7:35 PM Thu 27 Nov 2008 GMT
Asian Match Racing Championship - Day 1.
The numeral four is always associated with bad luck with the Chinese because its pronunciation 'sae' in the Cantonese dialect means die.
Hong Kong skipper Marty H. Kaye, is aware of this especially with the mainly Cantonese speaking population in Hong Kong but hopes his fourth outing in the Monsoon Cup will prove to be successful.
Kaye, who has won the Hong Kong Match Racing championships for three consecutive years beginning 2003, has registered some impressive performances over the past years with podium finishes at the China Sea Race, Kings Cup in Phuket, China Coast Regatta and Singapore Straits.
Now, in Pulau Duyong for the Asian Qualifiers leading to the Monsoon Cup, Kaye hopes to clinch a win in his fourth attempt, having finished third in the last two years and a runner-up place in 2005.
I would like to improve my position of finishing runner-up and third on two occasions, Kaye said. Hoping the number four will bring him good luck, Kaye has signalled his readiness for the great challenge.
I am glad to be back. The event is very well organized, the race and the boats are nicely prepared, he said. He noted that this time around there are eight teams Korea, Thailand, Japan (2 teams), Australia, Malaysia (2 teams) and Hong Kong.
The threat to Kayes high expectation comes from the two teams from Japan. We have to watch out for them,' he said, adding he has previously raced against Keith Swintons team from Down Under who are also among the early favourites.
On the conditions today, Kaye said that when it rains, there are no winds. 'But today there is a lot of swift and it is important to maintain the boat speed and make sure everyone is aware of the wind shift.
Its going to be very challenging where there is no wind and I have to be on alert to make quick changes. Sailing the boat is not important with this kind of weather (rains), but we must be able to make changes to balance the boat, said Kay, who started sailing at the age of 11.
When asked about the Monsoon Cup, Kaye said: It has put Malaysia on the world map. With its wide visibility and publicity, the world knows about the Monsoon Cup. This is the only venue where you have a podium to watch the race and it is very difficult to find a similar venue at other race venues.
Meanwhile, Young Western Australian skipper Keith Swinton has brought his Black Swan Racing team to Kuala Terengganu in an attempt to break the New Zealand stranglehold on the Asian Match Racing Championships. The past two years have seen New Zealander Adam Minoprio and his Black Match Team proceed through to the Monsoon Cup and challenge some of the World's best sailors.
Keith took up the prospect to participate in the Asian Match Racing Championships as he saw it was a, '.good opportunity to enter the Monsoon Cup. The World Match Racing Tour represents the highest level of sailing.' It has been a busy year of sailing for Black Swan Racing, participating in regattas throughout the world. Recently, the team competed in their first World Match Racing Tour event, the Bermuda Gold Cup. Keith says, 'sailing in Bermuda and doing well at the Gold Cup really helped. It showed us we were capable of performing at a high level and we now have the goal to continue sailing at this level of event.'
This is not Keith Swinton's first time to Terengganu, 'we competed in the qualifiers two years ago, but narrowly missed the final.' This time around the team is looking for retribution, 'we are well prepared, we did a bit of work in Perth before we came we have sailed the boats (Foundation 36) a lot.'
Despite their preparation the Black Swan Racing team knows the challenges that lie ahead, 'Terengganu is a difficult place to sail, the conditions are going to be our biggest test we will need to get around those as best as possible.'
Keith has assembled a team of experienced sailors including some new additions, 'Adam (Bowman) and I have sailed a lot together, this is our core crew. We have got a couple of older guys for experience, but everyone on our team has sailed the Foundations a lot. Jasper is our youngest crew member, but we are looking towards the future.' After his performances at international match racing events throughout the year, Keith and his Black Swan Racing team look to be formidable opponents at the Asian Match Racing Championships.
Asian Match Racing Championships
27th - 29th November 2008 -
Stage 1 - Round Robin
Hiroshi Miura ( Extreme) Mohamad Razali Bin Mansor (Navy 1) Park Byeong Ki (Geoje) Marty Kaye (Team Hong Kong) Morten Jakobsen (Ji-Zip Zaam) Keith Swinton (Black Swan Racing) Natsuki Motoyoshi (Orbit) Razman Mat Ali (KFC - MYA) Total
Hiroshi Miura ( Extreme) 0 0 0
Mohamad Razali Bin Mansor (Navy 1) 0 0 0
Park Byeong Ki (Geoje) 0 1 1
Marty Kaye (Team Hong Kong) 1 1 2
Morten Jakobsen (Ji-Zip Zaam) 1 0 1
Keith Swinton (Black Swan Racing) 1 1 2
Natsuki Motoyoshi (Orbit) 1 1 2
Razman Mat Ali (KFC - MYA) 0 0 0
More news available at www.monsooncup.com.my
by Audrey Lakai - Rurrum Communications
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Cape Leeuwin, WA
Foiling - Components (Wings,Masts,etc)
