Hazwan Restrategizes For Malaysian Championship

by Monsoon Cup on 9 Sep 2011 KUALA LUMPUR/PULAU DUYONG (9 September 2011): Three years ago, Hazwan Hazim Dermawan had his first taste of match racing while acting as bowman for the Perak Sailing Team in the 2008 Malaysian Match Racing Championship (MMRC). The team, skippered by Nurul Ain Md Isa emerged champions and won the opportunity to compete in the Monsoon Cup 2008, the last leg of the World Match Racing Tour. The following year, Hazwan led his own team to victory at the MMRC and skippered his boat at the highly competitive Monsoon Cup 2009.
Last year, Hazwan was unsuccessfully defended his title and dropped from first place to third at the 2010 MMRC, trailing behind Jeremy Koo and his sister Tiffany in first and second place respectively. This year, with a new sponsor, Permai Hotel, Terengganu, and a new line-up in place, Hazwan plans to snatch back the MMRC title to earn a fighting chance at the Monsoon Cup 2011.

The Perak native says, “The 2009 Monsoon Qualifier was the most challenging race by far because the team had just been formed and we felt like the underdog. The difference between being a team member and a skipper is that with the first, I only concentrated on the tactical aspect while with the latter, I had a bigger role to manage.” But his experience at the MMRC over the last three years has given him the training and expertise needed to take charge and lead his current team, Permai Hotel Sailing Team. He has welcomed on board a new member, Nik Ahsraf Qaedi, who replaces Mohd Izzat as his main trimmer and hopes this new strategy will help him to fare better. Nik is amongst the 10 Elite sailors who were handpicked to join the Monsoon Sailing School in Putrajaya last year. Since then, he went on to participate in the Malaysian Match Racing Championship in 2010, finishing fourth.

Hazwan says, “The key factor to maintaining a good relationship with your teammates is to have healthy communication and respect for one another.” To prepare for the coming race, the sailors have been working on improving their teamwork which is essential to match racing and upping their physical fitness level. The team leader says, “Everyday, I spend at least one hour doing physical exercise and half an hour watching sailing videos. During my free time, I surf the internet for current information on yachting and coach youngsters on the art of sailing.”

When Hazwan competed at the Asian Match Racing Championship in 2009, he was the youngest skipper at 21 years of age. But that didn’t stop him from proving his mettle against more experienced international sailors. Despite his youth, the 24-year-old has been sailing since he was nine, racing since he was 10 and won his first event when he was 12. He has a diploma in sports science and started his coaching career in 2006. He chalked up most of his racing experience at sailing competitions including the Optimist World Championship in 2002, Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Korea, Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Singapore and Asian Games 2006 in Doha.

Hazwan is at his happiest when he’s sailing as it is something he enjoys and feels good about. “I am interested in coaching because of my love for sailing,” reveals the young sailor. But right now he is concentrating on the bigger goal of bringing home the title of MMRC champion. He says, “We categorise all participants as our biggest threat. But the most challenging part about sailing in Malaysia is the unpredictable wind direction and the weather.” Nevertheless Hazwan chalks this down to being part and parcel of racing and is prepared to face whatever challenges this year’s MMRC may bring.