Here are reports from Singapore from Scott McCook (Many thanks for keeping us informed.
(The reports are posted with the most recent on top.., previous posts below)

Final Report

Carlsberg 3rd Hobie Tiger World Championship
Raffles Marina, Singapore
Friday February 14th, 2003

Day 5
What should have wrapped up with a bang unfortunately went out in a quiet whisper. In an anti-climatic fashion and probably the first for a Hobie World's, the last day of racing was abandoned. At 3pm and no sign of any true breeze in sight, KT raised the dooming flags. For some it was joy and quit while you're ahead. For others, it was a frustrating end to a week of testing conditions.

For the late climbers in the ranks it was certainly quit while your ahead as there was a tight stacking of points from 3rd to 7th positions. But surely it must be a frustrating end for Enrique and Jorge's campaign that looked so promising earlier on and only to be let down by a small technical hitch.

But if consistent performance is what it's all about then Mitch and Taylor Booth deserve the title. The father/son team steadily made progress throughout the week to lay claim to a title that was hard fought and well earned.

The morning was made up of mingling and there were some noteworthy stories pouring out. Paul Larsen's Sailrocket program stands well clear of all the other stories. This is an attempt on the world sailing speed record with a really unique concept and the sexiest shape boat in yachting.

Unlike Shrek, Paul seems to smile all the time. But then again so would most folks if they sailed on Maiden with all the maidens - lucky guy. But Paul's position onboard was courtesy of Helena Davidlsen who normally sails with Tracey Edwards. Helena's favour was returned by Paul having Helena crew for him in the Tiger Championships.

The other noteworthy story to make headlines was the fact that Gavin Colby was voted best "Miss Alternative Hot Chick" at a party that was otherwise rated as "rather dull". Expertly managed by Enrique, Gavin even got to choose the lady that would show him how to wear the obligatory G-string.

By 6pm most of the Tigers were knocked down ready for loading into containers for shipping to various points around the globe. It has been a great event unfortunately the winds haven't been quite favourable but their unpredictability made for an interesting week.

What has the Hobie World's done for sailing in Singapore? It has focused a lot of attention on cat sailing in Singapore and that has got to be a good thing for the Tiger, cat sailing and the Formula 18 as a class - that's got to be a good thing.

The merits of the Tiger Class clearly shown through all week. A good tightly knit group of sailors that represented the cream of Hobie sailors in the world. As some of the competitors said "although the fleet was down in size as compared to the last titles in Europe, the fleet here are the keen sailors and the top ten boats here are a mirror of the last world's."

Congratulations to everyone who showed up and added some spice to sailing in Singapore.

For Complete Results, Click Here!

Fourth Report

Carlsberg 3rd Hobie Tiger World Championship
Raffles Marina, Singapore
Thursday, 13 February 2003

Day 4
The day Shrek smiled. Thursday on the water was a bit like the stock market
with lots of fluctuations, some gainers and some losers. A day of changes,
but the best day¹s sailing we¹ve seen so far. The tropical cyclone further
south must have moved far enough away so that the monsoon could become the
predominant wind and allowed those teams used to breeze to show their
speed. There were some nice wipeouts just to add some spice.

Darren Stower/Lloyd Bradshaw, on one of the downhills, stuck the bow so far
in the water that the wind indicator on the end of the pole was bent into a
horizontal position, but hey, any bow dip you sail away from is a good one!

The New England pair of David Heroux/John Swiniarski got blown over during a
spinnaker take-down at the gate and then got run over by Aussies Thompson
Dale and David Tite.

However, wipeout of the day has to go to Mark Haswell/Kath Fong who, for
some interesting moments, looked like they were trying to take out the race
committee boat!

Meanwhile back in control...
With the wind being so consistent, the well-practiced teams that had been
buried by the light airs suddenly found their stride.

Shrek and Donkey (Brad Sumner/Kevin Winchester AUS) showed some real speed
as the breeze peaked in race 12, carrying off a win and two 4th place
finishes in the other races.

The biggest gainer was Gavin Colby/Cori Camenish SUI who have been steadily
moving up all week, jumping from 6th to 3rd overall in just four races.

The South African team of Allan Lawrance/Gordon McGillivray showed their
wind skills, scoring a 5th and a 7th to move up into 12th overall. More wind
will undoubtedly increase their chances of a better finish.

Aaron Worrall/Andrew Keag AUS have chipped away at the block, sailing good
consistent races all week. They made a slight gain by moving up to 4th spot
on the leader table.

Meanwhile back at loss controlŠ
The hard luck story of the day goes to Enrique Figueroa/Jorge Hernandez PUR
for having the spinnaker halyard jump the sheave on the halyard block,
making it virtually impossible to get the kite up. The Puerto Rican¹s scores
in the last two races of the day reflect the technical hitch and have
unfortunately pushed them from 3rd to 6th overall. Hopefully they have
rectified the problem so that they¹ll be running in the top 3 again.

As expected, Mitch/Taylor Booth NED have shown their mettle and now stand 27
points clear of the next boat. Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier USA, who have had
a stranglehold on 2nd position all week, had some spinnaker problems as well
but have managed to hold onto their position.

Although first and second places look fairly confirmed, from third down to
seventh is a tight group with only seven points separating five talented
boats. There are going to be some major wins and losses in this area in the
final day.

It was a good day as well for the Polish team Tadeusz Winkowski/Pawel
Jedrzejewski as the skipper has had enough wind for the first time to hop on
the trapeze. He is after all a big lad...

Some of the competitors have been burnt in more ways than just on the water!
There is some very nice sunburn being paraded around as 30 degree (Celsius)
heat, 24 degree water temperatures and seven hours on the water means there
is a lot of heat and sun to soak up. Those coming from colder climes must
really be enjoying it.

But the Œfamous five¹ now are:
1. Mitch/Taylor Booth NED 42 points
2. Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier USA 69
3. Gaviv Colby/Cori Camenish SUI 83
4. Aaron Worrall/Andrew Keag AUS 84
5. Andreas Bredendiek/Nils Froehmer GER 87

Complete results and pictures available at www.hobieworlds.com

Third Report

Carlsberg 3rd Hobie Tiger World Championship
Raffles Marina, Singapore
Wednesday, 12 February 2003

Day 3
If you believe everything you read in the newspapers, then Steve Fields is an ³under-17 champion², the Hobie Tiger is a ³twin-hulled catamaran², it¹s ³the Olympic sprinter² , can do ³40 knots² and Enrique Figuero should easily win the championship because he ³hit a maximum of 30 knots during the storm²! Unfortunately what the national newspaper failed to mention was that the storm that Enrique peaked out in was in Puerto Rico and not in Singapore!

But any publicity is good. There were sailors who visited Raffles Marina over the public holiday on Wednesday just to try and catch a glimpse of this incredible ³sprinter² that can ³double the speed of the Batam Ferry² while ³crews are harnessed down from the mast in a balancing act called the trapeze² ­ sounds quite nice actually!

Meanwhile back on earth...
Weather conditions were as good as they have been so far. There are lots of sunburnt legs apparently the sun here at 2 degrees north of the equator is even more severe than it is in Australia.

The wind had shifted more north and allowed the top marks to be laid just off the Marina, fairly close to the Second Link Bridge that links Singapore to Malaysia. By now the top competitors have figured out the intricacies of the tide and shifting wind.

Mitch Booth seems to have made sense of it earlier than most and scored two first places, a fourth and an eight for the day. This reverses Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier¹s 2 point advantage and puts Enrique Figueroa/Jorge Hernandez into third.

On the course
The favoured side for the first beat still fluctuated a fair bit. With the wind shifting about 15 degrees, the top marks were either put closer to the Marina or closer to the Malaysian coastline. It¹s something like a tourist trophy - competitors decide which country has the favourable shoreline, shoot for it and hope it pays off. Those who play the middle, play with the tide and lose out big time.

In race 8, Mitch and Taylor Booth made some 8 tacks to reach the weather mark, tucking up on the Singapore side and seeking some respite from the outgoing tide in the shallows. That paid off as Team Booth pulled out a nice lead over the fleet. Gavin Colby/Cori Camenish have started to filter to the top, scoring 2 ­ 10 ­ 2 ­1 and have crept into sixth place behind Aaron Worrall/Andrew Keag.

The South African team of Allan Lawrance/Gordon McGillivray who have never ever seen wind this light rounded the top mark in third, but had their best snatched away by an OCS decision. However, when the German pair of Andreas Bredendiek and Nils Froehmer rolled their boat in the marina, who should be the only ones to run down and help but this South African pair! Go, South Africa! Mind you, the marina capsizes goes to prove there is a god and that no one should throw bananas at Pedro! But hey, bananas are bad luck on a boat anyway.

Bad luck also for the Malaysian entry of Nigel Harris/Glen Ormerod who had 2 swims in their own waters yesterday. But as we understand, that¹s cleaner water anyway as Singapore imports fresh water from Malaysia.

Back on shore
Lunch had been a sumptuous affair so burnt, thirsty, starving sailors were all ashore by 5pm except for the Catawest team that had decided to try and park the Tiger on its side in the marina!

Apparently, the Œnutritionist¹ in charge knows that all a person needs to survive a day is 70 grams of grapes. That¹s right, folks, each packet of grapes (washed, untouched by human hands) was exactly 70 grams! Why? Well, the sky is blue!

So as we enter day 4, the weather looks to have settled in. Clear blue skies, puffy clouds ­ but we¹ll see.

The Œfamous five¹
1. Mitch/Taylor Booth NED 31points
2. Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier USA 33
3. Enrique Figueroa/Jorge Hernandez PUR 51
4. Andreas Bredendiek/Nils Froehmer GER 58
5. Aaron Worrall/Andrew Keag AUS 60

Second Report

Carlsberg 3rd Hobie Tiger World Championship
Raffles Marina, Singapore
Tuesday, 11 February 2003

Day 2
It is the united nations of sailing with the top 5 positions going to 5 different countries. But after Monday¹s "almost gone with the wind" day 2 was better, and although not a raging gale by any means, 4 races were conducted in the West Johore Straits.

It looks as though this regatta is going to go right down to the wire as far as points are concerned. The changeable weather has altered the pecking order of positions across the board. On the water competitors are facing tough tactical conditions as the race varies from leg to leg.

Top competitors that were caught out by the tricky conditions on the first day have started to come through the fleet. Most competitors are learning the race area and for awhile it looked as though the series was going to develop into a Mitch Booth versus Enrique Figueroa battle but then things changed.

In the first race of the day, Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier earned an OCS. Enrique had to restart race 4 and wound up clawing through the fleet to end up 16th. Mitch Booth was carrying an 18th position from the first day. Camille Dol/Francoise Boulaire of France, who in race 1 was second, scored a 29th in race 5.

The Northeast Monsoon is the predominant weather pattern for this time of year but another Northwest system moved over the race area at about midday. By afternoon a further 2 systems had made their presence known as things started to turn grey.

Race 4 coincided with the shift in the weather and the leaders were lucky to finish the last beat in fading airs and, six boats failed to finish within the time limit.

The wind clocked completely around and the sea breeze for Race 5 certainly cooled things off. But the fresh wind also meant that the entire course had to be swung 180 degrees. With the course re-laid race five got underway. There were 2 general recalls for the fleet as the new orientation of the course had now placed the current as pushing the fleet on the first leg.

At the end of day 2 the most consistent performance came from the Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier pair but with 10 more races to go, their 2 point advantage is for the moment, a narrow lead. So it¹s far from over. Conditions are tough in one sense, but all this changing and uncertainty means its going to be a well-earned trophy for someone at the end of the week.

As we enter day 3, the weather pattern looks like it could mirror what we¹ve already experienced so expect the unexpected.

First Report

Carlsberg 3rd Hobie Tiger World Championship
Raffles Marina, Singapore
Monday, 10 February 2003

The opening ceremony conducted at the Marina on Sunday 9th February evening was well received by all contestants, especially a most acrobatic Lion Dance that traditionally heralds in Chinese New Year. It must also be an auspicious sign to have a wet Chinese New Year as overnight showers may have dampened the weather pattern, but not the spirit of the competitors as all 33 entrants appeared early on Monday morning at the marina to get ready.

The old adage ³you should have been here yesterday² rang true ­ again! In the days leading up to the event, the Northeast Monsoon has been blowing true and constant. Unfortunately a tropical cyclone that has been hovering around further south appears to have changed all that.

The body of water that separates Singapore from Johor, Malaysia was a flat as a billiard table at dawn - perfect for everything else but a world-class event. With little wind, the entire race-ready fleet was kept on the lawn until the race committee deemed enough wind to race.

In the down time, contestants caught up on sleep, chatted with friends from the international circuit, climbed the tower and went wind spotting. Mitch Booth and Jeff Alter spent time showing some people the ropes.

By 3pm, there seemed little hope of getting any racing. Many of the sailors began to pack up for the day. Just as sails were dropped and bagged, beach master Kim Thomas received a call from the ever-vigilant Race Committee to ³hit the water².

At about 4 o¹clock, race 1 of the Tiger World Championship was underway in 6-8 knots of wind. Not ideal, but a race nonetheless. With a target of 5 races per day, the race committee was anxious to get in as many races as they could.

Singapore is an island surrounded by the Malaysian Peninsular. Strong tides run through the narrow confines of the channels. A group of boats broke away to the right hand side of the course, only to be disadvantaged by wind and tide on the first leg. Those who held the starboard tack after the start and went toward the Malaysian coastline were favoured.

Without the spinnakers, the first downwind leg would have been a lesson in patience. At the leeward gate, competitors had the choice of rounding a port or starboard hand marker before making their way upwind to the finish line.

On the final windward leg, it was advantageous to head toward the Singapore coastline and then tack to the line. With 2 sides of the course being advantaged on 2 different legs, the pecking order of the fleet was bound to change considerably.

At the finish of Race 1, four different countries filled the top five positions.
1. Enrique Figueroa/Jorge Hernandez, Puerto Rico 2. Dol Camille-Oliver/Francoise Boulaire, France 3. Greg Thomas/Jacques Bernier, USA 4. Steve Fields/Peter Dubbelaar, Australia 5. Darren Stower/Lloyd Bradshaw, Australia

Unfortunately, it wasn¹t such a good day for Mitch and Taylor Booth in 18th position and Gavin Colby/Cori Camenish in 17th. However, it was an okay day for Mark Haswell/Cath Fong, Philippines in 16th who, until this morning, had never been aboard a Hobie Tiger. The Malaysian entry of Nigel Harris/Glen Ormerod finished the day in 27th place.

Most unfortunate was the South African Team of Mark Kopel and Thomas Sutherland who had downed their sails earlier and had gone off to the bank to get money for their boat charter and missed the race entirely.

But these are early days and, with the weather pattern returning to normal, we can expect about 20 good races over the next four days. This Championship might go right Œdown to the wire¹ as anything can happen.

Complete results and pictures available at www.hobieworlds.com
For more information please contact: Scott McCook ph + 65 9879 8830 or email:boats@asiaboatrag.net