2015 DBS Marina Bay Cup - Day 2 and 3 report + Videos

by Icarus Sailing on 21 Sep 2015 Welcome to Day two of the DBS Marina Bay Cup which takes place in the heart of Singapore – one of the busiest metropolises in the World. Bringing sailing to the buzzing city centre not only gives the public an opportunity to see sailing and match racing up close but it also provides a perfect platform for sponsors to showcase their involvement within the sport.

With only a morning of racing completed yesterday, the organizers were keen to finish the round-robin stage of the regatta to allow for just the semi-finals and finals to take place on the third and final day.

Luckily the weather gods were listening and with better wind conditions 16 matches were completed today. The competition was tight and heading into the semi-finals, it’s the local team from Singapore who have the advantage. They are tied on points with the Philippine Standard Insurance team - both with seven wins but Singapore are top as they won the match between the two boats. Australia however are breathing down their necks and with some clever sailing today they finished the round-robin with six wins.

So tomorrow, the team from the Philippines will be looking to overhaul Singapore and add the DBS Marina Bay Cup to the title they won at the South East Asia Games where almost a month ago they took gold over Singapore. However, Australia are certainly capable of springing a surprise with the crews all keen to win the inaugural DBS Marina Bay Cup.

Welcome to the final day of the DBS Marina Bay Cup in Singapore. After two days of intense battles, today the four boats enter the knockout stages. The crews were eager to progress through the semi-final to the grand final with the winner claiming the inaugural DBS Cup.

Match Racing is the most gladiatorial of sailing there is. The crews are trying the out think their opponents whilst also sailing their own boat to it’s maximum. Boat handling skills are vital with slick crew work and the pre-start can also be crucial.

In the semifinals the two crews that have impressed all week, Singapore and Philippines eased through their matches. Both scored two - zero victories against Team France and Team UWA from Australia.

The two losers progressed into the petite final fighting for third place. Asia Pacific Student Cup winners, Team UWA didn’t find it hard to grab third place after scoring two wins against the French.

So now the scene was set for the Grand final and with consistent wind conditions, the pre-start became more important. Team Singapore took first blood and got an early point on the board. However, the Philippines Standard Insurance Team came back strong and took the next four flights and with it the overall victory.

The week was completed with a beautiful awards ceremony. The winning team celebrated their victory at the top of the podium. All the crews enjoying what was the first ever DBS Marina Bay Cup and will be sure to return again next year. Until then, thanks for watching.