Raja Muda 2016 – visiting the Antipodes
by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 25 Nov 2016
Coming in to the pin end on port. Penang - Langkawi Race. Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta 2016. Guy Nowell / RMSIR
No, not a very long journey south to Australia, but an invitation to join Antipodes for the coastal race from Penang to Langkawi, traditionally the blowiest of the three passage races of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta.
It was hot and still in the hour before the start, but the breeze arrived pretty at the right time and certainly in the right place, obviating the need for an L flag and (another Penang tradition) the cruise up the rhumb line looking for breeze.
13.30h: 6 kts on the start line, and Antipodes came in hot on port at the pin end, with Starlight on port just underneath. Right on the line, and Starlight tacked to stay clear of Zuhal on starboard, but Antipodes had the pace to cross both starboard tack boats and escape in exactly the direction required: 330 degrees. The No 1 jib was quickly swapped for a Code 0, and away we went, hanging low from the rhumb line but keeping pace with the Class 1 and 2 leaders and fully expecting bags of breeze and a big shift to the right at the top of the course, just 56nm away.
There was plenty of cloud movement along the coast, and behind and in front, but it wasn’t converting into breeze strength or a change in direction. So it was a light air drag race towards Langkawi, with Antipodes making the most of her 76 ft waterline, especially when owner Geoff Hill took the wheel and jacked the boat speed up to 11+ kts in just 8 kts of breeze.
One eye forward, one eye abeam watching the competition, and an occasional glance behind. And then at nearly 18.00h the breeze died – all the way down to 0kts, and Antipodes was left wallowing bareheaded just before the islands of the Pulau Payar Marine Park in a complete glass-out. It didn’t last long, only minutes, filling in gently from behind – here comes the transition that we are all waiting for – but then not filling enough to give us the slingshot to the finish line.
Antipodes went straight through the Pulau Payar group under an A1, changed to the A4 as the wind piped up (briefly), and then back to an A3. Two nicely-executed peels. For the last 8nm we could see the finishing line – 4 fl, 8 sec. We were pointing straight at it with a spinnaker up. What could possibly go wrong? The competition is tucked away on our port quarter, so put the bubbly on ice and wait for the Line Honours toot.
And then we got lifted. A gybe onto port would have been suicide, so stand on and stay as low as possible, but it was never going to be low enough. Meanwhile, back at the rhumb line, pressure had increased and was powering Starlight along at 17kts.
Two miles can seem like an awful long way, in the dark, and with the opposition threatening to cross you on the opposite gybe as they head for the finish. Two miles too far; Windsikher took Line Honours at 20.11, followed by Black Baza (20.42), Zuhal (20.43) and then Antipodes at 20.44.
First across the line converted to a third place for Windsikher, but that was still good enough to hang on to the top rung of the leaderboard just one point in front of Mandrake, as Sarab Jeet Singh tries to defend the title that they won so comprehensively last year.
Competition for the Class 2 Jugra Cup remains close with Zuhal on 6 points followed by Antipodes (8) and Starlight (10). With two days of inshore racing to come, there’s everything to play for.
Short Results (for full results please see www.rmsir.com):
Class 1
1. Windsikher 1, 4, 2, 1, 3 (11)
2. Mandrake 3, 1, 4, 2, 2 (12)
3. Black Baza 4, 5, 1, 3, 1 (14)
Class 2
1. Zuhal 2, 1, 2, 1 (6)
2. Antipodes 1, 3, 1, 3 (8)
3. Starlight 3, 2, 3, 2 (10)
Class 3
1. Fujin 1, 1, 1, 1, 1 (5)
2. Popeye 4, 4, 2, 2,2 (14)
3. Insanity 3, 3, 3, 3, 4 (15)
Class 4
(There is no Class 4).
Class 5.
1. Lady Bubbly 2, 1, 1, 1 (5)
2. VG Offshore 1, 2, 3, 3 (9)
3. Delite 3, 6, 2, 2 (13)
Class 6
1. Old Pulteney Blue Angel 6, 1, 1, 2 (10)
2. Eveline 2, 6, 2, 1 (11)
3. Aeolus XC 1, 3, 4, 3 (11)
Standing by on 72
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