1. 50
50
heChinaCupInternational
Regattatookplaceoverfourdays
from30thOctoberto2nd
November2015.Theopportunity
giventothemediatobeonboardoneofthe
racingboatseverydayoftheregattamadeit
somuchmoreinterestingintermsofseeing
theracesfromthedeckwithskipperandcrew
inaction.
TheChinaCupInternationalRegatta
startedwiththePassageRacefromHong
KongtoShenzhen.Ihadboththepleasure
andthehonortobeaboardJelik withowner
FrankPongatthehelmandhisdedicated
crewplusone“outsider”,aChinesesailorwho
justcamebackfromcrewingDongfengatthe
VolvoOceanRace.
Asareminder,FrankPongisnotonly
oneofAsia’smostfamoussailorsbutheisalsoa
committedsupporteroftheAsiansailing
communityandtheChinaCupInternational
Regatta.Heencouragesandtrainsmany
Chinesesailorstocompeteinregionaland
internationalregattasanditshowsinthe100%
efficiencyofallcrewmembers,someofwhom
haveracedwithFrankPongoverthepast10
years.Thereisanextremesenseofsolidarityon
Jelikandit’sbeentheexperienceofalifetimeto
beonthefastlanetoShenzhen,andbethefirst
onetogothroughcustomsclearance.
ThebeautyoftheChinaCup
InternationalRegattaliesinthesettingofthe
PassageRaceandthecoursessetupbySimon
JamesandhisteaminthestunningDayaBay.
Amongthenineclassesracingatthe
CCIR,theOne-DesignFirst40.7Classisvery
popularformanyreasons,mainlybecauseithas
thehighestnumberofinternationalsailing
celebritiesandchampionsparticipatinginthe
regatta. Yauguru,helmedbyW.ScottPerry
Rick,Vice-PresidentInternationalSailing
Federation(ISAF)had,forexample, noless
thansixnationalitiesonboard.
XenaNewZealandWarriorPrincesshad
fivenationalitiesonboard,helmedby
experiencedraceskipperGrantBartlett,The
There was a
harmonious mix
between
newcomersto
sailing and
seasoned sailors.
Showcasing
sailingin
China
Story & Photos by
GhislaineBovy
T
2- China Cup- SY11.1.pmd
51
51
FAVOURITES LINE UP FOR THE 14th ROYAL
LANGKAWI INTERNATIONAL REGATTA
The organisers of the 14th Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR)
2016 are all set to welcome their regular favourites as well as a number of
newcomers who have registered to take part from 11 to 16 January 2016.
Since the launch of registration, the 14th edition next year has received 23
entries, of which 6 are new entries, 16 are regulars and 1 is returning to Langkawi
waters after a long hiatus from the regatta.
Team Ulumulu will be back after being away from the RLIR for almost a
decade. Its captain, Jeremy Koo however, has raced with other teams over the years
but will be looking to take the helm in his own vessel alongside Uranus, MataHari,
Phoenix, Jelik, and Oi! in the IRC Racing Class.
Making their debut in the regatta and the IRC class include The Blue Angel,
Black Baza and Foreign Affair. Other newcomers are Viva Layla, Millennium 2 and
Allegro.
The speedsters in their Platu 25 Sports Boats class include the Royal
Malaysian Navy, Malaysian Sailing Association (MSA), Singapore Management
University (SMU), Phuket Sailing Club, Royal Queensland Yachting Squadron
(RQYS) and Team Sharenliza.
The Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC) Executive Director Wicky Sundram said,
“It’s such an honour that the regatta favourites keep coming back, and we attract
new entries year after year. Our regatta keeps gaining more popularity among
some of the best sailors in the world and I believe that the newly-built marina
and clubhouse facilities will serve to enhance their experience here even more.”
Social events are also on the calendar, beginning with the Welcome Dinner
on 12 January, the daily Awards Ceremonies, and culminating with the Closing
Ceremony party on 16 January.
ROYAL LANGKAWI YACHT CLUB
The Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, which is currently undergoing redevelopment,
now boasts a
larger Clubhouse with 9 boutique rooms and a new and ever-lively Charlie’s
Place.
Teams will compete for the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy – for Racing
Class yachts; the Commodore’s Challenge Cup – for participants of club-registered
cruisers; the LADA-IRC Challenge Trophy – for participants in the IRC 1 Class; the
Langkawi Sports Trophy – for participants in the Sports Boat Class and the
Malaysian Multihull Challenge Cup – for participants in the Multihull category.
The Tunku Abdullah Sportsmanship AwardTunku Abdullah Sportsmanship AwardTunku Abdullah Sportsmanship AwardTunku Abdullah Sportsmanship AwardTunku Abdullah Sportsmanship Award will be presented to the
best team for its competitiveness, fair racing and comradeship, on water and land,
in memory of the late Founding Chairman and the first Commodore of the Royal
Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC), Almarhum Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah Tuanku Abdul
Rahman. RLIR 2016 is grateful for the continued support of the Ministry of Youth
& Sport Malaysia, Tourism Malaysia and the Langkawi Development Authority
(LADA), as well as its commercial sponsors and supporters.
Media Partners are SEA Yachting, Sail-World Asia, HOMME, Image Asia, Traxx
FM Radio & RTM and Spectrum Outdoor Marketing.
The Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) 2016 is organised by the
Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC) and sanctioned by the ISAF and Malaysian
Sailing Association (MSA), and supported by the Ministry of Youth and Sports,
Malaysia. The RLIR is part of the Asian Yachting Circuit.
For more information on the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, kindly visit our
website at
www.langkawiregatta.com or contact Wicky Sundram at
wickysundram@langkawiyachtclub.com . Inquiries pertaining to RLIR 2016, kindly
contact the Regatta Secretariat at office@langkawiregatta.com
KrampusteamwithacrewofFrench
non-professionalenthusiasticsailors.
TheLakeConstanceteamwasagroup
offriendsfromBodenseeinsouth
Germany,whohavebeensailing
togethersincechildhood.
Moreover,therewasa
harmoniousmixbetweennewcomersto
sailingandseasonedsailors.“SMU
(SingaporeManagementUniversity)
Sailing”forexamplehadamixof
undergraduatesfromSMUSailingas
wellascalibersailors.Mostnotably,
JovinaChoowhohelmedthegold-
medalwinningkeelboatteamatthe
2015SEAGames.
TheOneDesignJ80Classwasabrandnew
classattheCCIRthisyear.ChineseSailingClubs
representedthemajorityofthecompetitorsinthis
class.
ThenumberofexperiencedChinesesailorsis
increasingyearafteryear,aclearindicationthat
Chinaismassivelypromotingoceansports.
Therewerechampagneconditionsforthelast
dayoftheregatta. Lookingperfectlyateaseinthese
perfectwindconditions,theOneDesignASAFClass
&FAREAST28RClasswith,amongmanyothers,
theSubicSailingTeampromotingtheSubicto
BoracayRegatta,theChineseTaipeiSailing
Association,TeamRAirlineshelmedbyPutinyakorn
Buranrom,knownasGing,averypromising
experiencedThaisailorwithateamofyoungThai
sailors,theDalianNavalAcademySailingTeam,
TeamMacau,SevenFleetTeamandmanymore.
Lastbutnotleast,WanhangLongcheerkepta
closeeyeonEmiratesTeamNewZealand tosecure
victoryintheBeneteau40.7fleet.
AndthewinneroftheCCIRTrophy
was…WanhangLongcheer,helmedbyStephen
McConaghy,whohasalreadyparticipatedinsix
ChinaCupsandhasatrackrecordofwins:twice
AsianYachtingGrandPrixChampion,fourtimes
WorldChampionand1996Olympian.
With111entriesfrom36countries,theChina
CupInternationalRegattaiscertainlyoneofthetop
regattasinAsia.