NeilPryde launched the RS:One Class and introduced the RS:X Evolution concept on January 17th 2011, a day after the Asian Winsurfing Championships in the heart of Singapore.

RS:One is a brand new class introduced by NeilPryde to allow younger sailors to take their first steps towards Olympic sailing and weekend racers to compete together. The RS:X Evolution is NeilPryde’s evolved RS:X concept that will be submitted to the ISAF for the 2016 Rio Olympic Campaign.

The RS:One Tour and the RS:X Evolution Grand Prix racers tore up the picturesque Marine Bay waters in their battle for the US$6,000 prize money.

Olympic Gold Medalist, Faustine Merret, won the RS:One Senior Women’s title and also took time out to give an inspirational talk to some of the youth sailors on how to make it to the sport’s biggest stage – the Olympics.

There was also drama at the RS:One’s first Youth event as Singapore’s Audrey Yong emerged as the winner of the Youth Girls U17 Finals. Yong out-sailed Thailand’s Siripon Kaewduang-Ngam, to whom she had lost the Youth Olympic Games silver medal.

“I wasn't really expecting anything coming into today's race but it was a nice surprise nonetheless,” said Yong.

The Youth Boys U17 Finals saw Thailand’s Sirichai Phusiri in first with Merrick Pang and Klinnsman Ang in second and third place, respectively.

“Singapore was initially stated to be the third stop in the RS:One Tour,” said Timothy Khoo, president of the Windsurfing Association of Singapore. “However we managed to impress the sponsors of the event with our organization and they allowed us to open the tour.”

Besides the RS:One, there was also the RS:X Evolution event, which featured the RS:X Evolution windsurfing board and sail for the first time.

The RS:X Evolution concept which will be submitted to the ISAF for the 2016 Olympic Campaign, features a lighter board which performs as fast as Formula or large Slalom boards and will remain the cheapest sailing boat with the most consistent performance within the Olympic sailing scene. The RS:X Evolution also features an updated, more powerful rig with a bigger wind range and an extremely fresh new look.

“There were a lot of firsts in these events,” said Mr. Khoo. “Besides the experience of sailing right in the middle of the city when most are used to the sea, there were also these new boards which they are seeing and sailing with for the first time.”

Hong Kong sailors dominated this new event as the men’s and women’s categories for the RS:X Evolution were won by Hong Kong’s Andy Leung Ho Tsun and Chan Wai Kei respectively.

The event in Singapore was a great success and has turned a new page in the book of Windsurfing. President Ben Tan of the Singapore Sailing Federation has called it a “Windsurfing Resurgence”.

The launch of the RS:One tour with its new and attractive course format will draw many new youth sailors to the sport.

The RS:One and RS:X Evolution sails/boards colorful and fresh new look coupled with further prestigious event locations in some of the world’s major cities such as Hong Kong (March), Shangai (April) and Mondello in May (more locations TBC) will bring the spotlight to Windsurfing and, hopefully, more people to the sport.

Thanks go out to the event organizers:

Windsurfing Association of Singapore
in co-operation with the
Singapore Sailing Federation
RS:X Class
RS:One Class

Thanks also to:
Mr Ben Tan
Mr Timothy Khoo
Mr Neil Pryde
Mr Ho Kah Soon
Mr Jason Lim
Mr Rory Ramsden

And thanks to all the people who helped us to turn this event into a success.

Results

Media

http://www.singaporesports.sg/News/tabid/60/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1495/Default.aspx

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1105269/1/.html

http://admpreview.straitstimes.com:90/vgn-ext-templating/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3ca8cd786309d210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=35b0758920e39010VgnVCM1000000a35010aRCRD

http://sports.xin.msn.com/channel-news-asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4535061

http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC110118-0000155/Audrey-serves-up-chilli-crab

http://sg-tour-n-travel.blogspot.com/2011/01/windsurfing-set-to-get-bigger-in-spore.html

http://voxsports.net/results-for-rsone-world-tour-and-rsx-evolution-grand-prix-2011