Pangkor Laut Resort, 22 June 2023 – The Chapman’s Challenge, held annually at the exquisite Pangkor Laut Resort’s private island, is set to take place from August 25 to 27, 2023. With up to 70 participants expected to compete, this much beloved trail run promises to be an exciting race with top honours at stake, including a unique timepiece from NORQAIN, the Chapman’s Challenge 2023 Official Timekeeper. NORQAIN, an independent Swiss watch brand renowned for its innovative approach, will feature prominently throughout the race.

The Chapman’s Challenge remains an alluring event, commemorating the remarkable feat of the late British Colonel Freddy Spencer Chapman, who, in 1945, crossed enemy lines and swam across Emerald Bay to safety after hiding from the Japanese army for more than three years. The race which comprises a 3.8km road run around the island and a 2.4km trek through the island’s untouched rainforest, culminates in a 1km swim in the sea off Emerald Bay, concluding at Chapman’s Bar.

In the evening, participants will gather at Chapman’s Bar for cocktails, followed by a sumptuous barbeque dinner and the prize-giving ceremony at Emerald Bay. The top five finishers’ times will be immortalised on a scoreboard at Chapman’s Bar, with the top three racers in each category winning an exciting stay at luxurious properties within the YTL Hotel’s global portfolio. The overall winner will be awarded a 42mm NORQAIN’s Wild ONE Khaki The Chapman’s Challenge 2023 timepiece, valued at RM24,980. This unique watch features a special printed Pangkor Laut Resort logo on the sapphire crystal caseback and is from NORQAIN’s Independence Wild ONE collection, chosen for its close connection to Colonel Freddy Spencer Chapman’s indomitable spirit. The timepiece’s case is robust with a shock-resistance withstanding 5,000Gs, and is the proven companion for those who demand a high-performance sports watch, built with a NORTEQ case that acts as a protective cage, with rubber shock absorbers that protects the Manufacture Calibre NN20/01.

To further celebrate this unique timekeeping collaboration with The Chapman’s Challenge 2023, NORQAIN – together with Pangkor Laut Resort – announces a limited edition “The Chapman’s Challenge” timepiece series. Only 15 pieces will be made, exclusively for pre-orders purchase by The Chapman’s Challenge 2023 participants. Based on NORQAIN’s Independence 40mm timepiece, the unique hand-scratched dial features a colour inspired by the emerald straits of Pangkor Laut Resort. The timepiece is equipped with The Chapman’s Challenge 2023 inscription and the Pangkor Laut Resort logo featured on the sapphire caseback. The watch can be personalised with a custom message on the NORQAIN Plate located on the left side of the case, serving as a reminder of the treasured moments and treasured places where the watch owners ran the race of their lives in Colonel Freddy Spencer Chapman’s footsteps.

The Chapman’s Challenge Weekend package is a 3-day, 2-night stay for 2 people starting from MYR2,600++ per villa. The package includes daily breakfast, lunch and dinner at selected restaurants, as well as entry for The Chapman’s Challenge 2023. On the event day, guests can enjoy post-race refreshments at Chapman’s Bar, pre-dinner cocktails, a beach barbecue dinner at Emerald Bay.

Preview of The Chapman’s Challenge 2023

The Chapman's Challenge 2023 | Pangkor Laut Resort

For reservations and enquiries, please contact YTL Travel Centre at +60 3 2783 1000, email travelcentre@ytlhotels.com.my or visit www.pangkorlautresort.com.

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About NORQAIN

NORQAIN was founded by CEO Ben Küffer in 2018 and he brought on Ted Schneider, a member of the family that owned Breitling for nearly 40 years, and Mark Streit, the Swiss ice hockey legend and Stanley Cup winner, as Co-Founders and Board members. Based in Nidau (Biel/Bienne), at the heart of Swiss watchmaking, NORQAIN is driven by the excitement and fun that comes with exploring the outdoors. NORQAIN has established itself as a supporter of well-known high-level races since 2019 when it teamed up with Matterhorn Ultraks. Since then, the brand has filled the Official Timekeeper role at:

• TCS New York City Marathon in November 2022
• Dubai Marathon in February 2023
• Zurich Marathon in April 2023

In Malaysia, NORQAIN is exclusive distributed through luxury timepiece retailers Sincere Fine Watches. As Singapore’s oldest and most established name in luxury watch retail, Sincere Fine Watches was founded in 1954. Today, the company operates more than 23 boutiques and a network of points-of-sale spanning 8 countries including Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. Over the years, Sincere has amassed a portfolio of over 40 renowned brands. Drawn by its extensive collection of brands and wide presence, Sincere was acquired by Cortina Holdings on 16th March 2021. Leveraging onthe strengths, access, and network of Cortina Holdings, Sincere is focusing on strategic expansion, strengthening its position as the region's premier luxury watch specialist.

About Pangkor Laut Resort

Pangkor Laut Resort is set along the Straits of Malacca, three miles off the west coast of Malaysia, surrounded by the emerald sea. Here, guests discover a piece of paradise two million years in the making. Of the island's 300 acres, only a fraction has been developed to house this peaceful luxury resort and its Estates. This private island resort was declared a paradise by the late Pavarotti and voted 'Number One in the World' by Condé Nast Traveller U.K. in its sixth annual Readers’ Travel Awards Top 100 list in 2003. Here, wooden buildings blend seamlessly into the forest, walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up to allow trees to continue on their journey to the sky. Nature is respected here, almost revered and it rewards visitors in ways that simply need to be experienced. www.pangkorlautresort.com

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About YTL Hotels

YTL Hotels owns and manages a prestigious collection of award-winning resorts, hotels, boutique experiences and Spa Villages with a hospitality footprint across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Australia, France, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, including Pangkor Laut Resort, voted the world’s best resort in 2003 by Condé Nast Traveller UK. The Gainsborough Bath Spa, a part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World’s collection of legendary hotels, was named in the 2017 Condé Nast Traveller Awards World’s Top 100 and listed amongst the Best Hotels in the UK as well as the Top Destination Spa Resorts in the World in the 2022 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards.

The portfolio, which embraces the brand promise of Treasured Places, Treasured Moments, also encompasses the ownership management of Marriott International properties in Australia and Kuala Lumpur as well as properties under the brand’s distinctive Autograph Collection banner. Properties under the Marriott International partnership include The Ritz-Carlton, Koh Samui as well as Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, named in TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2021 list and also the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Japan, complementing YTL Hotels’ master plan for Niseko Village.

With each new experience that it presents, the company strives to embrace and highlight the natural essence of culture, character and tradition of its surroundings. YTL Hotels is the hospitality arm of YTL Corporation Berhad. Visit www.ytlhotels.com for more information and follow us on our social media platforms for #YTLTravels

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