Team Singapore Leads IFDS World Championship

by Jeff Ang on 24 Mar 2008 Jovin Tan & Desiree Lim (SIN) have dominated day one of official racing in the International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) Two Person Keelboat 2008 World Championship at the SAF Yacht Club, Changi, today. The Singapore team used their local knowledge and light wind experience to post two clear wins.

In race one, Tan/Lim were the only boat to choose a pin end start, sailing clear of the fleet from the gun and finishing almost a minute ahead of Jia Hai Liang & Yu Huawu (CHN). Third place was a photo finish, with Ame Barnbrook & Lindsay Mason (AUS) crossing just one second ahead of Bento Amaral & Luisa Silvano (POR).

The start of racing was delayed four hours as Principal Race Officer Khoo Boo Sun (SIN) waited while the breeze came and went and moved around the compass. Both heats were finally held in a southerly of 5 to 7 knots with an increasing tidal flow from the west.

The two knot plus current got the better of the Australian crew in the start of race two. They hooked the pin end mark and were unable to disentangle themselves from the ground tackle, forcing an early and unwelcome retirement.

While this start was more evenly contested, Tan/Lim (SIN) had clear air and good light wind speed to establish a break. By the finish of the longer race two, the Singapore pair had stretched their lead to a massive six minutes.

Liang/Huawu (CHN) were second across the line, followed by Amaral/Silvano (POR), Figgures/Milward (GBR) and Kelehan/Twomey (IRL). The GBR team retired after finishing, in acknowledgement of having not sailed the correct course. With a protest still pending, the day one results have been withheld.

Racing finished just before 6pm today. The race management team are hoping to run three more heats tomorrow, however the forecast is for more light winds.