October 2021 | Changi Sailing Club

Twilight Series III – Race 3 (2-up Racing)

24th October 2021/in Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing, Twilight Series/by CSC

As we received the disheartening news of COVID-19 restrictions being extended till 21st November, we take comfort in the fact that we are still able to conduct 2-up racing on the weekends. Predicted scattered thunderstorms threatened from all directions on Saturday afternoon, providing a dramatic backdrop for the sailors participating in the Twilight 2-up race.

The conflicting weather systems confused participants as well as race officials – which weather system was going to prevail? Will the course be shortened? Do I have to put on my wet weather gear? These were all very valid questions, considering the fact that at one point after the start, some of the PY boats were moving backwards due to the light winds and strong outgoing tide.

In the PY class, the fleet stuck close together upon rounding Squance Buoy, a situation which puts Birregurra at a disadvantage due to her handicap. Despite taking line honours, the chasing pack of Remington, Olmeto & Jen’s Jaunt followed closely behind to score podium places after corrected time, pushing the Hanse down to 5th overall. Olmeto scored first place, upsetting off-wind favourites Remington to claim victory in the PY Class. Perhaps the biggest winners (and most jubilant) were the team on Jen’s Jaunt, scoring a not too distant 3rd on handicap despite the challenging conditions. Her first-ever podium placing certainly caught owner Kumar and helmsman Hairul by surprise, as Kumar could not contain his excitement after seeing the final standings. Kudos to Jen’s Jaunt for an outstanding performance and result, an impressive feat considering the combined experience of the PY Fleet.

Born in Fire was on fire yesterday, as she sailed spectacularly to top the fleet of 3 in the IRC Class. Skipper Thomas had a secret weapon onboard, in the form of ex-world champion Calvin Lim. With Calvin expertly trimming the headsail in tandem with Thomas’s steady helmsmanship, the X99 managed to pull ahead of strong rivals Jong Dee and Waka Tere. Jong Dee navigated the tricky conditions well enough to place as first runner-up 1 minute 33 seconds ahead of Waka Tere on corrected time.

Also a fleet of 3, the Multihull Class was represented by 3 Corsairs (2 Dashes and a 28). Great to see Kaze back in action, crossing swords with Jaza Too and Miss Visayan on the course. It was Kaze‘s race to lose, as she eventually pulled away from the 2 chasing boats after rounding Squance Buoy, stretching her lead to a safe distance. Having assured her victory on the final leg to finish, our attention shifted to the remaining 2 boats. It was thrilling to see a close battle between Miss Visayan and Jaza Too for the finish, with only a second separating both boats at the finish line! The Corsair 28 emerged on top, both across the line and on corrected time.

With only 2 boats representing the Beach Catamaran class, and the usual suspects nowhere to be found, it was time for Balqis II and Babe to shine! Despite both boats sailing additional legs because they they did not realizing the course was shortened and they had already finished, it was certainly great to see both boats handling the unpredictable conditions with confidence and happy faces all round. Congratulations to Balqis II – a bullet in the bag to keep things interesting for the overall Twilight Series III standings!

With the confirmed extension of the stabilization period, the Club will continue 2-up racing until the next review of SMMs.

Results

IRC Race 3_Twilight Series 3_2021_2UP

PY Race 3_Twilight Series 3_2021_2up

MH Race 3_Twilight Series 3_2021_2up

BC Race 3_Twilight Series 3_2021

Sunday Series III – Race 3 (2-up Racing)

18th October 2021/in Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing, Sunday Series/by CSC

We end the 3rd weekend of 2 pax SMM restrictions with another round of Sunday Series 2-up sailing, sailing to North Angler and back on a Pennant 8 Course. An uncommon North-Easterly breeze greeted the small fleet of boats on the start line, paired with a significant outgoing tide to catapult the sailors around the corner and on their way to the designated turning point.

A building westerly system reshuffled the fleet on the return leg. Being the boat sailing closest to shore, Minx was the first IRC boat to capitalized on the wind shift/new breeze on her approach to Paku, thus allowing her to surge ahead of Waka Tere and Born in Fire to eventually take line honours and handicap victory in the IRC Class. Waka Tere and Born in Fire placed 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Represented by 3 boat at the beginning, the PY Class was unfortunately reduced to zero finishers, with Notus experiencing halyard issues before the start, Balqis and Jen’s Jaunt struggling to complete the race when the winds dropped later in the afternoon.

We are excited to have Jaza Too back on water after an extended break from racing/sailing. Graham & Campbell made a formidable pair as the Corsair Dash 750 made light work of the course to finish comfortably ahead of her rivals Miss Visayan and Phoenix. The latter edged out the former to claim 2nd place in a fleet of 3.

In the Beach Catamaran Class, we are encouraged to see better performance from Babe! sailing every weekend with a never-give-up attitude, Matt and Kellie sailed the Viper well today to keep well within the stipulated time limit. At the top end, Addiction continues to exert her dominance in this class, putting good distance between her and the chasing Nacra 20, Kaze. Bad Influence crossed the line 3rd but claimed 2nd position after handicap correction.

Congratulations to all the winners! Please be reminded to adhere to Safe Management Measures before, during and after racing – we look forward to more 2-up racing on Saturday, 23rd October. Following which, we’re keeping our fingers crossed for good news regarding further updates to the SMM restrictions from 25th October onwards.

Results

Twilight Series III – Race 2 (2-up Racing)

9th October 2021/in Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing, Twilight Series/by CSC

After a successful 2-up Sunday Series Race on 3rd October, we were glad to see more boats participating in this weekend’s 2-up Twilight Race. With the Twilight Course only extending as far as Squance and Changi Buoy, it is a great race for beginners who are learning how to race. However, the day’s conditions were less than ideal. Patchy and shifty southerly winds accompanied by strong currents made it a challenging passage for some of the less experienced sailors.

In IRC Class, 4 teams participated, with Waka Tere and Born in Fire making it a very close 1-2. The latter had emerged triumphant during last week’s Sunday Series Race, but struggled in today’s conditions and did not manage to create enough distance between her and Waka Tere to eventually settle for 2nd by a mere 32 seconds on corrected time. Jong Dee claimed the 3rd spot comfortably, placing 5 minutes ahead of Minx and a close runner-up to the lead boats across the line.

Leading the PY Keelboats was the graceful Remington, which took full advantage of the off-wind conditions to stay well ahead of the rest of the fleet. Her closest rival was Balqis, who eventually faltered at the final 2 legs to place 3rd on corrected time. The J24 failed to crack the puzzle that was the wind, as she struggled to make sense of the scattered wind holes across the course. Southern Light faired slightly better, completing the race just 34 seconds ahead of Balqis. Kudos to Jen’s Jaunt, for doing well to complete the course in good time! A yacht that usually struggles to complete the course, Jen’s Jaunt performed skillfully to take 4th place, her best showing thus far.

A trio of Trimarans represented the Multihulls. Warm welcome to First Tri, whose first try at sailing the Twilight Race was not bad! Despite giving up eventually, the bright yellow weta kept close to the fleet for most of the race, a good sign that she is sailing well to her handicap. The fight for top position was between Miss Visayan and Phoenix. The former surged forward in the final leg to claim line honours. A gap of 1 minute & 16 seconds was enough for her to seal victory over the M23 on corrected time.

After a long hiatus, it was great to see the return of Damien Geoffray and Kaze. She faced stiff competition from Stray Catz, skippered by Nigel Signal and her new owner, Tim Ghinn. What better way to introduce him to club racing than with a win? The Taipan F16 took victory approx 50 seconds ahead of the Nacra 20 after corrected time. Despite Tim’s relative inexperience in racing, we are sure his enthusiasm together with Nigel’s expert tutelage will help him successfully continue the decorated legacy of Stray Catz in our Club Racing scene.

Congratulations to all the winners, we continue with more 2-up racing on 17th October. See you then!

Results

IRC Race 2_Twilight Series 3_2021_2UP

PY Race 2_Twilight Series 3_2021_2up

MH Race 2_Twilight Series 3_2021_2up

BC Race 2_Twilight Series 3_2021

Sunday Series III – Race 2 (2-up Racing)

3rd October 2021/in Competitive Racing, Regattas, Sailing, Sunday Series/by CSC

With the prevailing restrictions only allowing 2 persons to sail at all times, the club pivoted to 2-up racing for the first 4 weekends in October, allowing racing to continue as scheduled. However, with the revised crew numbers, these races are stand-alone, and will not count towards the overall Sunday Series/Twilight Results for all class except for the Beach Catamarans, which are not affected.

A gentle easterly was all that was required to complete the pennant 3 course set up for the modest fleet of 11 boats, taking them to Changi Buoy, westwards to Serangoon and returning to finish at the club line. Despite the significant incoming tide after 3pm, all 11 boats managed to finish the race comfortably within the time limit.

In the IRC Class, Thomas & Marissa worked in sync to sail Born in Fire to victory, beating veterans Waka Tere by a substantial 4 minutes after handicap correction. Short-handed sailing created new opportunities for Minx’s skipper Lucas to play with creative headsail set-ups, optimizing his boat speed with his chosen genoa. In his pursuit of getting the best out of her headsail in the prevailing conditions, Minx was rewarded with a well-deserved 3rd to complete the podium winners.

Just 2 boats took part in the PY Class, Southern Light & Olmeto. Special mention to Simba – despite not meeting the criteria of having only 2-persons onboard, Atul and family had an enjoyable time on the course, sailing the Dehler 37 well to claim line honours together with the eligible participants. When the numbers were crunched, Southern Light took the win on corrected time.

Glad to see the Multihulls being represented by Gary & Aspiah on Miss Visayan. We look forward to the return of Jaza Too next week (we hear Graham is serving his QO as we speak). The only class still able to run the Sunday Series & Twilight Series as per normal was the Beach Catamarans. With a fleet of 4, it was refreshing to see renewed interest in cat racing. Emerging on top was Addiction, previously named Ripple V. She beat her fellow viper Bad Influence, who returns after a long break from sailing. Rounding up the top 3 was none other than Balqis II – the lone taipan F16 in the fleet.

Congratulations to all the winners, we look forward to more racing next week, as we continue with 2-up fun on the Saturday Twilight (9th October).

Results