Borneo International Yachting Challenge

Latest news from Brunei.
Brunei Tourism have confirmed the scope of their sponsorship etc. So prospect are high that there will be a stop over at Brunei. Details will be added to the website at a later date.



Other News.
Malaysian Marine police have confirmed they will provide and escort craft to accompany the race through Malaysian waters for security, they will also have a small medical team during the passage races. Yachts which which may have to anchor outside Sutera Harbour Marina will also be covered with a marine police presence.

A new links page has been added to the site which includes links to Radio weather forecast for Brunei bay and Tidal information for North Borneo, together with other sailing links.

Borneo International Yachting Challenge - Sabah

Yesterday a joint meeting was held at Sabah Tourism Board to confirm formation of sub committees in Kota Kinabalu to both support and Publicize the 2010 Borneo International Yachting Challenge. The co-chairman YB Datuk Lee Kim Shin Minister of Communications and Minister of Sports, Sarawak and YBhg. Dato’ Seri Tengku Zainal Adlin Chairman of Sabah Tourism Board, both expressed their Goal was to take the sailing event to the next level by attracting more International racers and cruising to visit Borneo and spend some time visiting the tourist attraction such as the Mulu caves in Sarawak and Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.

The current website is going to be updated to provide more information on past race results, together with information on recommended places to visit, stay and eat at each of the ports of call.

The Question of involving Brunei in the program is still outstanding and it is subject to diplomatic agreement. The local yacht club is keen to be included but suitable access to berths, customs and immigration matters need to be arranged. In the meantime the race schedule will omit Brunei.

It is also hoped that free accommodation can be added to the participants package in both Labuan and Kota Kinabalu.

Some new promotion material such as flyers and posters are going to be prepared and invitations are to be sent out to to yacht clubs in SE Asia.

David Ogden
Webmaster
webmaster@borneorace.com

Borneo International Yachting Challenge

At least three cruising yachts who are taking part in Sail Malaysia - Passage to the East sailing rally have so far signed up for the this years Borneo International Yachting Challenge which start in Miri on 24th July.

The sailing challenge provides an excellent chance to pit your yacht against other rally participants and thanks to a special handicap system, which has proved its worth over the past six years, its generally the best skippers and crews who come out on top rather than a particular boat design. If winds are light you can always motor sail.

Each port of call provides free entertainment at receptions/prize giving and good fun is had by all.

Serious racers with IRC class 3 certificates are also invited to take part, and challenge the winning entry for the past three years from the Philippines.

Borneo International Yachting Challenge

Three yachts, one each from the UK, Singapore and Australia have so far entered the BIYC 2010, which provided a week of racing and fun off the coast of Borneo. This is one of the few races that pay you take part added to which you are pampered with lavish entertainment at the receptions/ prize giving in each port of Call.

The IRC class 3 racers compete for the Borneo Cup and a number of boats are expected from Singapore and The Philippines, to take on the local boats from Miri and Kota Kinabalu.

There is a local handicap system for cruising boats, which even provides for the use of engines if the winds are light and prizes for the first 3 in each division. This years race fits in with the schedule of the Sail Malaysia Passage to the East Rally .

Borneo International Yachting Challenge 2010 -Update

The Borneo International Challenge website has been updated to include the result from the 2009 race, plus selected photos from the 2009 race.

The first online entry has been received from Singapore SY Sari Timur in the Cruising division.

Borneo International Yachting Challenge 2010

The Borneo International Yachting Challenge Website has just been updated for the 2010 race which starts in Miri Sarawak on 24th July, finishing in Kota Kinabalu Sabah on 31st July.

This year it is hoped to include Brunei as a port of call but this has still to be confirmed. New innovations this year include online race entry, together with a forum which provides crew finding information, accommodation information and questions and answers about the forthcoming race.

Borneo International Yachting Challenge

An early morning start was required on the morning of the passage race to Labuan in the Borneo International Yachting Challenge, due to the depth of water in the channel to Miri Marina.

We motored out into the dawn and once clear of the channel hoisted the sails for the first time to findout how Sarawak Seahorse perfomed. Our scratch crew cosisted of two experienced sailors plus three others with little or no experience, so it was going to be short but sharp learning curve. We did a few tacks and gybes so that everyone had an idea as to what to do.

The wind was fairly light and I misjudged the time to reach the start line, so that we missed the class start and narrowly avoided being classified as DNS as we dipped back acroos the line with seconds to spare, just ahead of the next class.

The wind gods did not favour the race and a few miles from the start the fleet was becalmed. One by one the cruising boats started their engines leaving us in their wake. Gradually the wind filled in and we reached down the coast heasing for the oil fields, where we decided to take the inshore route. we had some good sailing catching and passing a few of the cruising boats. we divided into two watches putting the novice sailors on the helm as the night wore on.

Dawn saw us of the coast of Brunei with a fair breeze and sails on the horizon infront of us, we slowwly closed the gap and then approaching Labaun fell into a wind hole and began to be pushed backwards by the current. We crept close to some rocky outcrops to avoid the current until the wind filled in allowing us to romp home to Labuan.

Unfortuantly we were classified as DNF due to time limit and were too late to protest ene, althuogh in previuos years are position would have counted.

David Ogden
Pirates Of Borneo