Matchrace Thailand Siam Winery Challenge (Grade 3) 2-4 September 2011

by Apple A on 19 Aug 2011 Matchrace Thailand Siam Winery Challenge (Grade 3) - September 2-4, 2011 @ Royal Varuna Yacht Club

Matchrace Thailand Challenge sponsored by Siam Winery will kick off its last event of the year on 2-4 September 2011. Founded upon the purpose of being a training ground for Asian based match racers, Matchrace Thailand has drawn many up and coming teams to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club shore for the past two years. Its effort has inspired other Asian Nations such as Hong Kong and Singapore to start their own match race arena and we hope more opportunities will arise for Asian based match racers.

The good and exciting news for this September event is that the all-Thai girls team will join us. Most of them have been in National Sailing Squad and represented Thailand for many major events. Along with the girls, come the boys from all nations. Some of them will use this event as their stepping-stone to the World Match Racing Tour.

One thing in common, all teams are after the fierce and fun event at which we are best. Fantastic racing view from the beach bar, cold beer, good food and massage next door, who can beat Thailand and Royal Varuna YC for match racing water!

TEAM SINSUPA (THA)
SKIPPER: MINK
New girl on Matchrace Thailand block but not new on sailing world. Mink will lead all THAI GIRLS team to race against the BOYS. Ex-Thai National Laser sailor, she won 2002 Asia Pacific Laser Championship, 2003 Junior Lake Lanier Laser Champion and recently has won 2010 Seoul International Champion. Good news for all the guys, this girl teams is young, pretty and yep…ON FIRE!

TEAM EM (THA)
Skipper: MORTEN JAKOBSEN
WORLD RANKINGS: 206
Headmaster of Matchrace Thailand School of 'Rock On', Morten has leaped forward in his World ranking. The guy deserved it-- with sailing experience of over 30 years up his sleeve and his relentless effort in popularize match racing to his sailor peers in Thailand and in the region.








TEAM KOO RACING (MAS)
SKIPPER: JEREMY KOO
WORLD RANKINGS: 333
Represented Malaysian National Team, Jeremy won numerous regattas in Asia in dinghy class. He started match racing in 2006 with Team China, competing in 32nd America’s Cup and Elba Island Match Racing. Now he brings his teams for warm up races before the Monsoon Cup’s Malaysian Qualifier. His team won this exact qualifier last year, sending them off to match race with the world’s top twelve match race teams in the World Match Racing tour’s Monsoon Cup 2010.

TEAM SINGAPORE (SIN)
SKIPPER: MAXIMILLIAN SOH
WORLD RANKINGS: 154
They won Matchrace Thailand Championship in March this year and keep up their performance in Nation Cup in Qatar by coming second in the tough Asian Qualifier fleet. After only 6 months, Maxi’s world ranking moves up from 674 to be 156th place, IMPRESSIVE!


TEAM SINHA (IND)
SKIPPER: ATOOL SINHA
WORLD RANKINGS: 425
Atool’s sailing achievement is too long to be listed here. Simply put, he’s won medals after medals since the time he raced in Optimist to Entreprise Class. Started in Match Racing by being a tactician for the high world ranking Indian skipper, Atool now branches out and is building his own team. He has brought them to Qatar, Russia and now here in Thailand.



TEAM VIEWPOINT (MAS)
SKIPPER: ROLF HEEMSKERK
WORLD RANKINGS: 1043
The current Thailand Platu Champion, Dutchman Rolf has sailed in many regional regattas from dinghies to 80 foot racing boats; many times he was in the winning team. He won second place in the Bay Challenge Match Race held in Singapore this past May. Joining Rolf, as crews are fellow Dutchmen Marco Belonje and Tijl Zwart, and the Platu fleet captain himself-- Kevin Scott on the foredeck.

TEAM SHAIKH (IND)
SKIPPER: AYAZ SHAIKH
WORLD RANKINGS: 129
Teams like Ayaz are the spin off from the fantastic match race community in Mumbai. They used to crew for other senior skippers but now they are out on their own to show off the Indian home grown match race talents to the world.

TEAM FINLAND (FIN)
SKIPPER: JON ERICKSSON
WORLD RANKINGS: 134
Do I have to say anything about these guys! Well, they have been winner, winner and winner but no one is invincible. Unfortunately, they lost their main trimmer/tactician—Jaano Kempo who returned to his blue water of Estonia.