Match racing super tankers in race 4 of the Singapore Straits Regatta

by Scott McCook on 18 Jan 2004 Some things are for sure. One, Karakoa need not sail the final race tomorrow after racking up a perfectly clean score sheet and two, Neil Pryde will carry off the prestigious Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy at the close of the 10th Singapore Straits Regatta at Changi Sailing Club tomorrow.

Race seven got underway with the series first general recall for the A Class and on the restart Yo! was forced above the line. The other classes had a much more friendly beginning although every yacht had to contend with the world’s busiest shipping channel that sees container ship and crude carriers barrel through the Singapore Straits at something above 20 knots. First out of the blocks was Hollywood Boulevard who managed to cross ahead of a huge LNG ship. Neil Pryde was forced to pick his way gingerly between two container ships that appeared to be racing as much as the SSR Fleet.

The race commenced in a light but building breeze and by the time they had reached Malaysian waters the NE Monsoon was up to a spritely 18 knots with shifts of 20 degrees and numerous ships lying at anchor to contend with. The waters bounded by Singapore, Malaysia and the Riau Islands of Indonesia experience some hefty tidal flows and in combination with the NE wind, kick up a short sharp chop which plays havoc with the smaller boats in the fleet.

In A Class, Ray Robert’s Hollywood Boulevard had no trouble in the tide and rounded the western most turning mark in the lead but hotly pursued by Ray Ordoveza’s Karakoa and Neil Pryde’s Hi Fidelity. White spinnakers seemingly were the order of the day as all the leading 6 boats sprouted the same colour for the reach back into Singapore waters. As far as we know, Andrew Crombie’s much modified Magic 25 may have been the fastest boat on this leg clocking 16 knots on the way in. It is a foregone conclusion that Karakoa will win the series with seven bullets, Stella will most likely fill 2nd place and the line honours express, Hollywood Boulevard will be third.

In B Class the JS9000 romped home in the lead but was pipped on the line by a mere second by a J 35 in very tight racing after 3hrs, 33mins and 37 seconds! There is a tussle between the JS and the J-boat for 1st place and 3rd place is being contested by Gordon Maxted’s Shoon Fung Too and a Platu 25.

As the competitors came ashore they were treated to a sumptuous meal from IndoChine and free beer from Brewerkz, something that is always welcomed and should really be a no-brainer for organisers.

The penultimate race will be a walk in the park, quite literally, as it leads the yachts around Singapore’s last remaining untouched enclave of nature Pulau Ubin. Well almost untouched apart from a horrendous fence ‘designed’ to keep illegal immigrants off the island. Thankfully the Nature Society of Singapore protested the planned reclamation works on the islands foreshores and so for now the developers have left the last remaining mud bank completely alone.