PENINSULAR SAILING CLUB (PSC ) Pulau Indah Marina , Malaysia
2023 NATIONAL SQUIB MALAYSIAN CHAMPIONSHIP
PSC were delighted to see 10 Squibs taking part in the second National Championships, held over three days from Saturday 3 June.It was a great compliment to the shore team that nearly every Squib boats had been cleaned and freshly antifouled for the event.
The Club had invited the Star Sailors League in Switzerland to send two teams as SSL are the organisation responsible for Malaysia’s international Participation in a World Series. With a further entry from the National Sailing Centre in Langkawi with a crew of SEA Games medallists, some exciting racing was guaranteed! Some PSC sailors had rather hoped that the visitors’ unfamiliarity with Squibs might make up for their own limited experience in this type of racing, so it was all to play for.
The fleet was fortunate to once again secure the support of Simon James, from Puhket, as Race Officer alongside his assistant Chandran, who laid the marks. Their consumate professionalism, seen at first hand on the Committee boat by Commodore and organising Committee Chairman Jeremy Camps, was something to marvel at.
The building flood tide made course setting and the sailing itself particularly challenging but it made for great racing. The race team recorded the rounding order at each mark and the place-changing in the main fleet was sometimes akin to musical chairs. Or Snakes and Ladders.
Each day the wind was in a different direction, varying from southwest to northwest.
Several teams were notable for their starting abilities. In particular ‘Ratatosch’ (a mythical squirrel from Norsk mythology, AKA the Squirrel) sailed by Gavin Baxter and Yasid was consistently in the hunt. On most occasions the visiting boats pulled away from the chasing pack, but mention must be made of local Squib ‘Lady VG’, sailed by PSC Founder Rama Menon and his crew Justin, who in Race 5 rounded the first mark in a commendable second place but were unable to maintain their position.
Two races were sailed each day using a combination of ‘Sausage/Triangle’ courses Each day , due to the tide and with a perfect windward mark, competitors were faced with a decision of whether to sail inshore and beat up to the mark or cross to the mark and punch the tide. The visitors mostly got it right – with local boat ‘Peach 2’ also choosing the right strategy and landing a podium finish on Day 3, when helm Harro Koopmans and crew Simon Thompson had their first day on the water following a covid-induced absence.
‘Alice 447’ sailed by Muhamad Uzair Amin b Mohd Yusof and Ahmad Hakimi b Ahmad Shukri from SSL, former Malaysian Champions in the 470 and 420 dinghies, had a superb set up of results and won every race bar one. They sailed their Squib beautifully and thoRoughly deserved their victory and the Championship title. They were followed by Tom Rizal Mahardi b Sasli / Ahmad Faizal Aswad b Mohd also representing SLL, sailing the Commodore’s boat ‘Wombat 509’. Their solid set of results included one bullet, three seconds and two thirds. Tom is a friend of PSC as he is the Chief Sailing Instructor at RSYC. Third was Kairunneeta M Afendy from Langkawi, a well-known SEA games competitor and now a top sailing coach, sailing Jeremy’s other boat ‘Cabaret 7 780’, formerly ‘Quantum’ from Weymouth in England. It was great to see the Squib Nationals AQL spinnaker, but some brave tacks out into the tide didn’t pay, leaving them with two seconds, three thirds and a fourth place.
There was much fun to be had in the PSC fleet who were racing for a new trophy presented by the PSC s founders for the first PSC boat.
Five different boats won races in the championship including:
‘Kittiwich 376’ sailed by David Long and Rainer Kloberg
‘Ratatosch 343’ sailed by a returning Gavin Baxter and Yasid
‘Lady VG 723’ sailed by PSC Founder Ramasamy Menon with guest crew Justin from SingaporeZomark 330’ sailed by Sophie A Rahmen, making her Squib debut, with former Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta winner Dr Izham plus Emyand ‘Peach 2’ sailed by Harro Koopmans and Simon Thompson who won the PSC section in two races in which they participated.
Other competitors were the club’s ‘Second Wind 645’ well-sailed by Charles David and Martin Crookes and ‘Recaa 2 x Tom 292’ sailed by MJ and his family Kesh and Rhish, who enjoying some great racing before suffering broken rudder pintles in Race Four.
Overall PSC champion on 10 points after discard was ‘Zomark’, second ‘Ratatosch’ with 15 points and third on countback, also with 15 points, was ‘Second Wind’. Fourth was ‘Kittiwich’ on 16, fifth ‘Lady VG’ with 20, sixth ‘Peach’ with 29 and seventh was ‘Recaa 2’ with 30.
Congratulations to our overall Champions Muhamad Uzair Amin and PSC champion Sophie and Dr Izham. Most importantly everyone had a great time and enjoyed some great sailing. This is essentially what Peninsular SC is about. A huge thank you to everyone who helped run this year’s event. We also appreciate the support from National Squib Class in the UK and wish everyone great sailing at the forthcoming Squib Nationals in Weymouth. With 86 entrants, it really shows there is life in the old boats yet!
We have Squibs for sale at PSC and we race every Sunday so why not contact us and come along and try a boat?
Jeremy Camps
Organising Committee Chairman
