Singapore Straights Regatta: Pierre Mas and Thierry Barot helm Longtze Premier red and white

Longtze Premier has just finished the Langkawi regatta with satisfactory results; 1st and second in real time in all the regattas and third in compensated time. After a week of competition in Malaysia, the team arrived Sunday for the Singapore Straights Regatta which will take place the 16th through the 19th of January, 2008.

January started very well for the Longtze Premier team. The red boat finished the Langkawi regatta at the top of the sport boat category.

“Langkawi is a fantastic place for LONGTZE. We had very good regattas with the hazard of compensated time. We sailed with two teams of young sailors: one Singapore team and another Malaysian team. There was a very good feeling on board and along with LONGTZE, it was fantastic feeling on the water. Malaysia is promoting sailing as a major sport. The prototypes 1 and 2 which we raced and we are going to use for the Singapore Straits Regatta, will take part in and then remain in Malaysia. For the development of the LONGTZE Premier class, Langkawi will have become an important platform. Our objective for the next year is to set up 20 LONGTZE Premiers on the start line” explained Pierre Mas, helmsman of one of the two boats.

“For me, LONGTZE Premier is a very fast boat, I love its speed. And in competition, speed is a very important thing, so I think LONGTZE Premier will be used in the 2010 Asian Games. I will buy the LONGTZE Premier boats, and the Malaysian sailors of the National team can do their training with LONGTZE Premier. They will get much more experience than the other teams; so we have a better possibility win in 2010. I plan to buy 10 LONGTZE Premier”, confirmed MOHD AFFENDY ABULLAH, chairman for sailing development in Malaysia, (Malaysian Yachting Association).

Having just crossed the finish line in the Langkawi regatta, Longtze Premier team heads for Singapore sailing waters. The Singapore Straights Regatta, which will take place from the 16th through the 19th of January 2008, is the second regatta opening the Asian Sailboat racing circuit. It brings together some thirty boats of all categories. Pierre Mas and Thierry Barot will sail with two new Singaporean crew members.

“It is very good to change the crew each competition because we try out the boat with many different people and in this case with teenagers who pick up sailing in two days. It is a very positive experience.”

LONGTZE Premier white :
Pierre Mas (France), Jackson Ho (Singapore), Jan Myslik (Czech), Gaeton Verhegge (Belgium)

LONGTZE Premier red :
Thierry Barot (France), Teiki Ballian (France), Loh Zhi Chao (Singapore), Mok Kah Mun (Singapore)

Thirty-six entries from 14 countries had been received including from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Singapore, Thailand, Holland, Germany, France and Malaysia.