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SEA GAMES
                 

6 teams, from the best keelboat sailors in Malaysia participated in a 2 day selection trial at Royal Selangor Yacht Club, with the single aim of selecting the team who would represent Malaysia at this years SEA Games in Pattaya Thailand in December.

2 teams representing the Royal Malaysian Navy, one from Kedah and 3 teams from RSYC's Sailing Academy made up the fleet who would be competing in the Farr 25 Platu, the keelboat selected for competition at the games.

Of the 2 days of racing, day 1 proved to be the windier, with the Navy senior team finishing ahead after the first 4 races, just 1 point ahead of RSYC's Gapurna 3 in second place and Gapurna 1 in third place, only 3 points separated the top 3 boats, making it a very tight event and a nervous second day of racing.

Day 2 started with a tropical rainstorm, which lasted over 2 hours, the Race Officer postponed the start for one hour to allow the wind to fill in.  Racing eventually got underway in winds of only 4 - 8 knots, testing the light wind sailing abilities of the teams.

Gapurna 1 started very strongly, winning the first of the days planned 3 races, with his stablemate, Gapurna 2 in second place and the other Gapurna team in 3rd.  The second race saw the nerves beginning to show, with 2 of the top boats over the line early, effectively killing their chances of going to the games. A reversal of fortunes, with Gapurna 2 winning the second race, and the Navy Youth team coming in second with Gapurna 1 in 3rd put the two Gapurna teams in the difficult position of being on equal points for the final race in this winner take all event.

Nerves were now really on edge, instructions from the teams coaches was to calm down and keep out of trouble, Gapurna 1 got themselves mixed up in the pack trying to start at the committee boat end of the line, were forced over early and had to restart and recross the line - Gapurna 2 however kept to the pin end of the line, got a clean start in clear winds and led from the front all the way round the race course, to finish in overall first place and to seize the right to represent their country at SEA Games 2007.