Sekitar Monsoon Cup 2011

Credit to TBest Events Sdn Bhd at http://www.monsooncup.com.my

More From Monsoon Cup 2010

This one from the site of the event. Monsoon Cup 2010 at Pulau Duyong, Kuala Terengganu.

Accompanying HRH for Coronation Cup

The previous post about Cdr. Malik accompanying His Royal Highness Tuanku Mizan for the Coronation Cup also published in another public newspaper, The New Straits Times (1 December 2010).

Sailing / Monsoon Cup: Tuanku Mizan wins Coronation Cup

2010/12/01

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Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin helms the YANMAR Racing team yacht as skipper Datuk Peter Gilmour (right) looks on during the Coronation Cup final race at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Kuala Terengganu yesterday. — Picture by Rozainah Zakaria

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin hoisted the sail of the YANMAR Racing team, skippered by Datuk Peter Gilmour, to victory in the Coronation Cup at the Ri-Yaz Heritage Marina Resort and Spa in Kuala Terengganu yesterday. Tuanku Mizan, on the Monsoon Cup yacht, finished second in the first race but came out fourth in the second.

However, Tuanku Mizan together with Gilmour — a three-time world champion — and his crew crossed first in the final race to claim victory ahead of corporate sponsors Kenny Heights with three-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said with Torvar Mirsky team, finished third while Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, on Koo Racing Team-Evernew, skippered by Jeremy Khoo, ended up sixth.

Formerly known as the Terengganu Cup, The Coronation Cup was last staged in 2007, as a tribute to Tuanku Mizan’s installation as King.

Ahmad Shabery said it was quite an experience being part of the race in the Coronation Cup.

“I would like to congratulate Tuanku Mizan for winning the title. I had a good time. We should have more Malaysians trying it out,” said Ahmad Shabery.

He said the Coronation Cup will be organised yearly from now on.

“It will be a bigger and better affair from next year. We have big plans for it,” he said.

On whether the government will extend its contract with the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) to host the Monsoon Cup beyond 2012, Ahmad Shabery said the matter will be brought to the Cabinet soon.

The eight-year deal with the Monsoon Cup organiser, World Match Racing Tour, expires in 2012.

“There are also proposals to stage the event either in Putrajaya or Langkawi beyond 2012 but I believe it should remain in Kuala Terengganu as the venue here is the best on the tour.” 

Coronation Cup During the Last Monsoon Cup (2010)

I know it has been 2 months since WMRT has concluded its series of racing with the last one, as usual, was held in Kuala Terengganu — the Monsoon Cup 2010.

This is another piece of news the involvement of Cdr Malik in yachting activities. The following news was published in Utusan Malaysia dated 1 December 2010

Pasukan Tuanku Mizan juara Piala Coronation

Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin (tiga, kiri) bersama pasukan Yanmar Racing yang dikemudikan oleh Peter Gilmour (dua, kanan) ketika menyertai pertandingan Piala Pertabalan di Pulau Duyong di sini, semalam. – BERNAMA

KUALA TERENGGANU – Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin menjuarai Kejohanan Kapal Layar Piala Coronation yang diadakan di Pulau Duyong di sini, semalam sempena penganjuran Kejohanan Kapal Layar Piala Monsun 2010.
Pasukan dikemudi oleh baginda yang dianggotai juara Piala Monsun 2005, Datuk Peter Gilmour mengalahkan tujuh pasukan lain setelah berjaya mengumpul tujuh mata dalam tiga pusingan kejohanan berkenaan.
Turut bertanding dalam kejohanan pembuka tirai Piala Monsun itu ialah Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said dan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
Pasukan dikemudi Ahmad yang turut dianggotai peserta Piala Monsun, Torvar Mirsky pula memenangi tempat ketiga dengan 10 mata, manakala pasukan diketuai Ahmad Shabery berada ditempat keenam dengan 18 mata.
Juara Piala Coronation ditentukan berdasarkan pengumpulan markah paling sedikit antara lapan pasukan yang bertanding dalam kejohanan itu.
Dalam pada itu, Ahmad Shabery berkata, kementerian tersebut bercadang mengekalkan penganjuran Piala Monsun di Terengganu selepas kontrak penganjurannya tamat pada 2012.
Katanya, kementerian kini mengkaji laporan penilaian Piala Monsun yang setakat ini dikenal pasti sebagai penganjuran, pendedahan dan pulangan pelaburan terbaik.
Beliau berkata, kementerian akan membuat penilaian dan kemudian akan membentangkan kepada Kabinet nanti.
”Setakat ini, kementerian berpuas hati dengan pencapaian dan pendedahan yang dibawa oleh Piala Monsun, selain kerjasama dan sokongan penuh yang diberikan oleh pelbagai pihak termasuk kerajaan negeri dalam penganjuran kejohanan ini.
”Piala Monsun juga telah menerima anugerah sebagai Pengurusan Terbaik 2009 daripada badan pelayaran antarabangsa, World Match Racing Tour (WMRT). Jika kemudahan yang terdapat di Pulau Duyong ini tidak digunakan ia merupakan satu kerugian,” ujarnya.
Beliau memberitahu, pihaknya ada menerima beberapa cadangan untuk diadakan dilokasi lain termasuk Putrajaya dan Langkawi dengan mengambil kira dari sudut bagi menarik lebih banyak tarikan pengunjung.
Ahmad pula berkata, kerajaan negeri akan memberikan sokongan dan kerjasama dalam memastikan Piala Monsun terus diadakan di Terengganu.

Year 2009 and Its Journal

Hello All.

It has been ages since the last time I wrote here. Happy New Year to all readers. May this new year brings more prosperous plannings and fruitful undertakings. May you also find a good leisure to escape all the stress and hustle-bustle of current global living style.

The year 2009 has ended. However, there was one article remaining that I owed this column to share about Cdr Malik Sulaiman. May he also finds more advancement in 2010 in yachting and sports in overall.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Friday, October 30, 2009, 09.24 AM
 
Cover Story: Anchors aweigh!
2009/10/28
HARIS HUSSAIN
With the eighth installment of the Royal Langkawi International Regatta just months away, HARIS HUSSAIN gets a taste of what it feels like to be on the high seas.
“TACKING!” yells the skipper of the Royal Malaysian Navy yacht Zuhal, RMN Commander Malik Sulaiman.

The deck becomes a flurry of activity as mates run to their stations, clipping carabiners to safety cables, securing rigs, manning winches and checking lines, preparing for the next maneouvre.

Everyone notes their positions on the deck, careful not to step on lines that could snag or trip them and throw them overboard once the skipper makes his turn.

Off to the port side, a yellow buoy bobs in the distance. The mainsail on this 15.8m-long boat is flapping in the breeze.

The sea off Kuah in Langkawi is calm and we’re doing a languorous 2.6 knots but we’re already tilting at a crazy angle; I’m guessing once we round the buoy, we’ll be whipping the ponies and going hell bent for the horizon.
We’re hauling the mail now! Waves break on the bow as Zuhal barrels along at 18 knots.
Behind us, Zuhal’s sister ship, Zuhrah, is gaining on us. She had already beaten us on the first run, and Malik is determined not to let them get a clean sweep.

The words of the commodore of the Navy’s yacht club, Capt Mohd Hatim Saad, 48, are still fresh on everybody’s mind.

“Gentlemen, I do not intend to be on the losing boat.”

Malik, 43, glances behind, turns his gaze to the mainsail, and then to the marker buoy. He eyeballs the opposition again behind his Oakleys and without word, starts his turn.

I grab the railing as Zuhal turns on a dime and whips past the buoy. The violent turn rolls the boat to a 30-degree angle and everyone struggles to hang on. Up at the fo’c’sle, deckhands hoist the spinnaker. It billows and catches the wind.

Almost immediately, the boat thrusts forward, its bow slicing through the water like a hot knife through warm butter.

We’re hauling the mail now! Waves break on the bow as Zuhal barrels along at 18 knots

I look up at the base of the mainmast at a clump of digital displays — from heading to our speed in knots — and see that we are clocking a zippy18 knots. We’re leaving Zuhrah in the dust.

Stoked after gaining this tactical edge, the crew fine-tunes the rigging on the boat. Any drag-inducing protrusions are locked away and stowed. It’s down to the wire now.

The gap between Zuhrah and us is widening and for the first time in two hours, this crew is chugging along like a well-oiled machine.

And then the unthinkable happens.
We’ve got wind in our sail! Note the boat’s attitude in relation to the horizon. – Pictures by Haris Hussain

Stressed beyond its limits, a cable that holds the spinnaker snaps with a loud crack.

Almost immediately, the sail goes limp. Our collective hearts sink.

As the crew stows the spinnaker, no one notices that the Zuhrah is slowly closing the distance.

“Check mast! C’mon, boys!” Mohd Hatim yells to the crew.

We’re mast-to-mast now and the finish line is just a few metres away. The crews trade good-natured jibes and put-downs, but Malik, a silver medallist in the Super Moth Class (open category) in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, is single-minded in his resolve. He wants this race. The tension aboard Zuhal is palpable.

We’ve got wind in our sail! Note the boat’s attitude in relation to the horizon. - Pictures by Haris Hussain

The marshals from the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club finally blow the horn, signaling the end of the race. The mood aboard Zuhal is subdued. No one dares to celebrate. This one is too close to call.

Moments later, the race marshals make it official. Zuhal had won this round by the skin of her teeth. The crew goes wild and the boat erupts in celebration.

The two-boat race was a prelude to the eighth installment of the Royal Langkawi International Regatta, scheduled for Jan 8-15, next year.

It was also a chance for the Navy to showcase its two boats that will take part in the event.

Mohd Hatim says Zuhal and Zuhrah’s crews will spend the next two months at the RLYC, honing their seamanship in a series of work-ups before the event.

“We want to give our boys enough time to prepare and get acclimatised to the sea and wind conditions in the competition area.”

Organised by the RLYC, the RLIR was first held in 2003 and has become a popular race among sailors.

It is already a permanent fixture in the Asian Regatta Calendar and has become one of the world’s premier sailing events.

Abdul Rahman Mahani, senior manager of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, says the races proper will be from Jan 11-15, 2010 and will be divided into several categories — racing class, the sportsboat class, multi-hulls and club cruisers.

This year’s event saw the participation of 33 boats.

Last year, the secretariat introduced the round-the-island race format and plans to retain it due to its popularity among the participants.

“Apart from the usual windward/leeward courses, challenging courses are also being designed for next year’s event,” he says.

• Watch a short video of the race. Click here
CAPT Mohd Hatim Saad is an old sea dog.

A 25-year veteran of the Royal Malaysian Navy, he’s right out of Hollywood central casting — raspy voice, mischievous grin, a complexion that’s been seared repeatedly from countless hours of being exposed to the sun and a sense of humour that’s unlike that of professional shark hunter Quint, Robert Shaw’s character in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.

“I love the sea,” he says.

“You won’t understand it now, but I guarantee you, when this is over, you’ll get what I mean.”

That grin again.

Mohd Hatim is the Commodore of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Yacht Club, an administrative post that doesn’t allow him to be out at sea with the boys as often as he would like to. But he admits with a smile that he still jumps at it, every chance he gets.

Spend some time with him and it’s clear that he’s very proud of the Navy’s two racers/cruisers — Zuhal and Zuhrah — and the men who make up the crew.

Built at a cost of RM4.75 million each, the boats, based in Lumut, Perak, have been fitted out with the latest in sat-nav technology which enables them to plot their position with amazing accuracy, a whizz-bang communications suite, and all the creature comforts one would expect of a modern yacht, including air conditioning, two toilets (heads, in Navy parlance), 11 beds (bunks), and a small kitchen (galley) with a three-burner stove.

The boats are of carbon and epoxy composite construction with post-cured low-density ‘super light’ balsa in high load areas forward.

Both are powered by a 56-horsepower Yanmar turbo-diesel engine. Fuel capacity is 200 litres.

The two boats were designed by Farr Yacht Design Ltd, in Annapolis, Maryland, (home to the prestigious US Naval Academy) and built by DK Yachts of Batu Berendam, Malacca.

The contract was for the “design, construction, installation, testing, supply and delivery of two 52-foot sloops for training” for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The boats were delivered on budget on Dec 22, 2005, ahead of schedule.

Glossary

Fo’c’sle: A superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed.

Gybe: Changing direction with the wind aft; to change from one tack to another by turning the stern through the wind.

Leeward: Downwind.

Mainmast: A ship’s principal mast.

Mainsail: Boomed sail projecting aft from the mainmast.

Port: Left.

Spinnaker: A large, light, balloon-shaped sail set forward of the mainsail when running before the wind.

Starboard: Right.

Tack: Working to windward by sailing close-hauled on alternate courses so that the wind is first on one side of the boat, then on the other.

Windward: Upwind.

Zuhal’s skipper Malik Sulaiman keeps his eyes on the marker buoy while the rest of the crew hang over the side to prevent the boat from tipping over.

For the Gallery

The Monsoon is here Once Again

It is that season of the year again. Despite the political turbulance earlier this year and numerous request to clarifications, it did not stop the spirits of World Match Racing to happen once again in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu.

Don’t forget to get busy with updates from Monsoon Cup 2008 either through its official site, tv networks or other related medias.

Happy Eid Fitr to All Readers all over the World

Wishing all readers a Happy Eid Mubarak and merry celebration for this festive season. 1 Syawal 1429H

Pride goes on…

Author wanted to congratulate Malik Sulaiman (the Malaysian Yacht Racer) on his new promotion which brings the title of Commander (Royal Malaysian Navy) on 2nd June 2008.

May this blessings bring more success to life!

Related Article: http://www.navy.mil.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=335&Itemid=18 

Malaysian Yachting Calendar (Mar – Apr 2008)

DATE	COMPETITION	COURSES / SEMINARS	VENUE	EXPECTED CLASSES & CONTACTS
29 Feb – 02 MAC	KFC-PSC International Regatta (Ranking)		Penang Swimming Club	Optimist, Laser Standard, Laser 4.7, Laser  Radial, Open Dinghy, Race Board & Formula sailmalaysia@gmail.com noraini_772000@yahoo.com pscregatta@hotmail.com
March 07 -09	RMN Open /National Match Racing Championship (01/08)		Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	Farr Platu Malik_2881@yahoo.com
May 08-13	KEJOHANAN MSSM 2008		Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
March 13-15		Coaching  Rule course	Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
March 16		Coach CPR course	Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 03 -05	KFC-Johor Open Regatta (Ranking)		Pantai Pasir Layar,Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang,  Johor	Optimist- A,B,&C ,Laser Std, & Radial, Int  420  ,& Marathon Optimist & Laser sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
08 April -14 April		Kem Pemilihan akhir Int 420- Int 470	Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 15 -17	–	Race Officer Clinic	Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 18 – 20	KFC-Navy Day Open Regatta & National Youth (Ranking)		Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	Optimist, Laser, Int 470, Int 420, Open,Keel Boat & Windsurfing sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 08 -12		Kursus Jurulatih Tahap I	RPDYC Port Dickson	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 24 -30		Kursus Jurulatih Tahap III Pilot Course	Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my