Advanced Crewing Techniques course added to AY Syllabus

After opening the first commercial AsianYachting Center in Malaysia last year, we are constantly looking at improving the Learn to Sail with Asian Yachtmasters keelboat training scheme with courses that suite the local sailing scene. Demand for team building exercises and as pressure is on to form racing teams, a 2-day Advanced Crewing Techniques course is being introduced next month to compliment the existing Introduction to Sailing course. This Advanced Crewing Techniques Course concentrates on crew roles, spinnaker handling and teamwork. Participants should have completed or be familiar with the basic sailing techniques covered in the Introduction to Sailing syllabus before proceeding onto the advanced course.

Two new pages have been added to the already comprehensive AY Syllabus that will interest crews coming to grips with racing skills. The Advanced Crewing page explains the syllabus and has links to the new Boat Handling page which covers Skipper & Crew Responsibilities, Boat Handling Under Power or Sail, Crew Roles, Organization, Co-Ordination and the Fine Art of Crewing. The Spinnaker handling page has a new section added - Set-up and Gybing Asymmetrical Spinnakers Further info on AY sailing courses, directions to PD World Marina, links to the entire AY Syllabus and Online Registration can be found at: http://asianyachting.com/AYmasters/classes.htm Overseas participants planning a trip to SE Asia, that would like to receive a brief taste of what sailing is all about or looking for a more hands on approach to racing should incorporate a course into their travel plans

Impossible to build a multihull in 6 months?

Well what a lot of baloney! Team Alinghi boat builder, Bernard Cardis says it is 'Impossible to build a giant multihull in six months to compete in the 33rd America's Cup'. On a recent trip to the Philippines where the preferred form of transport and tourist joyrides are 'Bangkas' which are both motorised and sailing multihull craft. (See photos) There is nothing to difficult in the building techniques seeing the technology has been around for 100's of years. In fact they are often used for inter island trips and in Indonesia seen well out at sea in rough conditions catching flying fish for caviar.

If the Team Alinghi, designers Nigel Irens and Sebastien Schmidt do not have the experience nor a reliable data base they should take a leaf from the century old Asian drawing boards, usually on the back of a match box. Ample supplies of high tech mangrove roots, bamboo, tropical marine hardwood, fishing line and twine, all expertly crafted and tied together in a couple of weeks will be enough to produce a finely tuned vessel. In fact, probably for the price of one of the NYSSC sessions they could build 10 or more yachts so all the teams could race again and get 33rd America's Cup back on track. Meanwhile the yachting world has to sit back and watch two ego driven protagonists produce a very expensive, lengthy drawn out legal battle and ultimately a boring non event out of the sport we so love.

More on these relatively low tech and extremely fast traditional craft can be found at: http://asianyachting.com/news/SandeqRace.htm