon them, the dice was already cast and would ultimately determine the final outcome.

The Kinmonth/Burns Farr/Mills 51 EFG Mandrake made the most of the changing conditions to claim first place and improve their placing on the Racing Class scoreboard. Second place for Ray Roberts TP52 Evolution Racing keeps them at the top of the pointscore and as Neil Pryde's Welbourn 52 Hi Fi, stayed up further out to sea when the storm came, finished down in fifth place, giving Roberts a bit of breathing space. Xiaqun Song and her all Chinese crew on Frank Pong's TP52 Jelik V continue to impress with third place and now holding onto third overall, would like to secure the bronze medal or better by the end of the regatta.

The Premier Cruisers were happy to have enough wind to move the heavy weights along. No one seems to be able to touch Antony Hastings' Beneteau F53 Baby Tonga when it comes to handicap calculations, as they have now posted four wins in a row and well on the way to winning the Jugra Cup three years in a row. Peter Cremers Warwick 53 Shahtoosh have been knocking on the door for a race win and did the best of the rest to secure second spot and slot into second overall in the rankings. The Russian's Alex Takhovski's LeRo have dipped in form since the first races but rebounded with third place and claimed back third overall. Hans Rahmann's Judel Vrolijk 21.3m Yasooda once again took line honours but felt a lot of pressure from Dr Ian Nicolson Intrigue, at 80ft is the biggest boat in the fleet, finished only seven minutes behindYasooda and fourth on handicap.

After winning the two Penang harbour races Peter Wintle's Ker 36 Koull Baby stayed on the pace to claim the final passage race and go directly to the top of the IRC 3 class for the time being. Mark Mizner's Sydney 40 Babe is having a bit of an up and down regatta, reveled in the strong reaching conditions to secure second place and return to third overall. Rob Bottomley's First 47.7 SailPlane slotted into third place in front of Jon Wardill's Cassidy 55 Australian Maid and the Malaysian Armed Forces Farr 52 Zural skippered by Ishak Jab that took line honors but are slipping down the handicap order.

A turn for the books in the IRC 4 class, when Neil Ankcorn's Farr 1104 Mat Salleh won Race 5, only a few minutes in front of Bryan Gauson's original Farr 1104 sister ship Piccolo, which should provide hours of entertainment at the bar in what was originally billed as a grudge match. Defending champion David Ross' Kerr 32 Kukukerchu, shredded an asymmetric spinnaker and could not recover from third place but has already posted four wins in a row to comfortably sit on top of the overall leader board.

In the IRC Cruising Class 5 Gavin Welman's Hallberg-Rassy 53 Rascal emerged out of the storm to take out the daily double and be the only boat in the class to be able to stay in touch with the overall leader. Second place for Simon Connor's Olson 10 Sapphire Star keeps them at the top of the scoreboard only two points in front of Rascal. Andy & Jenni Brennan's Delphia 40 Jenzminc VI held on for third place but the severe juggling of places down the order has left the other seven boats well adrift in points from the leaders.

The grand old dames of the Non IRC Classic Class 6 came to the fore on this occasion. Dato Richard Curtis 100 year old Bristol Pilot Cutter Eveline notched up their second win in as many days. While Simon Morris Sirius 1935 celebrated second place, there was a lot of gear drying out, on the docks at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club marina. Tim Wilson's 20m Cutter-Ketch El Oro skippered by Simon Blundell slotted into third place and currently holds top spot in the overall stakes in front of Norhafizam's Malaysian Armed Forces Contessa 34 Musytari after surviving a Race 1 protest scare.

Racing continues today for some very tired Class 2, 5 and 6 sailors, to bring there total races to five. The rest of the racing classes have a well earned rest day to carry out maintenance and recuperate from the three marathon passage races before continuing tomorrow with windward/leeward courses in the picturesque Bass Harbour in duty-free Langkawi.

Many thanks must go to Shane and Megi Granger for taking time of from their humanitarian work and make their 120 year old, 80 foot Norwegian galeass Vega available to the media during the passage races. She is like a floating museum and has so many lines to pull or adjust that it reduces experienced modern day sailors to humble on lookers.

More info and results on the 21st Raja Muda Selangor Int. Regatta at: http://www.rmsir.com

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