13th
SMU-RM Western Circuit Sailing Regatta 2010
AY
Race Report 1
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Celebrations
all round as the games get started...
Eight Access 2.3's saw the disabled sailors having the time of their lives on their own special course laid in front of Raffles Marina. Singapore's most decorated disabled sailor Jovin Tan led the way around the tight course and will be hard to beat in his home waters.
Raffles Marina would like to thank the sponsors, Puteri Harbour, Luminox Watches and the hard-working and ever enthusiastic students of SMU for their support and organisational abilities. More info, results and photos will be posted at: http://www.westerncircuit.com/ Check out AY
Race Report 6
at: http://asianyachting.com/news/WC10/6.htm This WCSR - AY Race Report is proudly sponsored by:
AsianYachting
Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (Co.
No. 627106-T) |
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August
15th: In the wake of last nights
dazzling Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony, fifty sailing craft took
to the waters in front of Raffles Marina on the west coast of Singapore
to celebrate this auspicious occasion with their own long standing Western
Circuit Regatta. Eight keelboats in IRC 1 and another 8 in IRC 2. Five
Club Racers, nine Laser SB3's, ten off the beach catamarans plus five
of the latest Moth designs along with eight Access 2.3's for disabled
sailors set out to contest there class titles over the next three weekends.
Last night the grim looking weather forecast struggled to reach five knots
all day, which almost turned into a reality when the overcast skies did
not allow the sea breeze effect to take hold. Never the less the light
SW breeze did pick up more than the forecast and stayed for the whole
day, which allowed the race committee to complete the scheduled three
races for some classes and two for others. Several skippers were a bit
to keen and scored OCS for being over the start line and did not return.
Sarab
Jeet Singh's Sydney 40MOD WINDSIKHER with the old fox calling
the shots sailed the race of their lives to claim first and fastest in
all three IRC A races held today. David
Ross' Kerr 32 KUKUKERCHU have cleaned up everything before
them since arriving in Asia but had to play second fiddle on this occasion.
After the tragedy of loosing his former ride L’Autre Femme,
Brent Morgans has rebounded with an Archambault 35 MEN AT WORK
and put in a decent performance to slot into third overall after three
races. Light weather performance and finding the right lanes in the strong
current was paramount to scoring a good result.
In
the IRC B class Christopher Lim on the J24 SHENGLI came to the
fore with a I, 2 result to head the leader board after two races. Shaun
Toh's Farr Platu 25 SMUmad are locked in battle with Gordon Maxted's
Young 84 SHOON FUNG TOO and ended the day tied on points for
second and third places overall. Only seconds separated the chasing pack
and the present leaders will have their work cut out, if the wind picks
up over the next two weekends. Several boats were caught over the start
line and the couple that did not return to restart have suffered as a
consequence.
The
heavy displacement PY Class racers found the going tough in the light
airs and strong current to be completely outclassed by Adriaan Smit's
much lighter and nifty X99 POWER PARTNERS that promises to return
to the IRC B class when his rating is completed. With two second places
Leslie Fung's Hanse 315 TODAK 2 did the best of the rest to come
out in front of Dieter Trau's heavily modified Jeanneau Sun Fizz WATERMELON
in third overall.
The
world famous Moth Class made there debut in Asian waters this weekend.
Whizzing in and out of the fleet made the keelboats look like they are
standing still. On close inspection in the rigging area there are a lot
of tweaky strings to adjust and getting it all right can make all the
difference between flying around the course verses floundering around
waist deep in water. Mark Robinson expertly guided his Mach 2 VIVA
LA VIDA around the course to score two wins and one second place.
Over the last couple of years James Cole has extensively promoted the
class by displaying his Bladerider BLITZ KRIEG BOP sailing skills
and today scored one bullet plus second and third places to be hot on
Robinson's trail. Initially Nicholas Leo Francis had trouble with the
settings on his ASSASIN but came good in Race 3 with second place
to hold third overall.
Ten
off the beach catamarans have fronted up this year mainly from the Changi
Sailing Club on the opposite end of the island. Guy Markham's Nacra 20
RED ROCKET is the biggest boat and put on a fine display of harnessing
the extra power to comfortably win all three races. Not to be outdone
the defending champions Nicolas Gillier and Jeremy Perrier's Viper F16
ISDOO scored three second places and are looking forward to next
weekend when the conditions may suite them better. David Lee and Goh Ah
Soon's Taipan 4.9 had a good battle with Nicolas Tourneur's Nacra 5.0
to end up third and fourth respectively.
The Laser SB3 sailors had the busiest day of all the classes by completing
four races on the trot. With a 1, 2, 1, 3 scoreline Bob Comstock's COMPASS
RISING came out on top after a long and painstakingly hard day of
racing. Wallace Cuthbertson's GLASGOW KISS scored 3, 1, 2, 4
to claim second overall from Jonathan Mahony's SCUMBAG that scored 2,
5, 3, 1 to spread the wins and podium places around amongst the leaders.
It does not get much closer than that and it will be interesting to see
what happens over the next two weekends.
