Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Thrilling Sailing in a Catamaran.
Which dingy gives the sailor the most exhilirating experience of speed on the water, Undoubtedly, it must be the CAT; short for catamaran. All the boats i had intoduced to you in my earlier blogs are monohull. The catamaran is a twin hull design boat. Two common catamarans found in the SAFYC is the Hobie and the Nacra. Catamaran can be sailed alone if the sailor is competent. Beginners are likely to sail in pairs. Catamaran also come with trapeze. This allows a sailor to hike out of the boat to keep the boat flat. In good wind conditions, the catamarans can easily clock speed up to 10 knots.
Monday, October 30, 2006
My Favourite Dinghy
What is my favorite dingy? After my basic sailing course on the Lark, I started sailing on the Topper. I was not able to continue to sail the Lark because the Lark were phased out in the Club. Besides, the Lark need two sailors; one helmsman and one crew. The Topper (43kg) is made from polypropylene, a composite plastic material, hence the boat is more sluggish. The Topper is robust and virtually indestructible. This is an ideal boat for beach resorts. The sailor can sail right up the beach without causing damage to the boat. The Laser boats are made from fibreglass. The Lasers are more lighweight due to the material. Therefore, it can cut through the water with less resistance. Consequently, the Laser is faster than the Topper. Next I moved on the standard Laser (56kg). In light and medium winds, the Laser is a fast and manageable boat with a new sailor. However in strong winds, an inexperienced sailor will have problem sailing and controlling the boat. If you are at least 75kg, it will be easier to sail and control the boat. As i am a light weight sailor (about 60-65kg), i eventually move on to the Laser Byte (45 kg). I feel I have better control in all conditions of wind including strong wind conditions. If i bring my children along, the Laser Pico is ideal. The cockpit has enough space for one adult and one child. So, if I sail alone, it is the Laser Byte. With the Kids, the Laser Pico.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
ASEAN Marine Tourism Symposium 2006
The Organiser is Bintang Melewar Sdn Bhd. the Symposium title is "Yangon - Manila Bay:A New Cruising Playground. The objectives are:
- To provide a brief and initial background and outline the definition of "marine tourism" and what it means to the economy and environment of ASEAN nations.
- Inform on the benefits to such econmies, with examples from other global marine tourism destinations.
- Provide a summary of the achievements and findings of the 2005 Marine Symposium and follow-up actions.
- Be the platform and actual event from which to launch the Asean Marine Tourism Council (AMTC) and its proposed country-based membership drive.
- Establish a clear path forward with objectives and goals with tasks ahead for AMTC and its members.
Date : 1 Nov 06 to 4 Nov 06
Venue : Sutera Harbour. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Conact person : Victoria Hilley victoria@asiaextreme.biz
The Organiser is Bintang Melewar Sdn Bhd. the Symposium title is "Yangon - Manila Bay:A New Cruising Playground. The objectives are:
- To provide a brief and initial background and outline the definition of "marine tourism" and what it means to the economy and environment of ASEAN nations.
- Inform on the benefits to such econmies, with examples from other global marine tourism destinations.
- Provide a summary of the achievements and findings of the 2005 Marine Symposium and follow-up actions.
- Be the platform and actual event from which to launch the Asean Marine Tourism Council (AMTC) and its proposed country-based membership drive.
- Establish a clear path forward with objectives and goals with tasks ahead for AMTC and its members.
Date : 1 Nov 06 to 4 Nov 06
Venue : Sutera Harbour. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Conact person : Victoria Hilley victoria@asiaextreme.biz
Friday, October 27, 2006
I received a post from one of the member,maeng. his question is "I thought body weight plays an important role in sailing, other than that, it's a sport that Asians generally stands a better chance against Caucasians. " my answers :
Asians had done well in the smaller boats such as the Optimist and Laser Byte. Yes for the heavier boats like the standard laser, the Caucasians had done consistently better than the asians. Asians generally has smaller physique but if we can match the caucasians weight for weight, then the competitive edge will be the skills level.
Asians had done well in the smaller boats such as the Optimist and Laser Byte. Yes for the heavier boats like the standard laser, the Caucasians had done consistently better than the asians. Asians generally has smaller physique but if we can match the caucasians weight for weight, then the competitive edge will be the skills level.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Sailing provides a level playing field for everybody. This is especially true in dingy races. All sailors sail the same design boat. What makes the difference is the sailors' familarity with the dingy. How he rigs his boat to suit the sailing conditions. Another is the skills level of the sailor. A sailor inherent ability to sense changes in the wind strength, direction and the effects of the currents and react appropriately will give the sailor an edge over others.
Even the disbled persons can enjoy sailing. They can sail in especially designed dingy for disabled persons. Alternatively, existing common dingy can be customised to allow the disabled sailors to handle the dingy with ease. In Singapore, the SDSC(Singapore Disabled Sports Council) provide opportunities for disabled persons to enjoy sailing.Our local sailor Jovin Tan Wei Qiang sails competitively in the Sports Classification -(Celebral Palsy) PNS class2. Visit the SDSC website for more information.
Even the disbled persons can enjoy sailing. They can sail in especially designed dingy for disabled persons. Alternatively, existing common dingy can be customised to allow the disabled sailors to handle the dingy with ease. In Singapore, the SDSC(Singapore Disabled Sports Council) provide opportunities for disabled persons to enjoy sailing.Our local sailor Jovin Tan Wei Qiang sails competitively in the Sports Classification -(Celebral Palsy) PNS class2. Visit the SDSC website for more information.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
I received a post by maeng, my ex-colleague. his question: Which role does a newbie sailor usually play? and what is route of advancement?my answers -
Usually a new sailor crewing in a keelboat will likely be the winchman, be it portside or starboard. There is no fixed route of advancement. the newbie will have to work with the captain to see where he best fit in after trying out the various positions. To steer the boat, you need to possess the PPCDL i.e. Private Pleasure Craft Driver License issued by the MPA (Maritime Port Authority). Thanks once again for your comment.
You can also check the on-line resources that Google had placed links on my blog. You will notice Google is intelligent to serve only related relevant links on my blog. Go and click on them for other sailing information.
Usually a new sailor crewing in a keelboat will likely be the winchman, be it portside or starboard. There is no fixed route of advancement. the newbie will have to work with the captain to see where he best fit in after trying out the various positions. To steer the boat, you need to possess the PPCDL i.e. Private Pleasure Craft Driver License issued by the MPA (Maritime Port Authority). Thanks once again for your comment.
You can also check the on-line resources that Google had placed links on my blog. You will notice Google is intelligent to serve only related relevant links on my blog. Go and click on them for other sailing information.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
When we think of keelboat sailing, you will need a crew. The key person is of course the Captain or helmsman who control the steering.The next is the mastsman who raise the main sail. On the port (left side of the boat) is the winchsman and one on the starboard(right side of the boat) is another who control the winches which affect the trim of the sail.The other is the spinnacle guy who takes charge of raising the spinnacle from the hatch. It takes a team to get the boat going. For the adrenalin charged, some sailors sailed solo. Of course, these boats are smaller, typical length about 20 feet. In fact, there are many solo races that circumnavigate the globe. The more recent ones are the Mini-Transat(Transverse the Atlantic Ocean), Vendee Globe and the Route Du Rhum. These races are very popular with the Europeans. I will give you more info in my subsequent posts. Look out for it. Remember my earlier post, our local gal Elaine Chua did the Mini-Transat in Sep2005.
Monday, October 23, 2006
There are several local sailors that made their mark. One of the notable is Dr Ben Tan. He is a specialist in Sports Medicine. He had experience in sailing the Lark, Fireball, 470, and finally the Laser. His best sailing years in the Laser class was when he won the 1994 Asian Games Gold Medal and four consecutive Southeast Asian Games Gold medals. He finished 37th at his first Laser World Championship in 1989 and completed in five other World Championship. Ben's ISAF World Ranking was in the top 50, and he finished mid-fleet in the 1996 Olympics in Savannah. He was thrice awarded the title of Sportsman of the Year in Singapore, as well as the Singapore Youth Award, the Public Service Star, and Public Service Medal.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Langkawi International Boat Exhibition |
24-27 November 2006 |
Telaga Harbour |
Langkawi,Malaysia |
Malaysia's new international boat show bringing together the key players of South East Asia's marine and yachting industry. Timed to coincide with the Grand Finale of the 2006 Darwin-Bali-Langkawi Yacht rally and the 2006 Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta.Link to website
Friday, October 20, 2006
This is the first time Singapore participated in this Clipper Race 05-06. This have the support of the Singapore Tourism Board.This takes the crew round the world over 7 legs. For some crew, this is their first exposure to sailing. Crews can choose tosail on some legs of the race. For those who are all out for the adventure, they choose to sail on all the legs. Here are the Singaporeans who took the challenge. They are Chia Meng Tze,Director (F-Age 42), David Beevers Senior Director (M-Age 46),James Lim Cheng Yong, Cook (M-Age 44),Susan Tai,Dentist (F-Age38),Tan Thong Meng,Teacher (M-Age 29) Vincent Wee Su Meng,Journalist (M-Age 36). Kudos to all these sailors. Below are the details for the 7 legs. Singapore finished first twice. The first in the leg from Victoria,Canada to Panama. The other first is the leg from Jamaica to New York. The race was flagged off on 18/9/05 and completed on 11/8/06. Singapore finished fifth overall.
Leg | From | To | Via | Distance |
1 | Liverpool | Brazil | Portugal | 4,500 miles |
2 | Brazil | Durban | 4,650 miles | |
3 | Durban | W. Aus | 4,350 miles | |
4 | W. Aus | China (Qingdao) | Singapore | 4,400 miles |
5 | China (Qingdao) | W Coast Canada | Japan (Yokohama) | 5,240 miles |
6 | W Coast Canada | Caribbean | 5,250 miles | |
7 | Caribbean | Liverpool | NY & Jersey | 4,120 miles |
Thursday, October 19, 2006
I always get this question from my colleagues; sailing looks difficult and there are some many ropes which makes sailing complex. Really, it is not difficult and complex. when you are on the dingy, there are only two parts of the dingy that you need to handle. They are the main sheet(rope that controls the boom) and the rudder extension. Depending on the direction you are sailing, the left hand holds the main sheet and the right hand the rudder extension(or the other way round). There are two maneuvers that you need to master and you can sail all single-handed dingy. First, is tacking. Tacking means moving the dingy across the wind. Jibing happens when you sail with the wind from behind. When jibing, the boom will swing from one side to the opposite side. Beginners need to remember to duck under the swinging boom. A lot of new sailors learnt the hard way nursing a bruise on the head being hit on the boom. Mastering these two basic moves will enable you to sail any dingy and later even the keelboat.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The Laser is the world most popular dingy sailed worlwide. In the Olympics, it even has a veteran class. The original laser was designed by Kirby. He was a naval architect and a top Canadian International 14 sailors.The design came out of Kirby doodling in his office. Originally the boat name was Weekender. By the time it went into commercial production, the name was changed to Laser. That happened in 1970. To date, over 150,000 Lasers have been sold and production had run at some 6,000 to 12,000 botas per year.A bright testimony to its popularity.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
In Singapore, keelboat sailing is not so hot. However, with the government support some of our local sailors got to sail around the world on Uniquely Singapore. This recently completed race is organised by the Clipper Venture Plc. Some take the off beaten track. She is none other than our local sailor Elaine Chua. She had completed the MiniTransAct race solo on her boat Feng. you can read about her race in her website.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
The haze had also affected my sailing. Last Saturday when the haze hit 150, the sailors had to stay on-shore instead of training on the sea. Some children were having irritated eyes and sore throats. If the haze is bad today, i will just hit off to the gym instead
Monday, October 09, 2006
The more known marinas in Singapore are SAFYC (SAF Yacht Club), RSYC (Republic of Singapore Yacht Club), Changi Sailing Club and Raffles Marina.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
For those who need to know the locations. here are the GPS readings.
Sembawang 1'28.28"N 103'49.18"E
Changi 1'18.95"N 104'00.96"E
Sea Sports Centre 1'19.00"N 103'58.70"E.
Sembawang 1'28.28"N 103'49.18"E
Changi 1'18.95"N 104'00.96"E
Sea Sports Centre 1'19.00"N 103'58.70"E.
Friday, October 06, 2006
My sailing club is the SAF Yacht Club. The main clubhouse is in Changi, just outside the CNB. The other location is in Sembawang. If you love the beach, just head off to the Sea Sports Centre.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Sailing can be done in a group or alone. you can choose the dingy which best suit your physique i.e. your height and your weight and even your age. Children sail the Oppy (British slang for the Optimist, teenagers can sail the Laser Byte and adults can sail the standard Laser.
I started basic sailing in 1998. now i can sail the Lark, Laser, Laser Byte and Laser Pico. had also done some in-house race and crew in some members Keelboats
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