| PRESS RELEASE
The curtain raiser for Singapore ’s Sailing Season, the RSYC Regatta for 2009 concluded with a lively prize presentation ceremony at the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club on 19 July 2009.
Last year, RSYC made the bold decision to deviate from the traditional race format and incorporated the Round-the-Island Challenge, after an absence from the local sailing scene for nearly two decades, and the Passage Race to Tioman for the RSYC Regatta 2008 in an attempt to raise the level of competitiv e keelboat racing in Singapore and with the intention to introduce true ocean races within the next three years. It was an uncompromising move to reintroduce some serious passage racing to the local racing calendar. Building on that experience, RSYC intends to maintain the Tioman Passage Race as a separate annual event commencing in 2010.
This year marks the 10 th consecutive running of the RSYC Regatta since the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club moved to current Clubhouse in the year 2000. 17 teams spanning the IRC (A), IRC (B), and PY Classes took part in the Regatta that was held on 12, 18 and 19 July 2009 with racing taking place in the waters off the Southern Islands of Singapore.
The races concentrated near Pulau Sudong with the Regatta returning to the familiar and popular format of windward-leeward racing coupled with a passage race in between.
The sailors were greeted with excellent sailing conditions, with 15 to 20 knot winds on the opening day of the Regatta where the first 3 windward-leeward races were held.
The Regatta suffered an early casualty even before race got underway as Seki Kiyoshi ’s Pink Dolphin had to pull out of the race due to mechanical reasons.
In the IRC (A) class, as expected, the pre-race favorites Panic! the Farr 30 skippered by Jeff Davidson did a clean sweep as they finished a head of “L ’Autre Femme of Brent Morgans ’ and Bob Howison ’s who finished second and David Ross ’s stunning Frangipani Girl that came in third for all three races.
Likewise in the IRC (B) class, Singapore Management University ’s SMUmad with Christopher Lim at the helm dominated day one of the Regatta. It was an act that will repeat throughout the Regatta in the IRC (B) class. Christopher was pushed hard on races 1 and 2 by Team Victory, the Singapore national sailing team that competed at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games. Victory was crewed by Jovin Tan and Desiree Lim, who recently triumphed at the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) Two Person Keelboat World Championship 2008.
Adverse wind and tide conditions caused Raphael Phang ’s Hakuna Matata, Singapore Polytechnic ’s sailing team on RSYC Dua and RSYC Satu of John Birchall and company to miss the start time for IRC (B) for race one.
Things were not as clear cut in the (PY) Class as John Remsden ’s Sofa So Good, Christopher Nunns ’ elegant Velera Linda and Leslie Fung ’s Todak II traded turns to top the tables for the first three races.
There was drama on the docks as the crews got ready for the Passage race on 18 July. Despite the best efforts of her crew that arrived at RSYC very early in the morning to fix the problem with the main sail on SMUve, - the sister ship of SMUmad - she failed to make it to the start in time. It was a hard blow for the young and competitive team to loose ground in their efforts to catch up with their biggest rival and training partner, SMUmad which was leading the class.
With severe limitations imposed by the authorities on the route to the Passage race, and the preferred route of having the fleet sailed around the picturesque Raffles Lighthouse before sailing up north towards Singapore island was not made possible, the passage race skirted along western shores Pulau Sudong, Pulau Pawai and Pulau Senang. Light winds caused the race to start late at 12:30 pm. Once the race got underway, 20 knot winds carried the fleet down the route towards Raffles Lighthouse but after an hour into the passage race, stale wind returned and Race Management eventually had to shorten the course at Bujor Buoy. Panic!, SMUmad and Velera Linda took home to glory of finishing first in their respective classes.
Hakuna Matata received a new skipper for the Passage Race as Raphael Phang handed over command of the boat to experienced hands Kevin Lim who took her in for a respectable third place finish in IRC (B).
While the fleet was presented with good winds and calm seas for the first and second days of the Regatta, Race Management had to work hard to move the marks as the wind shifted erratically on the final day of the Regatta for the remainder of the windward-leeward races. The first hour of sailing in Day (3) of the Regatta was good with 15 knot winds
In the changing wind conditions and often at times with little breeze to sail on, L ’Autre Femme took the honors a head of Panic! in race (5) in the IRC (A) class, while SMUmad once again showed what they are made of by the topping the table in IRC (B). Velera Linda came in first in the PY Class.
Twenty minutes Race (6) and the fleet was hit by strong winds and choppy seas as the Sumatran winds came down onto the course all of a sudden. It was undoubtedly the most exciting leg of the Regatta, especially for the IRC (A) boats. Once the winds settled, the normal order was restored in the final race of the RSYC Regatta 2009, with Panic! finishing first in IRC (A) followed closely by L ’Autre Femme and Frangipani Girl. SMUmad dominated the field by never relinquished their stranglehold on the pinnacle spot in IRC (B). Velera Linda made an impressive showing by also winning Race (6) in PY Class.
After the overall results of the Regatta were tallied on 19 July 2009, Panic! with Jeff Davidson at the helm triumphed in IRC (A), Christopher Lim and crew of SMUmad pulverized the field in IRC (B) and Christopher Nunns ’ Velera Linda nudged out competition and won the PY Class of the RSYC Regatta 2009.
The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club ’s famous post-race festivities lived up to expectations with a rousing Prize Presentation ceremony that was held on the Foreshore Deck of the Club overlooking the marina and all the magnificent sailboats that participated in the Regatta. The ceremony was attended by the President of Singapore Sailing Federation Mr. Low Teo Ping.
The Official Time Keeper of the RSYC Regatta 2009, Corum sponsored an exquisite Admiral ’s Cup Challenge 44 Black & Gold timepiece – the first to arrive in Singapore – worth in excess of $ 18,000 to the Regatta. Corum has been generously supporting the RSYC Regattas since 2005 and remains a dedicated partner of the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club in promoting competitive sailing and sea sports in Singapore.
Sony Singapore sponsored Bravia LCD Television Sets, Alpha DLS Cameras, and Rolly MP3 players as prizes to podium finishers from each class. Standard Chartered Bank also supported the Regatta for the third consecutive year.
RSYC Regatta is arguably the longest running Regatta in Singapore with races dating back as early as the 1920s. This illustrious tradition has been kept alive by the pioneer yachtsmen of RSYC , then formerly known as the Royal Singapore Yacht Club. |
