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22nd to 26th January 2014 |
FINAL RESULTS TECHNO 293 / RS:X / MOD Day One photos SAILING INSTRUCTIONS |
SIM 33rd SINGAPORE OPEN ASIAN WINDSURFING CHAMPIONSHIPS
SIM 33rd SINGAPORE OPEN WINDSURFING CHAMPIONSHIP | ||||||
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An Amazing Event Draws to a Close 
The championship medals have been awarded and the places confirmed for the Youth Olympic Games in China. HKG having already qualified, the Boys fleet qualifiers are Japan, Thailand and, for the first time, Myanmar and in the Girls Thailand, Japan and Singapore have qualified. Congratulations to all! There was a lot of close action on the Techno 293 course during their two last races as competitors played their final cards. In the Youth Boys fleet the bullets were taken by Cheng Ho Yin HKG-36 but it was Chan Tsz Kit HKG-17 who claimed the title of Asian Champion. Hong Kong dominated the final podium with Cheng Ho Yin finishing in second place and Wong Chun Yan in the third spot. Chan Tsz Kit said, "I am excited about the Youth Olympic games because it is a big event worldwide and I can compete with top sailors from different countries. It will be a great experience for me." Duangkamon Phongern THA-51 was the undisputed champion of the Youth Girls Division, with Hong Kong's Choi Wing Chi finishing second overall. In third place Lim Si Ying Ynez SIN-98 had her best race of the championship coming first over the line in the penultimate race. About her ticket to China, Duangkamon Phongern said, "I am happy but it will be really stressful at Nanjing because all the competitors this time round will be tougher and more competitive." Competition was tight between the top three in the Open Division but Sandakov Dmitry RUS-154 held on to the top spot with Ikeda Takumi JPN-223 finishing the championship in second place and Ikeda Kazushi JPN-221 taking third. In the RS:X Men's division, Thailand's Ek Boonsawad cemented his position on the top of the leaderboard winning the 2014 RS:X Men Asian Champion title with an almost perfect score of 11 points, while Taipei's Chang Hao took second spot and Singapore's Leong Ong settled for a third-placed finish despite a bullet in Race 11. In the RS:X Youth Men fleet, Hong Kong's Kikabhoy Rafeek won the 2014 RS:X Youth Men Asian Champion title after beating Thailand's Chinain Pattharadnai and Hong Kong's Hui Kwan Nok finished in second and third positions respectively. Over in the RS:X Women's division, the 2013 RS:X Youth Girls Asian Champion, Ngai Wai Yan from Hong Kong scored two bullets to regain her lead over fellow team-mate Lo Sin Lam. Ngai edged out Lo by a mere one point difference to take home the 2014 RS:X Women Asian Champion title while Thailand's Siripon Kaewduang-Ngam finished third. The Hong Kong team continued its dominance in the Mistral One Design Open class where 2013 Asian Champion Cheng Kwok Fai retained his title while his compatriot Lee Chun Ting took second spot. The event also saw some of the region's top windsurfers compete in the RS:One, Raceboard and Formula classes as well as varsity windsurfers contesting the annual SIM University Windsurfing Championships. In the RS:One class, Sri Lanka's Chameera Gunawardena claimed the top spot after winning the tie-breaker with Thailand's Ruamsap Phanuthat based on the number of best discards. The close fight between the top three competitors in day two of the Formula Open class saw Singapore's Lo Jun Hao winning the Open class after securing two wins over close rivals Chris Newman from Britain and Joshua Choo from Singapore. There were less surprises in the Raceboard class with Paul Leone finishing first on a perfect score. The two-day of intense racing amongst windsurf novices in the 5th SIM Windsurfing Championship ended with SMU walking away with the most number of medals. All involved in staging the 33 SIM Singapore Windsurfing Championships are to be congratulated for the slick operation both on and off the water and for their wonderful hospitality. The National Sailing Centre in Singapore has a long tradition in sailing and windsurfing and in the 90's had one of the biggest clubs in the world. However, this is the first time that a major windsurfing-only event has been held at the National Sailing Centre. Co-organised by Singapore Sailing Federation and Windsurfing Association of Singapore, and with SIM as the title sponsor, this most successful edition of the Singapore Open Windsurfing Championship welcomed windsurfers from all over Asia and the world with 136 participants from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Myanmar, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Korea, Great Britain, Argentina, and Russia. "It has been good to see all these countries coming to Singapore, good to see windsurfing being revived. Sport is important in people's lives, these kids are our future, and we are bringing people together." The tricky conditions not only proved challenging to the race committee but also to the competitors as tactics came into play. In the end, it was the ones who could best read the wind conditions who triumphed. | ||||||||
 3 More Spectacular Races on Day Two of the Asian Championships
Conditions were a little lighter than the day before ranging from 9-14 knots for the first race to 12-17 knots later in the day. Olympian Ek Boonsawad THA-8 took three bullets today so, with the discard coming into play, has a perfect score of 5 at the top of the RS:X men's leaderboard. Chang Hao TPE-8 is challenging hard but the gap between him and Ek Boonsawad has widened, although he has managed to gain a point on his closest rival, Ong Leonard from Singapore. At the top of the RS:X Women's fleet podium places are fiercely fought by three competitors from Hong Kong. Yesterday's leader Ngai Wai Yan has gained herself an extra point advantage, now two points ahead of Ma Kwan Ching who has moved up into second place overall, edging Lo Lin Lam down into third place, but only one point clear. What a battle these three are having! It seems a little calmer in the RS:X Youth fleet as the top three remain unchanged. Hong Kong's Kikabhoy Rafeek claimed three bullets and mirrors exactly Boonsawad Ek's results with a perfect score of 5. Chinain Pattharadnai from Thailand was second over the line in all three races today and in third place overall is Leung Tsz Chung. Over in the Techno Boys, Chan Tsz Kit (HKG-17) started the day with a bullet in the first race but Cheng Ho Yin (HKG-36) took the bullet in the second race, then a seventh in the third race of the day became Chan Tsz Kit's discard and thus he maintains his seven point lead over Wong Chun Yan (HKG-13). Cheng Ho Yin is now hot on his heels, just one point behind and overtaking Ikeda Kensei to step up to the third podium position. Racing on these waters is challenging and this is reflected in the variable results right down the fleet. RS:X sailor Audrey Yong has a lot of experience and she said that Singapore is a very tricky place to sail. She advised the young Techno sailors to remember every race is new, no-one will definitely win and to just give something extra each time. In the Youth Girl's Division, Thailand's Duangkamon Phongern and Hong Kong's Choi Wing Chi are locked together on equal points at the top of the leaderboard. Both have taken three wins and three second places. This is indeed an exciting battle to watch. They are way ahead of the next two Japananese girls, Jiijima Rina and Watanabe Junna who also have equal points. There is only room for three on the podium! The Techno293 youth boys and girls are also racing to qualify their nations in the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in China. Hong Kong are already qualified - and there are 3 slots available in both boys and girls. Japan are looking safe to secure a place in the boys - and THA in the girls ... but still all to play for to grab those remaining places. In the Mistral One Design Division, Hong Kong dominates the podium positions. Cheng Kwok Fai is seemingly untouchable at the top of the MOD leaderboard with a perfect score of 5, a clear 5 points ahead of Lee Chun Ting who again is a clear 5 points ahead of Ma Yik Kau. And this is where the real battle might be - Phonoppharat Natthaphong is just one point behind and no doubt is very keen to step on to the podium. | ||||||||
 Perfect Start to Championship Racing in SingaporeRacing started in almost perfect conditions today at the SIM 33rd Singapore Open Asian Windsurfing Championships taking place at The National Sailing Centre. Three races were held "back to back" in 12 to 18 knots and all had a chance to show their skills. Techno 293 is by far the biggest fleet of all the participating classes with 41 competitors from 11 countries. Countries with proven olympic programs are represented, together with new nations hoping to get their spot in the Youth Olympics 2014. It is good to be able to welcome competitors from Myanmar to their first continental championship. Despite not winning a race, 15 year old Chan Tsz Kit, HKG-17, has a very strong lead in the Techno Youth Boy Division by consistently coming second in all three. Newcomer Set Naing Aung from Myanmar took the first bullet, Cheng Ho Yin from Hong Kong took the second and Wong Chun Yan, also from Hong Kong took the third and is second placed overall on the leaderboard. Ikeda Kensei from Japan currently occupies the third podium place. Variable results right down the fleet show that competition between the youth boys is wide open. Youth Girls leader Duangkamon Phongern THA-51 and Choi Wind Chi HKG-31 look well-matched taking the first two places in all three races, finishing the day just one point apart. This is an important event for the Asian countries as it is a Youth Olympic Games Qualification event with 3 places to be decided. The host nation China already has a place and Hong Kong qualified in the Worlds. There are 7 Mistral One Design competitors representing three countries on the water. The Hong Kong Men appear to be dominating with Cheng Kwok Fai just one point ahead of Lee Chun Ting at the top of the MOD leaderboard. In the RS:One Class Ruamsap Phanuthat from Thailand took all three bullets with Gunawardena Chameera SRI-7 mopping up all the second places. Thailand's Boonsawad Ek is at the top of the RS:X Men's leaderboard with two race wins, 4 points ahead of both Ong Leonard SIN-1 and Chang Hao TPE-8. Kikabhoy Rafeek from Hong Kong heads up the RS:X Youths, again with two wins, but Chinain Pattharadnai from Thailand is just one point behind. It is equally close in the RS:X Women's Class with Ngai Wai Yan and Lo Sin Lam, both from Hong Kong, just one point apart. | ||||||||
 SIM 33rd Singapore Open Asian Windsurfing Championships
The National Sailing Centre in Singapore anticipates the start of the SIM 33rd Singapore Open Asian Windsurfing Championships. This event includes the 2014 Techno 293 Asian Championships as well as the RSX and Mistral One-Design Asian Championships. Early arrivals have been taking to the water already and will be joined by many more for the Practice Race tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. Championship Racing starts on Thursday and continues until Sunday. View the first pictures by Patrik Pollak from NSC Singapore | ||||||||
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The top ranked male competitor and top ranked female competitor from the first three Asian countries in the Youth (under 17) Championship, that did not qualify at the 2013 Youth World Championships, shall qualify that country to compete in the Boy's Windsurfer and Girl's Windsurfer events in the YOG. To qualify a country a competitor shall be born between 1st January 1998 and 31st December 1999. | ||||||||
 2014 Asian Windsurfing Championships returns to Singapore
The 2014 Asian Windsurfing Championship returns to Singapore and will take place from 22nd to 26th January from the National Sailing Centre. It is a new venue for this championship, but the National Sailing centre has hosted many international sailing events, including the 2010 inaugural Youth Olympic Games sailing regatta. No less than three classes will be awarding their Asian titles at the SIM 33rd Singapore Open Windsurfing Championships. For sailors in the Techno 293 Class it will be their continental qualifier for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games - with 3 places available in both the boys and girls windsurfing events. Sailors compete to qualify their countries, those countries can then engage in their own national selection process, to select competitors, before the Games in August 2014. The olympic class, RS:X, and the ex-olympic class, Mistral One Design, will also be awarding Asian titles. These two classes have extra significance in Asia as they are events, both for women & men, in the Asian Games.
Here is a reminder about 2010 - http://www.techno293.org/page0133v01.htm The championship will once again thank its title sponsor SIM - Singapore Institute of Management - for its continued support AND participation. Every year the regatta includes an event specifically for SIM students and attracts a big entry for an event where skill is secondary to effort and enthusiasm! The SIM Group provides its core services through three educational brands: SIM University, SIM Global Education and SIM Professional Development - http://www.sim.edu.sg/ For more information contact - iwaoffice@internationalwindsurfing.com and National Sailing Centre - http://www.sailing.org.sg/nsc/nsc.php | ||||||||
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