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The Official
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www.sailing.org |
MANDRAKE skippered by Warwick DOWNES ran a very close second and took line honours in all races except one but lacked a little speed to capitalise on a fine performance.Troy Yaw's ULUMULU skippered by Bill Nichols filled third spot overall after putting in a very consistent effort and are presently experiencing a very steep learning curve.
Peter CREMERS SHAHTOOSH clean sweeped the Premier Cruising Class with 5 wins despite the close racing which provided some spectacular photo opportunities for the assembled media. Hans Hvide's Irvmiren finished up in 2nd spot scoring 4 second places and Hijjas Kasturi's VALTAIR ended up third despite being involved in a collision as they approached the finish line in the final race.
In Cruising Class 3A Glenn McFarlane's SIMBA scored seven wins to squash the opposition in the split class results. Gunnar Berg Leknes CHANT DE LUNE finished up taking second place and Alex Nah's EL SEA third after discarding the retirements from the first overnight passage race of the series.
Coming into the final round Keith BRown's MIXXIA and Andrew Findlay's PELANGI were tied on points and expecting a close bout to separate them. Keith Brown's MIXXIA drew first blood taking the first race after PELANGI lead for most of the race. As MIXXIA was lining up for the second start of the day, Hijjas Kasturi's VALTAIR on a port tack was approaching the adjacent Premier Cruising Class finish line and a loud collision resulted which saw them both consequently retiring from their respective classes. A protest seeking redress from the jury was dismissed as it was deemed that the crew on MIXXIA where not keeping a proper lookout to avoid the accident. Andrew Findlay's PELANGI raced on to record a resounding victory in the final race. Fatimi Afendi's JANJI ended up filling 3rd spot in Class 3B.
The Overall Cruising Class which combines 3A and 3B sees Andrew FINDLAY's PELANGI taking the honours for a second year in succession. Keith Brown's MIXXIA ended up 2nd after the juries decision and Glenn McFarlane's SIMBA claimed third from Cruising Class 3A.
Classic Class 4 - Paul HOPKINS CHINOOK OF HAMBLE won the final race which gives him overall first place. Although Alan MAIN's catamaran BACKCHAT took 2nd spot it is not enough to displace Klaus KARTHE's GREENSLEEVES from 2nd place overall and finished up in third.
Classic Class 5 - Lt. Mohd HAMDAN's dominance throughout the regatta on MUSYTARI sees his crew getting the better of Zainal Misran and his fellow sailors from the Royal Malaysian Navy on MARIKH with Dato' Richard CURTIS' 100 year old EVELINE finishing a distant 3rd place overall.
Having enough wind to complete the entire racing program for the first time since 2001 keeps the sailors very happy and can be considered as a measure of success. Originally designed as a cruising event it is a pity that more visiting yachts have not included the regatta into their itinerary as the hectic social program and the camaraderie created between competitors makes it a good introduction to Asian waters. Racing wise the combination of overnight passage races and inshore races is not everyone's cup of tea but those interested in improving their navigation and seamanship skills will find the event very challenging indeed.