KOTA KINABALU: New comer, One Sail, from Australia sunk last year’s champion Utarid from Lumut-based Royal Malaysian Navy (TLDM) in the Borneo International Yachting Challenge (BIYC).
Skippered and owned by Ray Roberts, One Sail edged the navy boat into second place and claimed the overall championship of the race which concluded in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.
Another TLDM boat Uranus went into third placing.
Although Utarid lost the overall title, the navy boys did win the 95-nautical-mile Miri to Labuan and the 71-nautical-mile Labuan to Kota Kinabalu passage races.
Uranus came in second placing in both passage races followed by One Sail in third place.
Roberts remarked that the BIYC was extremely challenging despite the fact that his crew were mostly professional sailors.
“This my first Borneo International Yachting Regatta and I enjoyed the race from Miri to Labuan and then from Labuan to Kota Kinabalu. It has been an exciting challenge and not a simple race to sail,” said Roberts after accepting the challenge trophy from Sabah’s Assistant Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Datuk Kamarlin Ombi.
“I was amazed that some less experienced sailors can handle these conditions,” he added.
Roberts also commended Malaysia for their youth sailing programme.
The Sabah youth development programme was officially launched during the prize giving ceremony held at Sutera Harbour here. Twenty youth from the age of 16 to 36 are receiving coaching under local sailor Leonard Chin and utilising the Ulumulu keel boat for training.
“The future is not in the older guys but the future is with the youth of Malaysia. Malaysia has a long coastline such as wonderful Strait of Malacca. It would be left to the youth of Malaysia to carry on,” Roberts said.
Continue reading (Incl. Pic) at: One Sail triumphs in Borneo Yacht Challenge
..
