August 2021 | Changi Sailing Club

Twilight Series II – Race 4

29th August 2021/in Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing, Twilight Series/by CSC

Having experienced 2 weekends of cold & wet weather, yesterday’s clear skies and 7-8knot winds was certainly most welcome by all who were participating in the 4th race of the Twilight Series II. Some sailors were a little overexcited, losing footwear, winch handle and crew …. all of which happened in a span of 2 hours. Apart from going overboard with the drama (and a few broaches), the race went on smoothly without a hitch, with participants managing to complete the full course within the time limit.

In the IRC Class, Red Rum One had a stellar performance, taking maximum advantage of the offshore breeze to extend her lead on the fleet from start to finish. She finished comfortably with line honours – 1 minute 26 seconds ahead of close rivals Waka Tere after corrected time. Avoiding a near collision in the vicinity of Changi Buoy, coupled with a struggling broach (and lost footwear), Skybird sailed commendably to claw her way back – eventually completing the podium in 3rd by a whisker, just 16 seconds ahead of Minx on handicap. Red Rum One now leads the fleet with a total of 4 points from 3 races, putting her in a comfortable position to win the series. On 5th September, the battle for 2nd and 3rd will focus on the 5 boats trailing from 2nd to 6th, all tied on 13 or 14 points.

The stronger and gustier wind conditions was clearly an advantage for the larger keelboats, as the top 5 in the PY Class were occupied by yachts above 30ft. Engaged in a short tacking duel on the final stretch to the finish line, Sangaree inched ahead of Birregurra to claim line honours and 5th on corrected time. Birregurra on the other hand, sailed well enough to earn 2nd, just 1 min 28 seconds behind winners Remington. This came as no surprise as the S&S 42 is known to perform well in off-the-wind conditions. Placing 3rd, Southern Light handled the winds effortlessly, looking right at home with the backdrop of increasing whitecaps across the east johor straits. Kudos to the smaller boats for surviving in the gusty conditions! In the overall Twilight Series II standings, it is a close fight between Southern Light and Sangaree, as both boats are tied on 15 points after 3 races. Both Shardana and Montserrat can shake things up as well, as they place in 3rd and 4th on 16 and 18 points respectively.

Stray Catz sailed her own race, being the only multihull participating. Whatever the reasons, the rest of the fleet absolutely missed out on a beautiful day of sailing! Congratulations to all the winners – we look forward to an exciting finale next weekend as we conclude the Twilight II & Sunday Series II racing on 4th & 5 September.

Results

IRC Race 4_Twilight Series 2_2021

PY Race 4_Twilight Series 2_2021

BC Race 4_Twilight Series 2_2021

Series Results

Series Result_Twilight Series 2_2021_IRC

Series Result_Twilight Series 2_2021_PYMHBC

Sunday Series II – Race 4

23rd August 2021/in Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing, Sunday Series/by CSC

Our Sunday Series II racing made a dramatic return on 22 August, with dark & stormy conditions greeting sailors on the start line. The easterly and southwesterly systems converged to dump water on the pennant 3 course – as if the skies had prepared a welcome shower for the fleet. The ensuing heavy downpour resulted in an increased difficulty due to the decreased visibility. We expect to see similar conditions for the remaining Sunday Series & Twilight Races, due to the occasional Sumatra Squalls typical at this time of the year.

In the IRC Class, the absence of Red Rum One and Simba meant a modest fleet of 5, with the usual suspects wrestling for podium position. Waka Tere eventually emerged on top after corrected time, but not without a good challenge from Adona & Born in Fire. The X99 sailed a good race to clinch line honours, but only a slim 15 seconds ahead of the Nelson 10. That was not enough for Thomas and crew to take victory, trailing in 3rd by a margin of 1 min 52 secs on handicap. 1st runner-up was earned by the J24 Adona, improving on their 4th place finish at last week’s Twilight race. Waka Tere now leads Adona by 1 point in the Series II standings, and we expect an exciting finale on 5th September.

The challenging conditions resulted in 2 retirements for the PY Class, reducing the finishing fleet to 8. Paul Sneesby’s S&S 42 thrived in the prevailing wind direction and strength, powering through the course to keep close rivals Simba & Sangaree within sighting distance. Remington‘s performance earned her a well-deserved victory, 5 minutes ahead of 2nd placed Simba. Despite leading the fleet by more than 12 minutes, Invictus‘s timing could only award her with 3rd on correction, as the 30ft Farr was expected to be even further ahead. Another class to watch out for in the Sunday Series II standings, the boats currently placed 2nd to 6th are all separated by 1 or 2 points each, setting the stage for a thrilling battle in the finale.

A costly mistake from Kaze at the finishing line saw her relinquish the win to Phoenix in the Multihull Class. Kaze touched the finishing mark and failed to complete her penalty turn, resulting in a DSQ and her first blemish for Series II. She however still leads in the overall standings, going into the 5th and final race of Series II with a 1 point lead over Phoenix.

The Beach Catamaran fleet continue to be dominated by Jeremy Perrier’s Ripple V, as he navigated well in poor visibility to succeed in staying close to lead boat and eventual runner-up on corrected time, Stray Catz. Not-so-newcomers Babe‘s consistent attendance in the Series meant that she has a good chance of breaking into the top 3 going into the final race on 5th September. She currently places 4th, just 2 points from Bad Influence in 3rd place.

Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you everyone for braving the conditions to complete the 4th race of this series!

Results

Sunday Series II Overall (as of 23 Aug)

IRC_SS2_SeriesResults_2021_23Aug

PYMHBC_SS2_SeriesResult_2021_23Aug

Twilight Series II – Race 3

14th August 2021/in Twilight Series, Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing/by CSC

Faced with overcast skies, glassy waters and strong outgoing tides, some sailors were certainly wondering if the race committee made the right decision not to postpone the race. Thankfully a gentle breeze from the south west greeted the sailors, allowing the fleet to tackle the outgoing tide on their journey to Squance. Threatening weather systems surrounding Changi Sailing Club, together with the strong tides forced the race officers to eventually shorten the course, just as the wind commenced its vanishing act.

With 7 boats representing the IRC Class, it was great to see newcomer Simba emerging on top! They sailed superbly on the return leg from Squance to beat their more illustrious counterparts, overtaking their little sister Skybird in the process. When the numbers were crunched, Red Rum One sneaked in-between the 2 Dehlers, taking 2nd place just 3 seconds ahead of Skybird.

In the PY Class, little Marut returned to Twilight racing with a victory, navigating well in the light airs to clinch 1st place just 24 seconds ahead of another returning entrant, Birregurra. Back from a long hiatus of over a year due to Covid restrictions, it was great to see the Hanse 415 holding her own in these challenging conditions amongst the smaller and nippier boats. Same could be said for Remington, as the S&S 42 performed well to complete the podium in 3rd after corrected time.

As the Multihulls took a break from racing this weekend, the only ones present were 2 little Taipans for the Beach Catamaran Class. It was a case of experience triumphs youth, as Nigel Signal’s Stray Catz edged out Zaheera Hashim’s Balqis II in the mini duel to claim victory for this Twilight Race.

Thank you all for returning to race with us! Despite the less than ideal conditions, we’re thankful to be able to resume club racing. Certainly cannot wait for next week’s Sunday Series race!

Results

IRC Race 3_Twilight Series 2_2021

BC Race 3_Twilight Series 2_2021

PY Race 3_Twilight Series 2_2021

CSC National Day Cruise 2021

10th August 2021/in Cruising, Sailing, Social/by CSC

Amidst an active pandemic, it is always a challenge to organize activities in groups while abiding by Safe Distancing Restrictions. It was therefore a privilege and blessing that we successfully completed a National Day Long-Weekend Cruise to One Degree 15 / Pulau Hantu / Lazarus Island on 7-9 August. With limitations of only 2 persons per boat, it looked very much like a couples’ cruise as our flotilla departed on the 3D2N adventure.

Greeted with an atypical South-Easterly Breeze, the fleet embarked from CSC on 7th August for an enjoyable beat up Kuala Johor in 7 to 8 knots of wind, perfect to start the day! After passing the Changi Naval Base, the steady breeze and favourable tide carried most of the fleet to One-15 in a comfortable 2-3hrs across Singapore’s Eastern Corridor. The winds dropped just as we approached East Keppel Fairway – as if it knew we were arriving at our destination. Some sailors stayed overnight at One Degree 15 Marina, while others chose to anchor off Lazarus Island for the first night, getting an early rest for Sunday’s continued adventures. Little Slingshot was part of the former, dwarfed amongst a myriad of luxury powered and sailing yachts.

The Marina boasts excellent security and the ground crew were kind and accommodating. Great for provisioning was the 24hr Cold Storage just next door, providing all the necessities for short cruising trips.

As this was our first visit to Pulau Hantu, we (Slingshot) decided to make an early departure on Sunday Morning to give us more time to explore the surrounding waters and find a suitable anchoring location for Lunch and some fishing! We met En Dian (Hanse 53) on the way out of Buran Channel, gaining a companion enroute to Hantu. With clear skies and turqoise waters, it was the perfect setting for a slow circumnavigation of the island, appreciating the lush greenery surrounded by a sea of steel and concrete.

For those who are unfamiliar, Pulau Hantu is situated in the middle of bigger islands such as Pulau Bukom, Pulau Sudong and Pulau Semakau. Each of these islands serve different purposes. Bukom is the site of Shell’s oil refinery and plants for the manufacture of chemicals. It also has a residential neighbourhood similar to a traditional Dutch town complete with various facilities. Sudong is one of Singapore Armed Forces designated live-firing areas. Semakau is the world’s first ecological offshore landfill, converted in 1999 by enclosing the waters between its eastern part and the western part of Pulau Sakeng (Seking) to create a rock embankment. Unlike other landfills, Semakau is clean and free of odours thanks to a more efficient waste process system.

Come lunchtime, we were joined by Marut, Born in Fire, Red Rum One & SDF. Together with a couple of diving boats, the waters off Hantu certainly looked bustling with activity! We were wary of the various shallows/coral outcrops as we chose our preferred anchoring spot. As we observed the building storm over the course of the afternoon, sailors eventually started to make their way back to a more sheltered anchorage at Lazarus Island. Just in time as well, with a strong westerly system wrecking havoc in the evening, causing a few boats to drag on anchor. thankfully our flotilla remain protected and emerged unscathed, spending a mostly tranquil night amidst the occasional and unsurprisingly loud music from neighbouring powered yachts.

Sailors were treated to a gorgeous Sunrise on the morning of National Day, as the sun’s rays peeked out from the direction of Eagle Bay. After a sumptuous breakfast of sausage and eggs, we made an early departure to get a good view of the fly-pass (we were not disappointed!) as well as to ensure we spent lesser time in the ebbing tide. Some sailors chose to spend another day in paradise, scheduling a return to CSC on Tuesday instead. Despite a forecast of rain and threatening storm clouds in the distance, the trip back to CSC went smoothly, and most boats were safely back on their moorings by 4pm.

Overall, it was a long weekend well spent! Another feather in the cap for us on Slingshot, our first trip to Pulau Hantu and longest journey so far. Had an awesome time with the following yachts:

Red Rum One
SDF
En Dian
Born in Fire
Marut
Clytie
Monserrat
Amideau
Ikaroa
Rachel 1

Many thanks to all for participating, as well as those who shared photos of your journey! Not forgetting – big thanks to One Degree 15 Marina for having us. We will be back!