16th Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta - 2005
AY Race Report 1

RMSIR AY Race Reports with associated photos can be browsed at: http://asianyachting.com/news/RMIR05.htm

Race 1 blasts off...
A pleasant 10 knot North Westerly greeted the sailors at the start that built up to 15 -18 kts during the afternoon and saw the yachts quickly on their way up the Malacca Straits. As the racing class started last in the starting order it did not take long for the sleek machines of Frank Pong's Boracay and Neil Pryde's Hi Fi to over haul the smaller cruising yachts. Towards evening ominous black storm clouds formed over the land which eventually came out and gave the entire fleet a good dousing. The breeze swung from close hauled to beam reaching and eventually to running conditions as the storm passed which allowed the fleet to make good progress along the Selangor coastline.

The first leg from Pt Klang to Pangkor Island is virtually a 90 nautical mile strait line drag race. As the wind and tidal currents change direction skippers must choose the best sails to set and course to take advantage of the situation. Although Frank Pong's 23.3meter Boracay averaged a little under 10 kts to complete the course in a little over nine hours this was not enough to beat the smaller Hi-Fi Team Pryde on handicap. The Burns/Kinmonth Mandrake finished a further hour behind in a dying breeze but still managed to hold onto third place overall.

In the Premier Cruising Peter Cremers defending champion Warwick 55 Shahtoosh showed they are still in form with a line and handicap win over his bigger rivals. Aussie Geoffrey Hill's Lyons 49 Struth took second and Andrew Findlay's Impiana third place showed that it was smaller boat benefit on this occasion.

Overall Class 3 saw Fatimi Afendi and the return of the Rahim brothers to the fore on Janji, who piped David Lindahl's line honours La Samudra by a mere three minutes on corrected time after sixteen hours of racing. Keith Garry's Beaux Esprits narrowly sailed into third place in front of a charging pack of competitors.

Class 3 is also divided up by size into 3a and 3b. David Lindahl's La Samudra filled first place, Keith Garry's Beaux Esprits 2nd and Heinz Heyer's Super Duper 3rd in Class 3a. Fatimi Afendi's Janji did similarly in 3b with Graham Lind's Sumatra in 2nd and RSYC Commodore Kadir's Team Candi Soo Juita skippered by Glen Omerond in 3rd spot.

A collision occurred between Neil Ankcorn's Mat Salleh and Simon Morris's Sirius, shortly after the start and the International Jury disqualified both boats for the incident and not keeping a proper lookout.

The Classic Class had trouble finishing within the time limit and no results were available at time of going to press.
Ends

This AY Report with associated photos can be browsed at: http://asianyachting.com/news/RMIR05.htm

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