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5th Singapore Regatta – Day 2 Report

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The Next Factor Wins the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy

by Scott Murray, SEA Yachting Magazine

The winner of the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy for the 2025–26 season was already decided before the fleet set sail for the Fifth Singapore Regatta. The Next Factor, skippered and owned by Rolf Heemskerk, claimed the coveted trophy after winning all three preceding events in the series: the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, and the Royal Langkawi International Regatta.

Unfortunately, Rolf and his crew were unable to participate in the Singapore Regatta and could not attend the awards ceremony to collect the 103-year-old trophy. One crew member, Mark Chapman, made a valiant attempt to be present, but a delayed flight prevented him from arriving in time.

The second and final day of the Singapore Regatta comprised three short, sharp windward-leeward races sailed in a brisk north-easterly. There was no shortage of drama across all classes: a lost halyard at the leeward mark (Forever Young), a capsized catamaran (Chop-Chop), and even a massive red commercial vessel cutting through the racecourse. Sunday’s racing was certainly not for the faint-hearted.

IRC Division

The six-boat IRC division saw defending champion and last year’s Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy winner, Lee Yimin’s Jolt, cede bragging rights to Thomas Reckefuss’ Born in Fire. Richard Grant’s Adona, winner of Saturday’s passage race, finished second overall—just one point behind—while Jolt settled for the bronze this time around. The X-99 improved on her third-place finish at SR25, a result Thomas and crew can be proud of.

Born in Fire’s victory sends an encouraging signal to the fleet. Jolt’s dominant performance at SR25 had made her appear almost infallible coming into this regatta. With hopes of an even larger and more diverse fleet at SR27—including the possible return of Zanzibar and this season’s Sir Thomas Lipton Cup winner, The Next Factor—competition promises to be even fiercer.

Club Racer (PY)

In the ten-boat Club Racer (PY) class, Steve Manning’s Black Baza emerged victorious, narrowly edging out Edwin Low’s Skybird. Both boats finished tied on points, but Black Baza claimed the overall win by virtue of one additional first-place finish.

The Oceanis 45, previously known as Megan, sailed her own race for much of Sunday, staying clear of the match-racing battles between Skybird, Sapphire Star, and Southern Light. This proved to be a winning strategy. Edwin Low, skipper of Skybird, was also named the regatta’s “Veteran Skipper” as he turns 70 this year. He was joined by RSYC Commodore Ramasamy Menon as chief tactician, together with a motley crew from the Royal Selangor Yacht Club.

James Sharpe’s Southern Light finished just one point behind the top two, making this the tightest class of the regatta. Manning, incidentally, is a former Sir Thomas Lipton Cup winner (2023/24) aboard his previous boat, Red Rum.

Multihull

The six-boat Multihull class delivered another close contest. Freddy Fam’s Phoenix overcame a RET in Race 3 to edge out Alice Lim’s Ding Hao by a single point overall. David Steel’s Dot Dot Dot secured third place, three points further back.

Position changes were frequent throughout the fleet, with flashes of exceptional speed from Sirius Swift and consistently strong tactical and technical sailing from all competitors.

J/24

In the six-boat J/24 fleet, Cedric Declercq and the crew of CSC’s Jellico delivered a flawless performance, winning every race to take first overall. The victory was especially satisfying after Cedric missed last year’s event due to equipment failure.

They were followed by SMUSC’s Lo Tian aboard Quarterdeck, four points back, and Norman Yip’s RSYC Tiga in third, seven points adrift. Although crew shortages and unforeseen circumstances reduced the fleet from a potential eight boats to six, competition remained intense, and organisers look forward to larger numbers on the start line next year.

Platu 25

Ng Ai Li’s Team MAS (Notus) dominated the Platu 25 class, winning all four races to secure the title. Ai Li was also named best Female Skipper of the Regatta. Ivan Boudioukine’s SMUMad finished second, while Jun Zhang’s Jiangsu Tianyi High School team sailing Boreas took third. Jiang Qian Chen’s SMUve rounded out the four-boat fleet.

In a quirky twist, each boat finished exactly three points behind the one ahead. The class may grow by one more boat next year—an exciting prospect for the Platu one-design fleet.

Beach Catamarans

All four registered beach catamarans raced on Sunday. Zaheera Hashim’s Gremlin claimed victory, winning three of the four races overall and finishing five points ahead of Jeremy Perrier’s Addiction, drop race included. Perrier’s result was particularly impressive as he sailed single-handed.

Jesse Treharne’s Chop-Chop rebounded from a capsize but eventually retired from the remaining two races, finishing third overall, seven points back. Kellie Twigge’s Twisted Creature was fourth, just one point behind Chop-Chop.

Awards and Acknowledgements

The Guest of Honour at the awards ceremony was Mr David Foo, Deputy Chief Executive (Director of Operations & Technology / Chief Data Officer) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. Together with Changi Sailing Club (CSC) Commodore Ms Deborah Barker and Singapore Sailing CEO Mr Leslie Tan, he presented prizes to the fastest boats across the line in each class. CSC Vice Commodore Jeffrey Leow awarded prizes to the overall winners, while the Novelty Prizes were presented by Republic of Singapore Yacht Club Commodore Balakrishnan, SAF Yacht Club General Manager Teo Wee Chin, and CSC Commodore Barker.

Sincere thanks go to photographers Donovan and Fong Ling, and videographer “Uncle” Lukman, who also served superbly as Master of Ceremonies at the awards dinner. The Sultans once again kept spirits high with an energetic set of rock ’n’ roll classics during the evening.

The regatta would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Marina Technology & Construction provided vital cash sponsorship for SR26, while Tiger Beer returned on board as Official Beverage Sponsor. Zoom Sails and Marintech Marketing contributed in-kind prizes for the evening.

Above all, heartfelt thanks go to the CSC Race Management Team led by Kamal and Hafiz, together with the dedicated shore crew, for the smooth running of the weekend. Special recognition goes to CSC General Manager Choy Yi Hong, whose tireless efforts ensured the success of the regatta and the continued legacy of the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy.

Through this regatta, Changi Sailing Club has further cemented its reputation as one of the most competitive adult sailing clubs in the region. The traffic of the East Johor Straits and the infamous “Tekong Tango” test every sailor’s mettle, making each victory truly hard-earned.

The camaraderie, teamwork, and professionalism of all involved make the Singapore Regatta a pleasure to compete in. With a bright future ahead, the regatta will only continue to grow stronger.

See you all next year at SR27.

Results

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5th Singapore Regatta – Day 1 Report

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Fifth Singapore Regatta Sets Sail

Article by Scott Murray, SEA Yachting Magazine

Thirty-six boats across six classes, with skippers representing fifteen different countries, took to the waters off the picturesque Changi Sailing Club (CSC) today for the opening day of the Fifth Singapore Regatta. Competitors were greeted with classic East Johor Straits conditions for the Passage Race, with sunny skies and a healthy northeast monsoon breeze setting the stage.

CSC General Manager and Principal Race Officer Choy Yi Hong ran today’s race from the Crow’s Nest on the club’s pier. Club members were hopeful that the strong northeast monsoon winds that had dominated the past few weeks would hold—and they did, delivering excellent sailing conditions throughout the day.

Sailing in Singapore requires constant vigilance. As one of the world’s busiest ports, it is not uncommon to find a container ship on port, an oil tanker on starboard, and a passenger ferry charging straight ahead—none of them inclined to slow down. Fortunately, CSC’s seasoned sailors are well accustomed to navigating heavy commercial traffic and handled the challenges with their usual calm and competence.

The seven-boat IRC division delivered an early upset. Lee Yimin’s Jolt, the 2024–25 Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy winner and defending Singapore Regatta champion, claimed line honours but was beaten on corrected time by Adriaan Smit’s Adona. Thomas Reckefuss’ Born in Fire finished just over three minutes behind Adona to take second, relegating Jolt to third overall in the class.

In the ten-boat Club Racer Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) class, one boat stood well clear of the fleet on the water—Kesini. The Beneteau First 40.7, with a strong pedigree from previous IRC campaigns, demonstrated her pace convincingly. However, on corrected time it was Simon Connor’s Sapphire Star that claimed victory, edging out Ramasamy Menon’s Skybird by just 00:01:25. James Sharpe’s Southern Light took third, a mere 21 seconds behind Skybird. Slim margins indeed.

The six-boat Multihull class was won by Alice Lim’s Ding Hao, who finished 00:02:42 ahead of 2025 champion Freddy Fam’s Phoenix on corrected time. Gary Curtis’ Miss Visayan claimed third, a further seven minutes behind Phoenix. Despite the apparent gaps on paper, the racing was tight on the water, with fluky conditions keeping tacticians busy throughout the race.

Two one-design classes were in action: six J24s and four Platu 25s. In the J24 fleet, Cedric Declercq’s crew aboard CSC’s Jellico claimed first place, followed by Norman Yip’s RSYC Tiga, with SMU’s Lo Tian and crew on Quarterdeck rounding out the podium.

In the Platu 25 class, Ng Ai Li’s Team MAS (Notus) held her nerve around Pulau Ubin, successfully fending off Ivan Boudioukine’s SMUMad to take the win. Jun Zhang’s Jiangsu Tianyi High School team aboard Boreas finished third.

The Beach Catamaran class had four boats registered, though only two competed today. Zaheera Hashim’s Gremlin emerged victorious, defeating Jesse Treharne’s Chop-Chop by 00:14:30 on corrected time.

While there were no serious incidents on the water, a few light-hearted moments added to the day’s colour. Forever Young attempted to protest all the boats ahead of her for allegedly missing a mark—only to discover that what they thought was a mark was, in fact, not a mark at all. One Platu, SMUSC’s SMUve, while rushing to rig, accidentally packed and flew a J24 spinnaker instead of their own. And finally, Black Baza began her race with fenders still deployed—fortunately with no harm done.

Notable figures from the regional sailing scene were also on the water, lending their support to the regatta. Irsyad Ismail, Chairman of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta; Commodore Ramasamy Menon of the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, racing aboard Skybird; and Prakash Reddy, former organiser of the Nongsa Neptune Regatta, sailing on Kesini, were all among the fleet.

Racing continues tomorrow with a series of windward-leeward races, followed by the prize-giving and awards dinner at Changi Sailing Club. In addition to honouring the winners of the Fifth Singapore Regatta, the evening will see The Next Factor crowned as the latest holder of the 103-year-old Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Trophy.

Results

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CSC Trimaran Championship 2026 – Day 2

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After a somewhat gruelling first day of racing at the CSC Trimaran Championship, six teams returned to face an unrelenting northeast monsoon, with winds gusting up to 25 knots throughout the day. With three races scheduled, it proved to be a true test of both mental and physical endurance—often, the boat that makes the fewest mistakes comes out on top.

Speaking of mistakes, it’s one thing to make several over the same weekend, but quite another to repeat the same one at least three times over two days. Ding Hao was certainly not very “hao” at keeping her spinnaker dry, once again dousing it into the sea on her approach to CAAS2 during Race 1. Despite the mishap, she was well clear of the fleet and secured first place comfortably. Another bullet in Race 5 sealed her overall victory, successfully retaining the Trimaran Championship title for a second consecutive year.

Dot Dot Dot maintained her position in second overall with a consistent scoreline of 2nd, 3rd and 2nd, finishing the series on 10 points. Skipper David looked noticeably more at ease with three onboard on Day 2—the extra pair of hands clearly made a difference.

Completing the podium was Miss Visayan, who rebounded from a mediocre Day 1 and a DNF in Race 5 to finish the series on 16 points. Yesterday’s third-place holder, Bula, slipped to fifth after struggling with multiple equipment failures, forcing her to retire from Race 5 and the remainder of the day.

Despite finishing sixth overall, Oojoo had plenty to cheer about, with her scores improving race by race. Kudos to Giam and team for their valiant efforts and steadily ascending performance over the weekend.

Amidst the thrills and spills, the championship provided an excellent opportunity for teams to test manoeuvres and refine tactics ahead of the upcoming 5th Singapore Regatta. With a similar racing format expected and a staggering fleet of over 35 boats anticipated, it proved to be a valuable warm-up for both sailors and race officials alike.

We look forward to another exciting weekend of racing at the 5th Singapore Regatta 2026. Congratulations to all the winners—and see you all on 7–8 February!

Results

CSC Trimaran C’ship 2026 Day 2 Results

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CSC Trimaran & Catamaran Championships 2026 – Day 1

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CSC Trimaran & Catamaran Championships 2026

Sailors are an odd bunch. After a punishing Two-Island Race last week, you would think they’d retreat home to lick their wounds. Instead, they returned for more punishment in the prevailing NE Monsoon as we rolled straight into the CSC Trimaran and Catamaran Championships 2026.

Ordinarily, the two events are run on separate weekends, but smaller fleet numbers across the board meant that combining them into a single weekend was the more sensible approach. This year also saw race organisers testing new course configurations, offering more windward–leeward racing alongside two different passage routes.

The Beach Catamarans mustered a modest fleet of five boats, comprising an eclectic mix of old hands, not-so-old ones, and a first-time competitor. The fleet elected to race for one day only, citing physical limitations and scheduling conflicts (hmmm). Undeterred, race management wasted no time in dishing out four races.

Defending champion Addiction managed to retain the title—though not without a fight. Shaking off the rust after months of inactivity, the solo sailor was unable to score a single bullet, placing second in all four races on corrected time. Individual race wins were shared among Balqis II, Nacra 15, and Twisted Creature. While Balqis II scored two bullets in the opening races, sailing the wrong course in the remaining two unfortunately relegated her to third overall. The other Nacra 15, helmed by Uli Braun, had a more consistent day, and his bullet in Race 3 secured him a spot on the podium.

For the One-Design honours, Addiction took first place, followed by Twisted Creature in second and new entrant Chop-Chop in third. Kudos to Twisted Creature for claiming victory in the fourth and final race of the day. For a newcomer, Jesse Treharne’s Chop-Chop performed exceedingly well while sailing solo, with his only blemish being a capsize near the pin end—promptly assisted by Kellie and Matt from Twisted Creature.

In the Trimaran class, Ding Hao began her title defence with a few hiccups. Having gone trawling with her spinnaker not once, but twice in a single day, one might have expected her to trail after three races. Fortunately for Campbell and crew, superb boat speed and smart decision-making allowed them to recover lost ground. She ended Day 1 on top with a total of four points.

Closest challengers heading into Day 2 were Dot Dot Dot and Bula. Dot Dot Dot posted a bullet, a second, and a fifth for a total of eight points, while skipper Mike Flecker and Bula delivered a model of consistency, recording three thirds to sit third overall on nine points at the end of Day 1.

Congratulations to all the winners in the Catamaran Championships. We look forward to more exciting racing for the trimarans later today.

Results

CSC Trimaran C’ship 2026 Day 1 Results

2026 Cat Champs Overall Results

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