Vol. 9 No. 5
September - October 2014
Southeast Asia’s yachting & marine industry magazine www.seayachting.net
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Northrop & Johnson Asia is chartering Dunia Baru through the magnificent waters and islands of the vast archipelago of Indonesia.
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Southeast Asia’s yachting and marine industry magazine
CONTENTS Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show turns three The Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show 2014, to be held from November 27th-30th at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, is expected to be bigger and better and with an expanded fourday format organizers are expecting to welcome over 6,000 visitors to the marina this year. Harbour Master Scott Finstein and Fuangfa “Mam” Siripornnantana of Ocean Property and her team have done a tremendous job of ensuring the show’s success.
Hull opens branches in Samui and Phuket With the concept of “One Stop Service”, Mr Kazuki Otsuka, the MD of Hull Co., Ltd., has recently set up Hull Marine Service (Samui) Co., Ltd., and Hull Marine Service (Phuket) Co., Ltd. Hull represents Yanmar Marine, Suzuki Marine, SeaStar Solutions and Sika in Thailand and Mr Otsuka has been in country for 25 years now.
Cruising on the Dunia Baru Lies Sol reports on a recent cruise she took on the 51m luxury sailing yacht Dunia Baru (“New World”), through the Indonesian Archipelago from Bali to Komodo National Park, a trip of about 200 nautical miles. The boat’s master carpenters hail from the village of Ara in the region Bulukumba south of Sulawesi, an area famous for generations of Indonesian shipwrights.
Multihull Solutions Regatta Phuket Multihull Solutions and their GM Andrew de Bruin did a superb job of turning this event around. Grenville Fordham also did great work with pre-publicity making more people aware of the regatta than ever before. Then Kim, Pia and their crew performed culinary mastery feeding and caring for the tired crews as they came ashore. Kudos also to ACYC Commodore Mick Kealy, Secretary June Carwardine and all the ACYC committee members who made sure the whole event came off swimmingly.
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Southeast Asia’s yachting and marine industry magazine
CONTENTS
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Cape Panwa Hotel Phu ket Raceweek Byron and Rung Jones of Media Business Services (MBS) did a splendid job in their second year running this regatta, the third time it’s been held at the 5-star Cape Panwa Hotel with its private pier and glorious beachfront location. Duncan Worthington reports on all the action on the regatta, which is also the season-opening event of the prestigious 2014/15 Asian Yachting Grand Prix.
Sail Malaysia discovers stunning unspoiled and untamed cruising grounds Through her words and photos, Ghislaine Bovy details for us the 11th Edition of the Sail Malaysia Passage to the East Yacht Rally. Malaysia has so much to offer in terms of sailing destinations and the Rally gives sailors the benefits of being part of an international cruising community while discovering Malaysia by sea and enjoying the rally’s organization, destinations and warm welcomes.
The Borneo International Yachting Challenge Started in 2003, the BYIC is the first truly international yachting event in the waters off Borneo, a joint effort of the two Malaysia Borneo states, Sarawak and Sabah, and the Federal Territory of Labuan, organized under the auspices of the Malaysian Yachting Association. The BIYC’s goal is to promote regional marine and sporting tourism in the East Malaysian states and open up the South China Sea as a cruising destination.
Rob Williams Reviews Rob Williams, the MD of Yachtpro Thailand and South East Asia Yacht Sales, brings us up to date on the Moody 54DS as well as the Dehler 46, which has been nominated for “European Yacht of the Year”. He also informs us of special deals on the Sealine Sports 380, the Sealine Sports 450, the Fjord 36 Open and Fjord 40 Open that SEA-YSS is offering.
Simpson Marine’s Lagoon Escapade In early August, Simpson Marine organized the Lagoon Escapade to Koh Hong in Krabi Province. The two-day affair, featuring five Lagoons, left from Ao Po Grand Marina. A drone took aerial photography of the boats under sail between Koh Yao Noi and Koh Pak Bia. A great time was had by all involved.
www.seayachting.net
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Regional
NEWS
Passion for the Sea
Raja Muda Milestone Event
Photography by Guy Nowell
Plans are now in place to ensure that the 25th edition of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta will be bigger and better than in previous years. Organisers have received a strong response to date from skippers intending to enter. In Class One, owners of at least ten international racing boats have signalled their intention to attend and Class Four, primarily club racing boats, is looking equally strong. Other classes are also filling up, with more entries coming in each week. The target of a fifty boat fleet may well be exceeded in this anniversary year. Sailors who are considering entry are encouraged to register on the regatta web site www.rmsir.com even if a final decision has not yet been made, to assist with event planning. The now familiar route of Port Klang-Pangkor-Penang-Langkawi is retained, with the usual mix of passage and harbour racing. The Royal Selangor Yacht Club will be the base for the Regatta Office and Registration and will also host the Skippers Briefing, followed closely by the Opening Dinner on Friday 17th November. Pulah Indah Marina, with comprehensive pontoons, power, water and onshore facilities, will provide berthing for yachts prior to the start of the event and a water taxi service will ferry sailors to and from RSYC in Port Klang. A limited number of river berths will also be available at RSYC. The start of the first race will return to the familiar location close to North Port, unlike in 2013 when the fleet started sailing from a position around the entrance to Port Klang south channel. Arrangements at Pangkor and Penang are similar to recent years but the Awards Dinner in Penang will be held at the atmospheric heritage site of Koo Kongsi , much loved by sailors in the past. In Langkawi, the base for racing returns to Kuah Harbour. A mixture of courses has been planned by the principal race officer Jerry Rollins to suit individual fleets, including windward-leeward, round the cans and round the island routes. Racing will take place on Friday 24th November afternoon and Satu.rday 25th for all boats. The regatta web site also has pages for Crew Wanted/Available, Charter and General Information including hotels. So, if you have ever considered entering this one-of-a-kind sailing event as skipper, owner or crew member, this milestone year is the time to give it a go! www.rmsir.com
Why people insist on confusing my passion for the beauty of old sailing boats with some demented desire for a precarious lifestyle is completely beyond me. You see I have had more than enough tempestuous excitement at sea to last me for the next three lifetimes, much less this one. The last thing I want is more. “What do you like most about being out at sea hundreds of miles from the nearest land”? Now there is a question I have heard in all its various iterations for years now. I don’t know why people seem to think I go to sea looking for perilous adventure and excitement when all I really pray for every time we cast off the lines is a nice dull monotonous voyage; the key operative word in that wish being “dull”. Good grief, if I start looking back over all my adventures, as some people insist on calling them, it’s enough to have me searching the Yellow Pages for remote mountain monasteries. You know the kind of nightmarish recollections that usually come back to you at about 3am after a late meal of lobster and cheese complete with a thick white sauce just to muddle the digestion up nicely? Why, just that cyclone in the Indian Ocean a few years ago was enough to provide a lifetime supply of palpitations and soiled linen all by itself. When you add the likes of hurricane Albertos, cyclone Garfilio, the Great Tsunami of 04, and the whole wretched congregation of meteorological and oceanographic calamities I have somehow managed to wriggle through with a whole skin, little wonder my hair is so gray. The real wonder is that I still have any hair at all.
Regional
NEWS 15
By Captain Shane Granger, HV Vega
What I treasure most at sea are those wonderfully dull moments when the most exciting thing happening is a gentle breeze and perhaps the odd flying fish. Mind you, keep a careful eye on those flying fish. They can be vicious little devils. More than once while innocently minding my own business one has launched itself out of the water directly at me. You try having malevolent half a kilo of piscine kamikaze launch itself directly at you out of the darkness. Talk about a walloping surprise. Of course Scourge, our ship’s cat, thinks they are the feline version of Pizza Express. The freshest meal imaginable delivered within a paw’s reach. Ah yes, those cherished moments of dullness enhanced by the shear bliss of letting my mind drift aimlessly through a watch anesthetized into monotony as the turbines of boredom spin their mind-numbing web. Humdrum-hum-drum, that’s the happy ticket for this lad. In fact, if you ask me, anyone who goes to sea looking for excitement might just as well take up bull baiting or the lascivious molestation of Bengal tigers. Either one would be a lot cheaper and most likely safer in the long run.
ad
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Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show:
Redefining marine leisure
H
aving long been at the centre of marine leisure tourism in the Gulf of Thailand, Ocean Property launched the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show in 2012 to showcase the region and its services and facilities to the world. Following the success of the inaugural year, 2013 experienced double-digit exhibitor and visitor growth underscoring the prosperity of the industry and the popularity of the region as a hub for marine leisure in South East Asia. Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show 2014, to be held 27 to 30 November at Ocean Marina Yacht Club, is expected to be bigger and better and with an expanded four-day format organisers are expecting to welcome over 6,000 visitors to the marina this year. “The 2014 Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is built on the strong foundations of the 2012 and 2013 shows. They were received well by visitors and exhibitors alike and listening to feedback we have extended the Show this year to four days, starting on Thursday 27th November and finishing Sunday 30th November,” said Mrs. Supatra Angkawinijwong, Deputy Managing Director of Ocean Property, the organisers. “We welcomed over 4,000 visitors last year and as the popularity of Ocean Marina and the Gulf of Thailand as a marine hub in South East Asia grows, we expect the number of visitors to increase further this year to more than 6,000.” Bookings have been brisk with boat builders, architects and designers, marine products and services, boat brokers and luxury boat brands, marine toys and gadgets, automobiles, fashion and lifestyle products,
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tourism in the Gulf of Thailand
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Visitors – what to look out for Four days packed with activities and the biggest showcase of marine and lifestyle in Thailand. In-thewater visitors will see the latest luxury boats from dinghies and tenders to superyachts, sail and power, international brands and local builds. Onshore is a huge display of marine and lifestyle products and services including boat accessories, boat services, boat technology, boat builders, boat brokers, boat charters, boat insurance, water sports, fishing and diving, marine toys and gadgets, super bikes and cars, luxury real estate, luxury hotels and resorts, sport fashion, cosmetics and more. Highlights include free trial yachting, free trial kayak, paddle boat, beer and food festival with live music, games stations, jet pack/ fly board demonstration, International Boat Fishing Competition (29-30 November), Boat & Yacht Thai Conference (28 November), and test drives of super cars and bikes. The exhibition area is open daily from 11:00 to 19:00. The Beer and Food Festival closes 22:00 daily, and 20:00 on the final day. View the boat show programme at http:// www.oceanmarinapattayaboatshow.com/ programme.php. View the latest list of exhibitors at http:// www.oceanmarinapattayaboatshow.com/exhibitor.php.
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Ocean Marina Yacht Club – the venue Situated on Jomtien Beach in greater Pattaya, Ocean Marina is Thailand’s premier marina resort complex and the largest in South East Asia. A short drive from Bangkok and just one hour from Suvarnabhumi International Airport, the world-class marina is complemented by a yacht club, accommodation, fine dining and recreational facilities as well as two luxury residences – San Marino Jomtien and Ocean Portofino. For more information, visit www.oceanmarina.asia.
and luxury real estate already having confirmed their attendance at the Show. Unique to Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is the integrated layout where all onshore exhibitors are located marina-side next to the onwater displays. Total exhibition space is over 12,000 sqm and is located within the same area, allowing visitors easy access to all exhibitions and displays. With bookings already strong, organisers are expecting more than 100 exhibitors this year, a clear sign of the strength of the marine and lifestyle sector in Thailand. “The early response from marine businesses and companies in the marine and lifestyle sector has been very strong. We have confirmed many exhibitor bookings already. Onshore the exhibition area will be larger than ever before and on-water the line-up of boats includes many of the top brands in the world,” added Mrs. Angkawinijwong. New this year is the International Fishing Boat Competition which will take place over two days, 29th to 30th November. Open for teams of upto three people, the two day competition is organised by the Thailand Fishing Tackle Trade and Manufacture Association in co-operation with the Boat Show, and prizes are awarded for the top 10 hauls in two categories. Other highlights include free trial yachting, kayak and paddle boat experiences, an open-air beer and food festival with live band daily, jet pack and fly board demonstrations, games and much more. Another first for this year is the Boat and Yacht Thai Conference, which will take place on 28th November. Under the theme of ‘Green Boating’ the one-day conference will provide a platform for marine industry experts and boating enthusiasts to share their ideas about environmentally friendly marine craft, alternative energies, equipment and other green innovations for pleasure boats and watercraft. The conference includes a prominent lineup of international speakers from the marine sector with keynote speakers from Thailand’s tourism and maritime authorities. Now in its third year, the Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show is held in high regard both internationally and domestically, and provides an ideal platform for marine and lifestyle businesses to show their products to discerning customers, and it is a unique opportunity for visitors to get onboard a boat, walk through and experience a boat, and learn more about the marine and luxury lifestyle that is on offer in Thailand. For more information, visit www.oceanmarinapattayaboatshow.com.
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Mr. Otsuka at a boatshow.
Hull's Phuket office.
Hull Announces l its Presence in Tourism Spots
t has been a decade since Hull Co., Ltd. was established in Thailand. It was founded in 2004 by Mr.Kazuki Otsuka, a Japanese businessman and an enthusiast for marine sports, who fell in love with Thailand and its identity when he first visited the country over 25 years ago. Well known among Thai boaters and boat builders, this well-established company currently represents four major brands, all of which have uniqueness in the marine industry worldwide. The brands associated are Yanmar Marine, Suzuki Marine, SeaStar Solutions and Sika, all with a tailored individual emphasis.
Yanmar Marine is a renowned marine engine manufacturer with the philosophy of developing more power for less weight. Suzuki Marine is outstanding in making powerful, quiet and fuel efficient 4-stroke outboard engines. SeaStar Solutions is the leader in mechanical and hydraulic steering systems as well as electronic controls and control cables. Sika is known as a chemicals company, specializing in making sealing and bonding agents for marine applications. Following its initial focus in Pattaya, where its headquarters is located, Mr.Otsuka
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Mr.Kazuki Otsuka.
Hull Samui's office.
decided, after his great success in making Hull’s presence in the market, to further expand the business into other tourism spots in other parts of Thailand, particularly in Koh Samui and Phuket, in southern Thailand. The two locations did not just fall-out from the air, but were carefully selected as a result of proper feasibility studies. Mr.Otsuka’s determination is proven and his seriousness is shown by his investment in office buildings in these strategic locations of Koh Samui and Phuket. Given the challenge, Hull stood up and invested in the buildings with the purpose of accommodating office space, a display area as well as a service facility for customers’ satisfaction, with the concept of “One Stop Service”. To be responsible for the new markets, Hull Marine Service (Samui) Co., Ltd. and Hull Marine Service (Phuket) Co., Ltd. have set up accordingly. Both Samui and Phuket branches offer
the equivalent product availability and service facility to those in Pattaya’s head office and serve all customers from walk-in’s to large-scale boat builders. For more details, please contact:
Hull Marine Service (Samui) Co., Ltd. 84/22 Moo 3 Tambon Borphud, Amphur Koh Samui, Suratthani 84320 Tel : +66(0)77-952 681 Contact Person : Mr.Takeo Suzuki Hull Marine Service (Phuket) Co., Ltd. 25/23 Moo 2 Thepkasatri Road, Tambon Koh Kaew, Amphur Muang Phuket, Phuket 83000 Tel : +66(0)76-377930-3 Contact Person : Mr. Thitipong Lorlowhakarn Hull Marine Service (Pattaya) Co., Ltd. 167/3 Moo 4 Sukumvit Road, Tambon Najomtien, Amphur Sattahip, Chonburi 20250 Tel : +66(0)38-238-131-2 Contact Person : Mr. Arsom Phuangthong
Inside Hull's Samui office.
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CRUISING INTO A
NEW WORLD ON DUNIA BARU Story by Lies Sol
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R
elatively little has changed since naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913) explored the East Indies, collecting over 125,000 specimens ranging from large mammals to tiny insects, exotic butterflies and spectacular birds of paradise. In The Malay Archipelago (1869), one of the great classics of natural history and travel, Wallace describes his journeys, discoveries of varieties of animals and plants he collected and his experiences with indigenous people with a wealth of detail. The Malay Archipelago, also called the East Indies or Indonesian Archipelago, lies between mainland Southeast Asia and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It has such an incredible diversity of marine life, flora and fauna and attractions, and covers such an extensive region, it would be nearly impossible to see it all in one lifetime. Recently I was lucky enough to be invited for a cruise on 51m / 167’ luxury sailing yacht Dunia Baru (‘New World’), through the Indonesian Archipelago from Bali to Komodo National Park, a
“….The sea was calm as a lake and the glorious sun of the tropics threw a flood of golden light over all. The scene was to me inexpressibly delightful. I was in a new world world, and could dream ………”
“ …To the ordinary Englisman this is perhaps the least known part of the globe…. Scarcely any of our travelers go to explore it. … “ From: The Malay Archipelago, by Alfred Russel Wallace (1869).
Cover
Lontar palm (Rinca Isl)
Sugar Palm (Mr. M.)
Hornbill
Birds of paradise
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“… These vessels are handsome to look at, good sailers, and admirable sea-boats, and will make long voyages with perfect safety …”
trip of about 200 nm. Our fine ship is the dream come true of her American owner Mark Robba, who spent about seven passionate years to finalise his ‘labour of love’ project. Mark spared neither time, effort nor expense to create a safe and reliable as well as a most luxurious vessel with a stylish and exceptional finish. His enthusiasm and drive were infectious; many of Dunia Baru’s master carpenters from the village of Ara in the region Bulukumba south of Sulawesi, an area famous for generations of Indonesian shipwrights, didn’t want to say goodbye after Dunia Baru’s launch in January this year. Although they had never sailed before, they ventured to stay on as crew! A radical decision none of Photo Mark Eveleigh
“….. We enjoyed superb views of the volcanoes of Bali and Lombok, each about 8,000 feet high, which form magnificent objects at sunrise and sunset, when they rise out of the mists and clouds that surround their bases, glowing with the rich and changing tints of these the most charming moments in a tropical day. ….”
them regrets! So, here I found myself in Bali in my lovely, spacious cabin, gearing up for a blissful and luxury cruise of a lifetime! Captain Sam and his crew put out to sea, hoisted the sails and we smoothly cruised along to Gili Trawangan, a picturesque island with trendy coffee bars and restaurants visited by young and adventurous jetsetting backpackers. On ‘Gilli T’, as she’s affectionately called, you walk, take a horse cart ‘cab’ or you rent a bicycle. Eco allover, local care for the environment is also noticeable in a ‘save the turtle’ initiative, and a ‘no littering’ campaign. There was not a car or motorbike, McDonald’s or KFC in sight. Bliss! We had foregone the local fare ashore to be treated to a delicious Teppanyaki meal on board, the first of many delicious surprises of our young and enthusiastic Chef Harry! It would be hard to name my most favourite dish. It changed with each new Indonesian, western, or fusion creation artfully prepared and served each mealtime. Double bliss!
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Stops along the way to Flores provided a different delight each time. We spent several leisurely hours on Pulau Satonda’s beach, snorkeled in search of marine life amongst the sea grass near the shore (pipefish and razorfish … check!) and kayaked and paddle-boarded on its ancient salt water crater lake with no one else around but a group of curious macaques watching us from ashore. The next day we dived ‘Bubble Reef’, a magnificent dive with alluring soft corals, stingrays, sea fans and pygmee seahorses thanks to our capable and wonderfully sharp-eyed dive guide Ramon …check again! We swam over black volcanic sand through warm, gas-bubble vents of the live
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Photo Mark Eveleigh
“…My host Mr. M. enjoyed a thoroughly country life…. His palm trees supplied him with all the year round with ‘sagueir’, which takes the place of beer; and the sugar made from them is an excellent sweetmeat. …”
Primula Imperialis
volcano on Pulau Sangean, off Sumbawa. It was eerie! It was awesome! Quelle experience! Other underwater highlights included snorkeling with 7-8 manta rays at Takat Makassir (Komodo). It was quite funny to see the interaction between mantas and a group of divers down below. Naturally not looking up towards the surface, the divers had no inkling of the massive mantas gliding right over their heads!
Papilio Memnon
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At Takat Besar (Komodo) we were snorkeling along the reef, drifting with the current where we spotted two shy hawksbill turtles. At the end of the reef we got into the dinghy, were driven back to the starting point and jumped right back in for a repeat drift. By the fifth time the hawksbills were quite used to us; my snorkel buddy was allowed near enough to take some snappy close-ups. Last but certainly not least we came eye to eye with a couple of Komodo dragons on Rinca Island. It seemed to be just past their lunchtime but to be sure we still kept a rather safe distance. A local village guide took us for a spirited hike over the uninhabited, savannah-like island, pointing out wildlife, special flora and sharing useful information, like how to brew the mean local drink, a fermented toddy derived from the lontar sugar palm. Thanking Mark and our cruise director, Courtney Robba, for our most relaxing and at the same time invigorating week, a winning mix of luxuriating on board, leisurely beach time and adventure-packed activities, we saluted Dunia Baru with a toast on our wonderful voyage of discovery. And, no… it wasn’t the local toddy J
THE WALLACE LINE The Wallace Line, separates the eco zones of Asia and Australia and runs through Indonesia, between Borneo and Sulawesi (Celebes), and through the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok. The distance between Bali and Lombok is small, about 35 kilometres (22 miles) but Wallace found a clear and striking division between organisms to the west (related to Asiatic species) and to the east of the line (species of Asian and Australian origin).
“… I brought away with me more than nine thousand specimens of natural objects, of about sixteen hundred distinct species. I had revelled in the delights of exploring new fauna and flora, one of the most remarkable and most beautiful and least-known in the world……”
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Photo: Mark Eveleigh
FROM NOVEMBER: DESTINATION RAJA AMPAT
Satonda Lake
Dunia Baru also sails to the equally stunning ‘new’ hot travel destination Raja Ampat, a group of four main islands, off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia’s West Papua province. Scuba diving here is even more spectacular. Marine surveys of
Conservation International, a NGO headquartered in Arlington, Virginia suggests the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on earth (1,508 fish species) and is possibly the richest coral reef ecosystem in the world with 537 coral species. Mind you, in comparison, the Caribbean has a recorded 70 species only. Other attractions include hornbills, the exotic Birds of Paradise, of which there are over 40 stunning and flamboyant species, jungle flora reminiscent of Jurassic Park, a scull-cave village, exhilarating kayak rides on tide streams, wreck diving, rock paintings, a natural pearl farm, and in general spectacular scenery everywhere and a seemingly unlimited number of islands to visit.
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CATANA 42 CATANA 47 CATANA 59 CATANA 70
SEA Yacht Sales SEA Yacht Sales
+6681 370 1995
www.sea-yss.com
inq@sea-yss.com
www.sea-yss.com
+6681 370 1995 inq@sea-yss.com
Authorised Catana Agent for Thailand, Malaysia & Singapore
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What a difference a year makes; last year only eleven entrees, this year nineteen. A huge reason for that turnaround was principle sponsor Multihull Solutions and their GM Andrew de Bruin who threw their support wholeheartedly behind the event. Grenville Fordham also did a great job with pre-publicity making more people aware of the regatta than ever before. Then Kim, Pia and their crew did a great job of feeding and caring for the tired crews as they came ashore. Lest we forget, ACYC Commodore Mick Kealy, Secretary June Carwardine and all the ACYC committee members who made sure the whole event came off swimmingly.
Multihull
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Solutions Regatta Phuket Photography by Scott Murray
T
he tropical cruising grounds in Southeast Asia have long been a breeding ground for multihull sailing to flourish. Nineteen multihulls were split into three classes for this regatta: Firefly OneDesign, Racing Multi’s (OMR) and Open Multi’s (NHC Handicap). As Captain Marty said, “During the 2011 Multihull Championship, Asian Yachting wisely predicted that ‘multihull’s are the flavour of the decade’ and we haven’t been proved wrong yet. With boat designers, builders and composite experts, relocating to Phuket and surrounding Southeast Asian countries, the growth has been phenomenal and some very functional
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and sleek racing machines have emerged. For the Ao Chalong Yacht Club this is the 7th running of the ‘Multihull Only’ event and since Multihull Solutions have opened branches in Asia, sponsoring the regatta is a natural move and immediately raised the profile of the event to its former glory days. “The five Firefly 850 Sports, racing one design, always provide close encounters and a great spectacle on the water. For all their past accolades, Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo must start as the favourite, but recently the mantle has come under pressure from John Newnham’s Twin Sharks. Roger Kingdon’s ever illusive Moto Inzi has won here before and always poses a threat. The same goes for Neil Ayre after mastering the intricacies on Mamba. Joining for the first time, George Eddings Blue Nose and the chartered The Frog, will have to quickly get up to speed and get used to close quarter racing to make an impression.” Upon launching the event, Andrew de Bruin, Asia general manager of Title Sponsor, Multihull Solutions explained, “We’re particularly keen to see more cruising yachts join in, as we plan to tailor the regatta’s courses to suit the boats that enter.” He went to say “That this regatta is a cruising yachtie’s dream… three days sailing around the picturesque islands scattered off Chalong Bay, with a bunch of like-minded people, gathering at the yacht club bar afterwards, to regale each other with tall tales of their exploits over a few cold beers – what more could you want?” Four of Asia Catamarans super-light Stealth catamarans lead the charge in the Racing Multis (OMR) Class. Alan Carwardine skippered the 11.8m Hurricane, while Mick Coleman was on the sistership Java. David Liddell, of Miss Saigon fame, took the reins on the Stealth 12 Afterburner and Russian Kirill Stashevskiy guided the biggest Stealth 1 3 Galeforce around the course. For more speed, Henry Kaye has extended the Seacart 2 6 Sweet Chariot by 60cm, in an all-out effort to get the better of Shane Grover/Zam Bevan Corsair Sprint MK2 Bullet, Werner Amstutz’s Corsair 28 Flying High and Peter Boyd’s bigger Corsair 31Zig Zag. Grenville Fordham/Bob Mott’s heavier displacement Andaman Cabriolet Nina and Mark Horwood’s Formula 40 trimaran Adrenalin were all added into the mix for more excitement. Three yachts responded to Andrew de Bruin’s call to expand the Open Multis (Performance) Class: Roman Shirokov’s Lagoon 380 Star Fruit and the all-Thai crew on the Nautitech 395 White Conch as well as Tim Milner’s Whitehaven 38 Seekronghuk. This regatta is usually packed full of surprises and due to the unpredictable July weather makes it very open for the taking. Summaries of Captain Marty’s daily race reports follow:
Day One Under an overcast sky and the watchful eyes of the big Buddha statue, racing got underway in 15 to 25 knots from the Southwest. In practice earlier in the week, John Newnham’s Twin Sharks nosedived and capsized, sending a message to other skippers to beware. A pressure system in the Bay of Bengal has generated a strong southwesterly flow. As the crews made their way out to the start line, the mainsails were
This three-day regatta is always held the weekend before the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek.
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reefed and all precautions were taken. The radio crackled and Henry Kaye’s Seacart 26 Sweet Chariot became the first casualty when its rotating mast unstepped and the spreader speared through the mainsail. The 10 Racing Multis (OMR) were first off the rank, on a three-lap windward/leeward race. Mark Horwood’s Formula 40 trimaran Adrenalin became the second casualty when its main beam broke loose and Werner Amstutz’s Corsair 28 Flying High later joined the retirement list. The Stealth catamarans took off in a cloud of spray, with Mick Coleman’s 11.8m Java leading the way, closely being stalked by Alan Carwardine’s sister-ship Hurricane. Only 30 seconds separated them at the end and they stayed in that order after the handicaps were applied. The strong wind helped Grenville Fordham/Bob Mott’s Andaman Cabriolet Nina lift their game and they claimed third place. The second race saw three more retirements, Hurricane (mast rotation), Peter Boyd’s Corsair 31 Zig Zag (trawling the spinnaker behind) and David Liddell’s Stealth 1 2 Afterburner (fear of breaking a borrowed boat). Mick Coleman’s 11.8m Java made it two wins out of two and snatched the overall lead. After leading off the start line and having a scathe free race, Grenville Fordham/Bob Mott’s Nina scored second place and lined up in second overall. Shane Grover/Zam Bevan’s Corsair Sprint MK2 Bullet survived the testing conditions and claimed third place and third overall as the others fell by the wayside. The Firefly One-Design class won’t start if the wind speed is over 22 knots for more than three minutes. Consequently, the first attempt at the second start was aborted while in sequence and they had to wait for the wind to abate. When they did ' Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo put the pedal to the metal finally start, and winning both races on the day. George Eddings Blue Nose claimed second place in the first race, but retired with steering problems in the second race. In the past few months we have seen some remarkable comebacks, no more so than John Newnham’s crew in on Twin Sharks. After capsizing the day before, they were back out racing in the regatta and although a late start in the first race saw them grab 4th overall, they placed 2nd in the second race, to hold second spot in the standings. Undeterred by the conditions Roger Kingdon’s Moto Inzi scored 3rd and 4th places to hold third spot overall. Neil Ayre’s Advanced Racing Team (Mamba) retired from the first race but returned to score 3rd place in the second race to stay in the running. All three Open Multis (NHC Handicap) yachts survived the onslaught and the juggling of places left them all tied with four points each. By winning the second race Tim Milner’s Whitehaven 38 Seekronghuk took the overall lead. Roman Shirokov’s Lagoon 380 Star Fruit won the first race to slide into second place, while two second places for the Nautitech 395 White Conch skippered by Hin sat in third.
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This multihull-only regatta is growing in its reputation for being highly competitive as not much separates contestants on the leader board.
Day Two What a difference a day can make: yachts that came through with relative little damage and looked good on the score sheets yesterday, suffered damage today while they saw the
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leader board reshuffled. Just as the starting sequence was completed, the dark clouds building up over Rawai swept across the course and gave the crews a thorough dousing. The Southwesterly topped out at 40 knots as the storm descended on the fleet, then dramatically dropped during the rain, but as soon as the storm passed over, it returned with a vengeance. Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo remarkable winning streak in the Firefly One-Design Class finally came to an end suffering broken halyards in both races; Hans handed over the overall lead to John Newnham’s Twin Sharks, who had problems of their own. After cleaning up on the first race, Twin Sharks shredded their second mainsail in as many days and Neil Ayre’s Advanced Racing Team (Mamba) came through to win that race and slide into second overall. Despite some great starts, Roger Kingdon’s crew on Moto Inzi were still coming to terms with handling the boat and settled on two 3rd place finishess, to sit in third overall. This dropped Voodoo to fourth overall. Mixed emotions for the 10 Racing Multis (OMR) yachts: Henry Kaye’s Seacart 26 Sweet Chariot suffered broken halyards and was forced to retire. Once again, Mark Horwood’s precarious balanced Formula 40 trimaran Adrenalin retired after two laps and Peter Boyd’s Corsair 31 Zig Zag disappeared from the course. Shane Grover/ Zam Bevan’s Corsair Sprint MK2 Bullet was one of three boats that started prematurely and did not return to restart. The Stealth catamarans dominated the proceedings on this day. The builder and designer, Alan Carwardine, on his 11.8m Asia Catamarans Hurricane traded first and second place finishes with Mick Coleman’s sister ship, Java. Carwardine’s retirement on Day One paved the way for Java to take the lead in the overall standings, but that could change on the final day of racing. Grenville Fordham/ Bob Mott’s Andaman Cabriolet’s Nina claimed third in the first race but retired with broken reef lines in the second race, reducing their lead to third overall. Even though all three Open Multis (NHC Handicap) were tied on four points and everything to play for, Tim Milner’s Whitehaven 38 Seekronghuk did not make it out to the startline. This left Roman Shirokov’s Lagoon 380 Star Fruit and the Nautitech 395 White Conch skippered by Tu Songyod to fight it out. By winning one race each, they became tied with seven points apiece, with everything in play for on the final day.
Day Three In stark contrast to the first two days, the Southwesterly moderated to 15-18 knots, with a clear sky and boat damage limited to minor breakages. In all three classes, the podium places were up for grabs and most of the fleet completed hurried repairs the night before and were back out on the water to fight on the final day. For the first race, PRO Simon James decided to send the fleet out of Chalong Bay to the Phuket Harbour clear water mark and back, followed by a windward/leeward race to finish. In the Racing Multis (OMR) Class, Hurricane traded first and second place finishes with Java, preventing Hurricane from overtaking Java for the title. Carwardine’s retirement on Day One became the drop race but it was not
Principle sponsor, Multihull Solutions, played a huge role in seeing the regatta’s numbers almost double in a year.
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enough to interfere with the superbly sailed Java, who was on the pace all regatta and finished every race in the top two places. Two third places for Grenville Fordham/Bob Mott’s Andaman Cabriolet’s Nina, gave them the bronze. It’s been a game of snakes and ladders in the Firefly One-Design Class. Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo streaked off with two wins on Day One, but by not finishing any races on Day 2 dropped down to fourth. After capsizing on the practice day, John Newnham’s Twin Sharks made a remarkable comeback, to lead by the finish of Day 2. Voodoo bounced back into contention by winning the first race on the last day, as some boat handling errors and minor breakages left Twin Sharks back in fifth place. All the time, Neil Ayre’s Advanced Racing Team (Mamba) were picking up podium places and by winning the last race and after dropping their first race withdrawal they came out on top for the title. After bringing his team from the UK for many years, this was Ayre’s first and well-deserved overall victory. After the numbers were crunched Twin Sharks ended up in second spot and Voodoo placed third. Coming into the final day, the two remaining boats in the Open Multis (NHC Handicap) Class were tied on seven points apiece. Tu Songyod’s all-Thai crew on the Nautitech 395 White Conch mistakenly thought they were over the start line and lost time restarting. The Russians on Roman Shirokov’s Lagoon 380 Star Fruit took the lead, but on the long run to the outer harbour mark, were overtaken by Songyod’s White Conch and they finished in that order. When the handicaps were applied Star Fruit came out in front and claimed the title for a very jubilant Russian crew.
Summary Captain Marty recapping said, “What a wonderful three days of racing and hospitality at the Ao Chalong Yacht Club. It must be the windiest regatta we have ever been to in Thailand. Apart from the carnage each day, everyone seems to have had a good time. The camaraderie seen among the crews to repair damage each day was a good measure of the club’s depth and made the regatta a success despite the windy conditions.” Ao Chalong was a perfect place to stage the event as the Fireflys were built at Latitude 8 on Friendship Beach, a Mark Pescott design and Mark Horwood build. The area is also home to Roger Diggelmann, whose previous company Composite Yacht Catamarans built the Andaman Cabriolet Nina, and whose present company Asia Catamarans, built Hurricane, Afterburner, Java and Galeforce. This is a non-profit volunteer run event with an earlybird entry fee of 3,500 baht for boat and the skipper plus 1,500 baht per crew that goes towards paying for the longtail boats, lunches and gas for the support boats. This three-day regatta is always held the weekend before the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek, making both events more attractive for sailors coming from abroad as they can get in seven days of great sailing spread over ten days. http://acyc.asia/
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to run
MBS successfully stewards
Cape Panwa Hotel Story by Duncan Worthington Photography by Scott Murray
Phuket Raceweek
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n Bay Regatta
Lead-in Phuket hosted the award-winning Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek from 16th – 20th of July off the Island’s southeast coast. The season-opening event of the prestigious 2014/15 Asian Yachting Grand Prix – a series of 12 of the best regattas in Asia – Raceweek welcomed one of the most competitive fleets in the Regatta’s history. “The quality of the fleet is arguably the best ever and what is particularly encouraging this year is the number of new boats from around Asia taking part. Crew are coming from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines regionally – as well as a strong showing from Thailand – and also from as far afield as the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand,” said Mr. Byron Jones, Managing Director of organizer Media Business Services (MBS). With its private pier and beachfront location, together with the 5-star facilities and service, Cape Panwa Hotel delivers a regatta experience second-to-none, something which is echoed by the sailors. “The Cape Panwa Hotel is a fabulous location. Its white sandy beach and expansive grass area scattered with palm trees makes an excellent setting to enjoy a few beers and catch up with all the yachties that I have become great friends with over many years,” commented Peter Ahern, owner/ skipper, Oi!. The increase in the number of international boats and crew, together with an increase in charterers who fly in and charter a local boat to race, is encouraging for the future of the event, and also for Phuket and the Panwa area. Phuket Raceweek attracts approximately 500 sailors and family members each year, and while the Regatta is fourdays long, participants and their families often come for longer, choosing to either arrive early or stay on after the Regatta. The revenue from travel, accommodation, dining and entertainment is considerable during Phuket’s summer season, and goes direct into the local economy. “The multi-day nature of regattas means they generate significant revenues for the local economy in which they are
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held. Looking at the participants this year, and taking into account residents competing and those coming from overseas, we estimate Raceweek will generate 1,800 room nights for Phuket. Add to that travel, food, drink and entertainment, and the tourism dollars are considerable,” commented Jones. Marine tourism and sports tourism are two segments of the tourism industry that are showing strong growth, and are identified by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) as having great potential, attracting visitors with high spending power. Phuket’s world-class marine infrastructure is a major pull in
attracting high-end visitors and together with the stunning cruising grounds and internationallyfamous marine events has helped make Phuket a playground for the wealthy. “Phuket Raceweek is at the core of promoting Thailand’s marine tourism and continues to help build Phuket’s global reputation as a yachting hub, as well as delivering an economic return to the Island,” added Jones.
Day One The regattas kicked off with 12-15 knots of wind on the opening day. Principal Race Officer Simon James set two races for all but the Classic class, and with the wind building throughout the day the second, longer race, produced some exhilarating sailing for the 400+ sailors. The 36 boats were split over seven classes, and include many familiar faces together with a growing number of international boats and
charterers this year. Having set the start-line between Lone and Aeo islands, the racing started on time and first off was IRC Racing I on a windward/leeward course. The in-form Foxy Lady VI was up against Peter Ahern’s Australian entry Oi!, the wellcampaigned Fujin, Blue Note and the 42-footer
Island Fling from Hong Kong. A mixed bunch, and it was Foxy Lady VI who were first to put a win on the board. An error early on by Oi! hit home as they finished first but on corrected time had to settle for fourth. Island Fling enjoyed the good breeze and all powered up secured second place, two minutes ahead of Fujin. In the second race, the class were sent towards the Chalong coastline, downwind to the Safe Water Mark off Panwa Cape, back towards Chalong, around Aeo Island, and back upwind before one last downwind leg to the finish. With the wind building, Fujin went one better this time to finish second in Race 2, knocking Island Fling into third. But again, it was the slick crew work on Foxy Lady VI that saw them take the win by four minutes on corrected time: two out of two. Last year’s winner, Phoenix, got off to a slow start in IRC Racing II with a sixth-placefinish in Race 1. They improved in the Race 2 to sit fourth overall at the end of the day, but the day’s glory goes to Australian boat Jessandra II, who competing at Raceweek for the first time scored two comfortable wins to lead the scoreboard. Ruby Tuesday’s 3rd & 2nd place finishes and the Mumm 30 Foreign Affair’s 2nd & 5th place finishes put them in second and third overall respectively. Starting together, the Cruising and Charter/Bareboat classes enjoyed some close racing on the course and on handicap, and Sail in Asia’s Pinocchio were the early winners with two
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first places today in Cruising, while a 1st & 2nd for Little Eva in Bareboat/Charter Class saw them lead that class. A single race for the Classic class saw the fleet stretch their legs on an island course, enjoying the stunning cruising grounds in this southeast corner of Phuket. Crossing the line first, after almost two hours of sailing, was Michael Zircon’s Aventure that took the win by just ten minutes on corrected time from the everyoung Seraph. The multihulls were back in force this year with 12 boats split into two classes: Firefly 850 and Multihull Racing. Good winds and relatively flat seas
proved ideal racing conditions for the super-fast one-design Fireflys. All podium-placers in the past, there was plenty of pedigree in the fleet, and defending champion Twin Sharks, despite capsizing a week before while preparing for the Multihull Solutions Regatta in Phuket, showed no signs of concern scoring two bullets on the day. Having nailed both starts, Advanced Racing Mamba came in a close second in both races. In Multihull Racing, the smaller boats of Sweet Chariot and Bullet struggled in the breeze today while the Stealth cats from the Asia Catamaran’s yard, Java and Asia Catamarans Hurricane, lead the way. And it was two firsts for Asia Catamarans Hurricane and two seconds for Java at the end of the day with Grenville Fordham’s Nina sitting in third overall.
Day Two It was more of the same on Day 2 of Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. In fact, it was more of the same and then some, with winds blowing to 15 knots, 2-metre swells and lots of action on the race track.
Sirius joined that action today bringing the fleet up to 36 boats and the Classic class to a commendable three. Cruising and Charter/Bareboat classes were sent off around the southern islands of Phuket while the Classics were sent around Lone Island. All other classes completed a windward/ leeward before enjoying the stunning cruising grounds off Phuket’s southeast coast taking in Bon, Hei and Aeo islands. Like an unstoppable train, Bill Bremner and his crew on Foxy Lady VI took everything in their stride. A bullet in the windward/leeward gave them confidence and a comfortable lead allowing them to take a few risks in Race 2, sailing in close to the islands. Bill Bremner said, “We took some chances rounding the first island and cut the corner inside the submerged ‘phantom’ rock and it gave us some decent gains at the halfway point.” They went on to make further gains and win the second race of the day by one minute on corrected time and remain unbeaten in the series. Elsewhere in the class Oi! and Island Fling traded second and third places while two fourth places today sees Blue Note close the gap a little on Fujin.
Australians were ruling IRC Racing II. Roland Dane and his Aussie crew on Jessandra II includes local sailing talent Scott Duncanson and Mia Gillow, and with two more wins proved that their international and local crew mix is proving to be a winning formula. While their winning margins on corrected time are getting larger, keeping them honest is the Australian crew on the Mumm 30 Foreign Affair who, with two second places today, now sit second overall.
Organized by Media Business Services, the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek comprises four days of world-class yacht racing
and four nights of beachside parties.
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Hedonist, helmed by Richard Barnhurst, was quickest over the course again in the Cruising class but couldn’t convert that into a handicap win and for the third time was bridesmaid to Mike Downard’s Farr 1104 Sail in Asia Pinocchio. Following a slow start to the Regatta with a fourth place in the first race on Day 1, Ian Lodewycx’s Venture has scored one win and added another to their tally today. More than 40
Advanced Racing Mamba continued to nail the starts Twin Sharks was successful at reining them in. In day two’s first race, however, they ran out of race track and Neil Ayre’s Advanced Racing Mamba won by six seconds, their first win of the series. Defending champion Twin Sharks, skippered by John Newnham, was back at them in Race 2 and scored a comfortable 40-second margin win to bolster their position at the top of
minutes was the winning margin on corrected time and Venture now sits atop, tied on points with Little Eva who slipped down to third after day two’s distance race. Two fifth places for Grenville Fordham’s Nina in Multihull Racing opened the door for the Corsair 24 Bullet, the smallest in the fleet, and the 40-foot Adrenalin, to make up ground. All three finished tied for third place overall. Leading the series is Alan Carwardine’s Asia Catamarans Hurricane who lost their first race on day two, but their 2nd, and 1st place finishes kept them two points ahead of Race 1 winner, John Coffin’s Java. The one-design Firefly 850 class is turning into a two-horse race and while
the standings. Last year’s Classic class champion Sirius, skippered by Simon Morris, was on the race course for the first time and wasted no time making up for having missed yesterday’s racing. A win over Seraph saw them trailing Seraph and Aventure by a single point, with both tied for first place.
Day Three The signs were ominous as the boats left the anchorage on Day 3 of the 2014 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. Grey skies, no rustling in the trees and confusing reports from the weather pros. Wind Guru was predicting anything from
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zero to four knots and Windfinder were predicting in the eight knot range, while the Thai Meteorological Department had issued an advisory about Tropical Storm “Ramusan” warning of strong wind and waves 2-4 metres in the Andaman Sea. Simon James, the Principal Race Officer, and his onwater team tried in vain, searching here and there for some wind while the fleet followed, giving everyone a personal tour of the southern Phuket cruising grounds in the process. Some boats enjoyed lunch while anchored off the myriad beaches in the area as the race team continued their search but after three-and-a-half hours, with SERIES RESULTS the breeze threatening again to (top three in each class) make a showing only to go back IRC Racing I into hiding, the inevitable Foxy Lady VI, Bill Bremner (4) happened when Simon called it Island Fling, Paul F. Winklemann (8) Oi!, Peter Ahern/ Scott Bailey/ a day and sent the fleet back to Fergus Wilmer (12) shore. A tough day of waiting IRC Racing II Jessandra II, Roland Dane (4) for everyone but full marks Foreign Affair, Greg Reynolds (11) went out to Simon and his team Ruby Tuesday, John Vause (13) for perseverance. While they Cruising were hunting wind, the Hedonist, Richard Barnhurst (7) weather gods did come out to Sail in Asia Pinocchio, Mike Downard (9) put on a show with a stunning Sansiri Windstar, Patinyakorn Buranrom (11) solar halo. The series results Charter/Bareboat remain unchanged with almost Little Eva, Jonathan King (5) all the podium spots were still in Venture, Ian Lodewyckx (6) Anchalai (Ratana), Simon Oliver (7) play.
Day Four
Multihull Racing Asia Catamarans Hurricane, Alan Carwardine (5) Java, John Coffin (7) Bullet, Zam Bevan (12)
It all came down to the final day of the 2014 Cape Firefly 850 Panwa Hotel Phuket Twin Sharks, John Newnham (5) Advanced Racing Mamba, Richard Ayre Raceweek. After the Voodoo, Hans Rahmann (9) unprecedented abandonment Classic of racing for all classes on day Seraph, Captain Bao (5) three, the pressure was on to get Aventure, Michael Zircon (6) a final race (or more) Sirius, Simon Morris (8) completed, introduce the drop in some classes, and give everyone a fighting final day chance. The forecast wasn’t looking great and after approximately an hour-and-a-half searching for some breeze, Principal Race Officer Simon James set a start-line between Lone and Hei islands and got the fleet underway. An islands course around Hei and Aeo for the Multihull Racing, Cruising, Charter/Bareboat and Classic classes was the order of the day, with a short windward/leeward for the rest. Coming into the start on port tack, Foxy Lady VI headed off towards Aeo Island while the rest of the fleet took the other side of the course. Early up the leg, Blue Note and Fujin tacked to follow Foxy Lady VI while Oi! and Island Fling stuck to their guns. As they rounded the top mark, Oi! and Island Fling got the better of the first upwind leg while Foxy Lady VI slipped back and looked to have chosen the wrong side of the course. Two laps of the windward/leeward and Oi! took their fifth line honours of the series, but couldn’t convert it to a
(8)
Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek is the first event of the prestigious 2014/2015 AsianYachting Grand Prix.
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handicap win, having to settle for third in the race and third overall, while Island Fling sailed exceptionally well to win by two minutes on corrected time from a rapidly improving Blue Note. Having won all four races going into the final day, despite placing fourth in the final race, Foxy Lady VI won IRC Racing I comfortably, their first time at the regatta. Lead by Bill Bremner, they’re the boat in Asia to beat right now with eight consecutive wins on the Asian circuit. A start-line incident added some spice to the proceedings in IRC Racing II today. With lots of nonracing boats on the water and hanging around the start-boat, Jessandra II, helmed by Scott Duncanson, had to round one and came into the start at a tight angle and with no rights or options left had to squeeze in between Surf Patrol and the start boat. A three-way collision followed, and with no serious damage, both Surf Patrol and Jessandra II took a penalty turn and continued their racing. No protest was lodged and everything was left on the water. As it turned out, Ray Waldron’s Surf Patrol had their best race of the series and took line honours, converting to second place on corrected time less than one minute behind Jessandra II, of all boats, who’s final day win made it five from five and a class win at their first time of trying. For more information: Throughout the www.phuketraceweek.com week there has been talk of possible protests in the Facebook: www.facebook.com/ Cruising class though Phuket RaceweekRegatta nothing materialized, and Twitter: www.twitter.com/ to add further mystery to phuketraceweek the murmurings a RAF was YouTube: www.youtube.com/ recorded for Sail in Asia phuketraceweek Pinocchio post-happening, and an IRC rating error (Duncan Worthington is the Business Development Manager for the marketing was corrected. End result? communications agency Infinity Sail in Asia Pinocchio came Communications, www.infinity-comms.com, into the final day in second and Managing Director of Marine Scene Asia, place, not first, and needed publishers of the leading marine web portal www.marinescene.asia and regatta TV under a win in the final race and the Go Yachting brand.) for nearest rival Hedonist to place down the class.
Finishing seven minutes ahead was not enough for Hedonist to win the race and they had to settle for second place by less than two minutes on corrected time, behind race-winner Sail in Asia Pinocchio. However, a second place was enough for Hedonist to secure the class win. It was a long day on the course for the Charter/Bareboat entries today and after a slow start to the series by Venture, they put in a string of wins to lead the class going into the final day. There was still plenty to play for, however, and the tricky conditions saw Anchalai (Ratana) come into its own and score their first bullet of the series, and with it throw the class wide open. A third place for Little Eva kept it in the running but when the handicaps were calculated, Venture placed fourth on the final day and with that, Little Eva won the class title by a single point. In Multihull Racing, the title came down to two near identical Stealth cats from the local yard of Alan Carwardine, Asia Catamarans’ Hurricane and Java. Hitting the line perfectly on the final race was the 24-foot Corsair Bullet and they thrived in the light airs stretching out an early lead. The smallest in the fleet was soon overtaken by others, including the largest and oldest Adrenalin who at 30-years-old is almost a classic on the local multihull sailing scene. Skippered by Mark Horwood, Adrenalin sailed the conditions well and scored their first line honours of the series, but on corrected time had to settle for sixth in the race. Despite being fifth across the line, Bullet had saved their best performance to last, winning the final race of the series with Java in second and Asia Catamarans Hurricane in third. A third was enough for Alan Carwardine and his crew on Hurricane to win the series by two points and claim their first Raceweek win. Only three boats made it to the start-line for the final day of racing in the Firefly class as Moto Inzi’s skipper Roger Kingdon suffered a stroke after the first day of racing and the boat had to withdraw from racing. Twin Sharks had a good lead coming into the day but Advanced Racing Mamba were close on their heels and looking to put in a good finish. However, after having a poor series by Voodoo’s own high standards, they came good in the final race to win convincingly by nearly four minutes. Twin Sharks finished second and with it defended their title and are only the second Firefly to “two-peat” at Phuket Raceweek. Three Classics made it a day to remember, and a sight to behold, on the final day as they lined up in-sync for the start. After over three hours, the final classic yacht crossed the line and the handicaps were calculated, and it was the gracefully aging schooner Seraph, skippered by Captain Bao, that won the race and with that, the class title.
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Sail Malaysia discovers stunning unspoiled and untamed cruising grounds and more… Story & Photos by Ghislaine Bovy
J
oining the 11th Edition of the Sail Malaysia Passage to the East Yacht Rally 2014 supported by Tourism Malaysia for one of their “legs” as the yachties call them was an unforgettable experience. What immediately struck me was the sense of belonging and the sheer joy of the yachties as they gathered. Invited by Sazli Kamal Basha, the mastermind and Managing Director of the
Sail Malaysia Rally, I joined the nineteen participating sailing boats at Turtle Island (Selingan Island), one of the highlights of the rally, on the way to Sandakan, east of Sabah, the Malaysian Borneo. In the company of Data’Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin, Chairman of The Board of Trustees of the Sabah Parks, James Khoo, Operations Manager of Pangkor Marina Malaysia and one of the Rally Partners, and Sazli Kamal Basha, the motorboat from
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The Sulu-Sulawesi Sea off Sabah is the apex of the Coral Triangle, also known as the “Amazon of the Seas”, home to the world’s most diverse collection of marine life.
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Sail East Malaysia cruisers enjoying some time off the water.
Sandakan dropped us on the white powder beach of Turtle Island from where we could see all the yachts at anchor. The Rally provides a unique opportunity to sail through the fabulous and unspoiled Malaysian sailing grounds. All the crews had enjoyed the 15 destinations so far since regrouping in Langkawi. Malaysia has so much to offer in terms of sailing destinations and the Rally gives sailors the benefits of being part of an international cruising community while discovering Malaysia by sea and enjoying the rally’s organization, destinations, warm welcomes and the many activities organized by local hosts such as The Sabah Parks and the Sandakan Yacht Club. Also, the Rally provides safety for cruisers as they sail alongside many marine vessels along the way, but as one yachtie pointed out, “They are not right in our face, we know they are
there and honestly, we are not concerned about safety, some of the boats here have cruised on their own before joining us.” I asked several of the yachties to give me their number one reason for cruising in Malaysia and all said it was for the unspoiled cruising grounds. Moreover for those yachties who are divers the Sulu-Sulawesi Sea off Sabah is the apex of the Coral Triangle, also known as the “Amazon of the Seas”. The Coral Triangle is home to the world’s most diverse collection of marine life with more than 75% of all coral species known to science. While on Turtle island, I couldn’t help but noticing a “Conservation for Future Generations” board. The objective of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment is to ensure the conservation of the forests and its iconic animals such as
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orangutans and proboscis monkeys, the islands and the marine life. The aptly named Turtle Island is a perfect example of the Ministry’s focus on the conservation of marine life. Since dedicated hatcheries had been established on the island to release baby turtles at night, when predators such as the monitor lizard are less likely to capture and eat baby turtles, the number of turtles has increased. Park rangers take great care of both turtles and tourists. We were taken at night to see a giant green turtle lay her eggs; tourists were requested to be silent, not to use their camera flashes and to respect the solemnity of the occasion. The eggs were then taken to the hatchery. We were later privileged to help in the release of 86 baby turtles into the sea. Everyone found it an emotional experience wondering how many of those vulnerable and defenseless animals would survive to return to the island in the future to repeat this amazing event that has been going on for thousands of years. The next morning, I had the chance to sail on Out of the Blue II, a Lightwave 38, Lyn and Chris’ catamaran. A few hours later due to the very light breeze, all sailing yachts arrived together to anchor in front of the Sandokan Yacht Club. TV, News reporters, videographers, professional photographers were ready for the arrival and then joined us on Out of the Blue II for interviews and more photos. After a day of well-deserved rest for the yachties, we all met again for the dinner organized by the Sandakan Yacht Club. Free flow of Tiger beer and an exquisite food buffet, speeches, the prize-giving ceremony and Karaoke made it a very enjoyable evening for everyone. As I was enquiring about the yachties’ future plans, 80% of them said they enjoyed the Rally so much that they will probably join Sail Malaysia again for the Passage to the West. The remaining 20% will cruise back to their home countries while others will use the services of
The Rally provides a unique opportunity to sail through the fabulous and unspoiled Malaysian sailing grounds.
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Monitor Lizard.
Sevenstar Yacht Transport, one of the Rally Partners, to take their boat to go cruising in the Med. On their last day at the Sandakan Yacht Club anchorage, yachties were invited to visit another important conservation project by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment, the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (S.O.R.C.). Funded by the Sabah Government, the goal of the S.O.R.C. is to return orphaned, injured or displaced orangutans back to the wild after rehabilitation. Young orangutans spend a lot of time in the “Nursery”, learning skills essential to living in the jungle such as the ability to find food, build nests and climb, skills they would learn off their mother. Once ready, they move to the “Outdoor Nursery” where their freedom is increased and their dependence on food and emotional support is decreased. Most animals then achieve total independence as part of the Sepilok wild orangutan population. That’s what Sail Malaysia is all about, discovering Malaysia by sea: enjoying the islands, the marine life and then going onshore to discover the beauty of Malaysia’s wild life, its busy towns, the tasty food, the local market’s fresh fruits and vegetables and the cultural heritage that makes Malaysia so unique. Orangutan in SORC.
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Getting fed at Sepilok.
Primates at the Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.
The Rally gives sailors the benefits of being part of an international cruising community while discovering Malaysia by sea.
Sunbear from the Bornean Sunbear Conservation Centre.
Proboscis monkeys.
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The Borneo International Yachting Challenge
Photography by Scott Murray
Background The Borneo International Yachting Challenge (BYIC), the first truly international yachting event in the waters off Borneo, is a joint effort of the two Malaysia Borneo states, Sarawak and Sabah, and the Federal Territory of Labuan, organized under the auspices of the Malaysian Yachting Association. First held in 2003 to promote regional marine and sporting tourism in the East Malaysian states and open up the South China Sea as a cruising destination, the Borneo International Yachting Challenge has grown in stature and fostered the growth of marinas to serve these communities. The BIYC averages 20 boats from all over the world, with yachts coming from as far as St Vincent to compete. The overall winner of the Borneo International Yachting Challenge trophy is the boat with the least accumulated corrected times from the Miri Bay Regatta, the Miri-Labuan Passage Race, the Labuan Harbour Regatta, Labuan-Kota Kinabalu Passage Race, and the KK Bay Regatta (IRC class only). Leading authorities lending support to the event are the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism Sarawak, the Sarawak Tourism Board, the Labuan Corporation and the Sabah Tourism Board, while Miri Marina, Labuan Marina and Sutera Harbour were the hosting marinas.
This year Sixteen yachts gathered at Miri Marina in Sarawak, though ten more registered, and after sailing harbour races in Miri, they raced to duty-free Labuan and then onto Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. This year, the BYIC hooked up with Sail Malaysia - Passage to the East Rally, so the bulk of the entries were cruising yachts joining for some friendly racing. The Racing Class featured Troy Yaw’s allMalaysian Team on his TP52 Ulumulu skippered by Jeremy Koo; the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47 Uranus skippered by Norhafisam Bin Ahmed; Leonard Chin’s Custom 46 Ulumulu (Team Sabah) and the much smaller Runnalls 8 Miri Magic 2 skippered by Sabagar from the Kota Kinabalu Navy base (Btw, the Ulumulu Team Sabah boat was taken Downunder a few years back to be modified so that Ariffin Abul Aziz could solo circumnavigate the globe on it – unfortunately that never happened). A wide variety of yacht designs was evident among the Cruising and Multihull Class entries. The bulk came
This was a joint effort of two Malaysian Borneo States, Sarawak and Sabah, and the Federal Territory of Labuan, organized under the auspices of the Malaysian Yachting Association.
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from Australia, with representatives from South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, Canada, USA, UK, Holland and Malaysia, making up an interesting fleet vying for the valuable prizes and a testament that this region’s tropical beauty is attracting yachting tourism by the boatload. After the Miri Bay Race and welcoming party, the 120nm Miri-Labuan Passage Race took the yachts north, through a maze of Brunei offshore oil platforms with blazing flares in the South China Sea before they reached duty-free Labuan for another round of harbour races and celebrations.
Starting Out After a short delay for the wind to reach five knots, PRO Prakash Reddy fired off the starting sequence to get the 2014 regatta underway. The four racing class yachts were joined by another 8m boat Miri Magic 1 for the Miri Bay Race. Although Troy Yaw’s TP52 Team Ulumulu led the racing class around the course, its wide beam is a bit sticky in the light breeze and it tumbled down the order to 4th place, when the IRC handicap was applied. Next in-line to finish, the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47 Uranus, was one-and-half-minutes behind Team Ulumulu but suffered the same fate, ending up in second place. A further thirteen minutes off the pace, Leonard Chin’s Custom 46 Ulumulu (Team Sabah) settled on third place but the much smaller Runnalls 8 Miri Magic 1, skippered by Measurer Dave Richards, with two local crew expertly cruised around the course to snatch victory (This class could have been called the Troy Haw class as 4 of the boats racing in it belonged to him.)
Unfortunately only a few Cruisers and Multihulls ventured out onto the course, as they were crewed by husband and wife teams and more suited to longer passage races. This led to only one boat finishing correctly in each class and the rest either ran out of time or retired. Barry and Jerrie Bateman’s Valiant 40 New World took the honours in Cruising A and David Walker’s Trident 40 Fortuna of Tamar triumphed in Cruising B. It was a similar story in the Multihull Class, where Sjoerd Klass’ Verrheust 56 Isis led by the proverbial mile and got within 30 meters of the finish line, when the wind died and left them with no alternative other than start the engine and retire. This left John Six’s Nautitec 43 Azura patiently holding on to claim first place. Heavy rain overnight, spurred on by a strong Southwesterly wind produced a two-metre swell and some concern among the cruising skippers, “to go or not to go”. By start time conditions had moderated leaving an uncomfortable seaway, with 8 to 10 knots tending to veer to the East. Undeterred, PRO Prakash Reddy and the race committee set the start line and went into sequence, as the sky cleared the race was on in earnest - Labuan or bust! The four IRC racers carefully hoisted spinnakers with varying degrees of success and never looked back. The cruisers held back and it wasn’t clear whether the starters were late for Class A or early for Class B. Finally, it was the Multihulls’ turn and another subdued approach, as most boats were sailing twohanded and the two- metre swell made it difficult to set sails and stay onboard. During his welcoming speech Troy Yaw, the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, said “Promoting the sport of
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sailing is important to the local community. Whether it’s the kids in Optimist dinghies vying for places at regional games or the turbulent world of big boat racing, Malaysians have raised their game and worked very hard at competing at an international level. In the beginning, it was mostly foreign crews here but if you look around the room it is now over 50% local Malaysian sailors rubbing shoulders with the visitors.” An hour after the start it was reported that Troy Yaw’s TP52 Team Ulumulu skippered by Jeremy Koo went roaring along at 15 knots and made quick time of the passage to Labuan. Despite persistent trouble with the spinnaker tack, Team Ulumulu averaged 10 knots over the 105 nautical mile course, to finish in 10 hours 10 minutes and slash 4 hours off the previous fastest time between the two ports, set by Ray Roberts on the old Ulumulu in 2005. Clocking up to 15 knots boat speed from the Miri start to the Brunei border then reaching with a consistent 10 to 15 knot Northeasterly gave them the perfect conditions to set the fastest elapsed time. One-and-a-half hours later Uranus crossed the finish line and was forced to settle for second place. A further one-hourand-forty-two minutes passed before Ulumulu (Team Sabah) breasted the line to claim third place. There was enough wind for most the Cruisers and Multihulls to sail all the way. The battle of the Amel 53s erupted in the Cruising A Class. Eventually, David and Jacqui Pemberton’s Jackster got the better of Paraic Omaoilruada’s sister ship Saoleile to score the daily double. Peter and Elizabeth Zielinski’s Adams 45 Desert Rose looked good to start with but declaring 30 minutes
motoring time dropped them to third place and behind the boats that sailed all the way. Michael and Janice Johnson’s FWM 39 Zoa and Chris Zingler’s Brewer 44 Amulet were within sight of each other for the entire race until Chris took a nap and his wife took over, allowing Johnson’s Zoa to pull away and claim the daily double. As the breeze was up and down for the back markers, Hans Berekoven’s John Pugh 18m Southern Sun claimed a distant third place after eight hours of motoring. Still mulling over the Miri Bay Race disappointment, Sjoerd Klass’ Verrheust 5 6 Isis made the most out of the fresh breeze, to well and truly blitz the Multihull fleet. Almost five hours later, John Six’s Nautitec 43 Azura crossed the finish line for second place but being the sole finisher in Race 1 became the overall leader. Suffering from a horizon job, Chris Wood and Lyn Nichols’ Light Wave 38 Out of the Blue 11 had to motor for over three hours through the light spots to end up in third place. Next up was the Labuan Harbour races, followed by a welcome dinner and prize presentation at the Billion Waterfront Hotel. A late start due to the flag off by YB Datuk Lee Kim Shin, meant the yachts arrived an hour late at the starting area, just as the morning breeze started to wane. No cruising boats bothered to race, which left the four racing class yachts and two of the eight multihulls preparing to go through the motions. As the race progressed it turned into a drift-a-thon and after one and a half laps, the racing class was shortened and as the two multihulls were showing all zero’s on the dials, they retired back to the marina. Team Ulumulu led around the
The leading authorities lending support were Sarawak’s Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism, and the Sabah & Sarawak Tourism Boards.
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Sail Malaysia again organized its rally fleet to join the BIYC, which they have been doing since 2009.
course but the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47 Uranus was close behind and when the IRC handicaps were applied Uranus came out on top by one-and-half minutes and held onto the overall Racing Class lead. Over an hour later, Leonard Chin guided his Custom 46 Ulumulu (Team Sabah) across the line for third place. As the Runnalls 8 Miri Magic 2 skippered by Sabagar from the Kota Kinabalu Navy Base, refused to take fourth place being offered by PRO Prakash Reddy, they ran out of time and scored a “did not finish” instead. After a lengthy wait, a light sea breeze arrived and another race attempted but had to be abandoned as the breeze faded away. Sjoerd Klass’ Verrheust 56 Isis and John Six’s Nautitec 43 Azura were the only Multihull starters and as they struggled on the first leg to maintain height and eventually speed both called it a day and retired for some duty-free shopping. The next day, the 67nm Labuan to Kota Kinabalu Passage Race had a 9am start in an effort to complete the race in daylight. With the wind pitching in at 12 to 18 knots and a spinnaker run all the way, Troy Yaw’sTP52 Team Ulumulu, averaged slightly over 12 knots for the 86-mile Labuan to Kota Kinabalu Passage Race. In doing so, they scored the daily double, but it took half the race before they could shake off the Malaysian Armed Forces K47 Uranus skippered by Norhafisam Bin Ahmed. In the end, it was a little over 8 minutes that separated them on corrected time and Team Ulumulu was rapidly closing in on the point score, but Uranus still held the overall lead. Although Leonard Chin’s Custom 46 Ulumulu (Team Sabah) and Lt Mohd Hani’s Runnalls 8 Miri Magic 2 were outclassed by the leaders, it did not stop them from having their own battle. On this occasion, Miri Magic 2 came with the new wind from behind, five miles from the finish line to jump up into third place and relegate Ulumulu (Team Sabah) to fourth in their home waters (Interestingly, Miri Magic 1 was built in Pattaya by Bill Gasson and then Troy Haw bought and shipped
the mould to Langkawi where it was his intention to build six more, unfortunately Miri Magic2 was the only to be built there). Owen and Jessica Jenschke’s Wright 14m Malaika was the only starter in Cruising A and naturally secured the win. A unique situation existed whereby three boats shared the lead on 15 points, each boat having scored one win and failed to compete in any of the other races. Whoever went out on the final day could be the overall winner. Micheal and Janice Johnson’s FWM 39 Zoa and Hans Berekoven’s John Pugh 18m Southern Sun seemed to be the only serious racers in Cruising B and finished one-two and hold those spots in the overall stakes. Initially John Six’s Nautitec 43 Azura corrected out in front of Sjoerd Klass’ Verrheust 5 6 Isisbut a dispute over using the motor has arisen and being sorted by the International jury. As there needs to be six races before the drop race can be introduced, the Racing Class conducted two races today, to catch up with the schedule that lagged behind with no wind during the Miri and Labuan Harbour races. After the morning attempt was abandoned due to a lack of wind, the Westerly breeze arrived and when it reached 8 knots, the four racing class yachts returned to sea for a couple windward/leeward races. Scoring two wins out of two races, and after the drop race was introduced, the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47 Uranus had a one-point lead over second placed Troy Yaw’s TP52 Team Ulumulu coming into the final day. Well down the points, Leonard Chin’s Custom 4 6 Ulumulu (Team Sabah) had a one-point advantage over Lt Mohd Hani”s Runnalls 8Miri Magic 2, so all the podium spots were still up for grabs on the final day. Troy Yaw’s TP52 Team Ulumulu was very determined to improve their round-the -
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cans performance and clinch the cup, but the Malaysian Armed Forces DK47 Uranus skippered by Norhafisam Bin Ahmed stayed on pace to win both races on the final day and claimed overall victory in front of their home crowd. A start line incident rattled Team Ulumulu in the first race and a tactical error on the second race deprived them from advancing beyond second overall. On the provisional results, Lt Mohd Hani”s Runnalls 8 Miri Magic 2 leap-frogged Leonard Chin’s Custom 46 Ulumulu (Team Sabah) into third place but a start line barging protest overturned the result and awarded third spot to Chin’s Ulumulu. Once again, no Cruising Class A boats bothered to come out to race, deciding instead to savour the sights and sounds of KK. For the first time in yachting history a unique situation occurred, where three boats shared the lead on 15 points, after each boat has scored one win and not competed in any other races. Eventually on countback, Owen and Jessica Jenschke’s Wright 14m Malaika won the Labuan to KK race and were awarded the victory. David and Jacqui Pemberton’s Jackster claimed second place and Barry and Jerrie Bateman’s Valiant 40 New World was awarded third overall for the win back in Miri. Two wins on the passage races gives Micheal and Janice Johnson’s FWM 39 Zoa overall victory in the Cruising B Class. Not only did Hans Berekoven’s John Pugh 18m Southern Sun carry all the crews’ luggage from port to port, but it was rewarded with second overall for its efforts. Winning the Miri Bay race gave David Walker’s Trident 4 0 Fortuna of Tamar third place overall and something to entertain their visitors for years to come.
After a couple of disappointments in the protest room, Sjoerd Klass’ Verrheust 5 6 Isis finally came good on the final day to clinch the win and overall victory in the Multihull Class. Determined to carry a starcut spinnaker to windward, John Six’s Nautitec 43 Azura went sideways and missed the start line by 100 metres and never returned, to be scored “Did Not Start”. In doing so, it handed the title to Isis on a platter. Only competing on two passage races, Chris Wood and Lyn Nichols’ Light Wave 38 Out of the Blue 11 ended up in third spot overall.
Summing up At the conclusion of BIYC, AYGP’s Captain Marty had some harsh words for the cruising sailors, remarking “In the past, the inclusion of the “Sail Malaysia - Passage to the East Rally” boats has been beneficial to both parties. But this year it was a total failure and left BIYC organizers with a slap on the face. Free regatta entry, marina berthing and three parties was enough to entice them to join but not enough to see them participating in the racing was unacceptable to the organizers and sponsors, considering they put so much effort into making the event possible. Among other things, there is talk of charging an entry fee next year and catering to IRC Classes only. Unless there is a huge improvement, it certainly won’t get them into the AYGP family of events any time soon.” More news, photos and info at: http://www.borneorace.com/index.htm (With reporting from sailing sage Captain Marty Rijurkis of Asian Yachting Grand Prix)
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M
oody yachts are well reputed as luxurious blue-water cruising yachts offering outstanding quality. The new Moody 54 DS focuses on luxurious living on one level with safety, seaworthiness, sophisticated technology and quality craftsmanship, which allows you to relax on board and simply enjoy the experience. Hanse Yachts, the builders of the Moody range combine design detail, enhanced functionality and a distinctive deck saloon structure with large windows that give a 360degree view in the saloon. The 54 DS is the perfect choice for any sailor, who spends lots of time on the water with the saloon offering protection from wind, weather or sun in conjunction with the well-protected cockpit area featuring a unique awning system. The optimized use of inner space gives her space you’d expect to find in a 65ft yacht. Her sandwich laminated construction ensures stiffness and isolation enhanced by the composite main bulkhead and other bulkheads, all of which are laminated, to the hull and deck. Solid bulwarks along the gunwale with fixed stainless steel guardrail and a sheltered cockpit with large coamings enhance safety on deck. She has twin wheels, with instrument pods and controls that ensure a clear view over and through the deck-saloon. Control from inside is at the chart table forward in the saloon. Ease of short-handed sailing is enhanced as all lines run to the helmsmen positions with two electric winches and an electric in-mast furling standard. Below decks, she has a large owner’s cabin with its own head and en-suite shower and can be fitted with a large galley below and a substantial well-fitted guest cabin. Her 150 HP engine, large fuel and water tanks plus numerous handrails inside and outside, her optimum stability keel and back-up systems will ensure her popularity with long distance cruisers. Her powerful rig gives excellent sailing performance. The extensive option list gives a great opportunity for customization and personalization.
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The The Moody Moody 54 54 DS DS -Another Step Forward Moody 54DS Fact Box LOA 17.15 m | 56’3" LWL 15.15 m | 49’8" Beam 5.20 m | 17' Draft 2.65 m | 8’5" (standard) 2.25 m | 7’4" (option) Displacement approx. 24.5 t | approx. 51.600 lb (standard keel) Ballast approx. 7.0 t | approx. 15.300 lb Engine Volvo D3-150 110kW/150HP Fresh water approx. 810 l 214 US gal Fuel tank approx. 520 l 138 US gal CE Certificate A (ocean) Total sail area approx. 161.50 m² | 1.739 sq ft Design Dixon Yacht Design
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Dehler 46 - Nominated for “European Yacht of the Year”
Special Deals on new Dehlers
T
he Dehler 46 has been nominated for “European Yacht of the Year after the victory of the 38 model in the Performance Cruiser category in the last awards. The Dehler 46 is a fast cruiser ideal for a small crew and families or option up to a performance-oriented regatta boat. The first picture of this boat showing her stunning appearance has just arrived. To add to the appeal for potential buyers, special price deals are available on the whole Dehler Range.
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Sealine and Fjord Boats Sealine S450
Buy in Asia at Factory Prices SEA-YSS have just announced a really special deal on the Sealine Sports 380, the Sealine Sports 450, the Fjord 36 Open and Fjord 40 Open which will allow buyers to effectively pay the factory price for boats shipped to Asia. These pedigree luxury performance boats are very popular in Europe and this deal makes them available locally at incredible saving. This deal is for a limited time and conditions apply. For details contact: South East Asia Yacht Sales inq@sea-yss.com
Fjord Open 40
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Simpson Marine’s Lagoon Escapade
“Thanks for the fantastic weekend. We should do this at least once a month and we can arrange the financing of such a trip by ourselves,” another Lagoon owner.
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I
n early August, Simpson Marine organized the Lagoon Escapade to Koh Hong in Krabi Province. The two-day affair left from Ao Po Grand Marina. A drone took aerial photography of the boats under sail between Koh Yao Noi and Koh Pak Bia. On the first day out, a lunch box from Boccocino was served at Koh Pak Bia, courtesy of Simpson Marine. After lunch, the participants enjoyed an afternoon of swimming and leisure, while soaking in the sun. The next port of call was Koh Hong, where after a leisurely sail more beautiful aerial photography was taken this time with Koh Hong as a backdrop. The late afternoon saw aperitifs on offer as fellow Lagoon owners welcomed each other on board their yachts for a great time socializing and exchanging ideas about their boats and other topics. Evening saw the participants take their dinghies beachside to the Koh Hong National Park where they enjoyed a BBQ dinner and
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drinks on the beach again courtesy of Simpson Marine. This was followed by a spectacular firedancing performance. After the show participants dinghied back to their Lagoons for a nightcap before retiring for the night. The next morning saw breakfast on the Lagoons again with some owners visiting other owners’ yachts, before everyone enjoyed a good frolicking in the Hong. By lunchtime, it was time to relax at the Lame Sai Seafood Thai restaurant with lunch again courtesy of Simpson Marine This restaurant has a floating pontoon accessible by dinghy only, so the Lagoons anchored just in front. After lunch, it was time to set sights on Ao Po Grand Marina for the trip home, celebrating a great weekend of Lagoon cruising. Five catamarans took part in this Escapade: three L450s (Shana, Pilgrim and Papillon) and two L400S2s (Mandragora & another unnamed yacht). Simpson Marine’s staff was mainly based on Mandragora, but some were on the unnamed L400S2 and on Shana as well. For anyone else out on the water in the immediate vicinity of the Escapade the Lagoons made quite an impact as their flotilla sailed on by: great showcasing by the team at Simpson Marine. Contact Details
phuket@simpsonmarine.com +66 (0) 7623 9768; +66 (0) 7623 9768
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' ' “Cetait vraiment super!� said one enthusiastic participant.