Please select your home edition
Edition
MarkSetBot

Close racing in challenging conditions on Day 4 of 2013 Samui Regatta

by Event Media on 1 Jun 2013
Jelik claims the IRC Zero crown one day early at the 2013 Samui Regatta Samuipics.com
At the 2013 Samui Regatta, following a day off for some well-earned rest and relaxation, the sailors were back in action today with two races – a windward leeward and around-the-cans – starting in an eight knot building breeze off Chaweng Beach.

It was another double for Frank Pong and his Asian crew on Jelik (HKG) with Line Honours and the handicap win in Race 1, but the interest is in the details with just a few a minutes separating the entire class on corrected time. Freefire (HKG), skippered by Sam Chan returned to form with a second place, followed by the improving Royal Malaysian Navy team, skippered by Mohamad Razali Mansor, on Uranus (MAS) whose second and four thirds so far shows they can mix it up with the best in Asia.

PRO Ross Chisholm changed the course for Race 2 to what is known locally as the 'Samui Course'. According to Race Director Simon James, 'This course allows flexibility in length and whilst a variation allows to include a cleverly designed Windward/Leeward leg, it provides the sailors with different conditions and a different test.'

The change had a dramatic impact on the results. Pong and his crew slipped to fifth place with the glory going to Antipodes (HKG), the 72-footer currently being driven by five-times round-the-world veteran Matt Humphries, who displayed great skill to beat Katsu (AUS), skippered by Ben Copley by just over 30 seconds. The smallest in the class at 45-foot, the Aquila Reichel Pugh has delivered a few surprises so far this week with three second places in the Series and remains a threat currently sitting in third overall. Third place in Race 2 went to Freefire (HKG).

Despite a disappointing fifth in the second race today, Jelik has sewn up the Samui Regatta 2013 IRC Zero title one day early and can no longer be caught in the 2012/13 Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championship.


In IRC One, the lighter winds in Race 1 proved tricky for some shaking up the class and the scoreboard on this the penultimate day. Foxy Lady 6 (SIN) suffered most placing fifth in the race with Windsikher (SIN), skippered by Sarab Singh and an ex-Foxy Lady itself, showing superior sailing skills to master the conditions and top the class on corrected time, ahead of defending champion EFG Bank Mandrake (HKG), skippered by Nick Burns/ Fred Kinmonth.

It was Marcel Liedts' Elektra (HKG) that came out on top in Race 2 to move them up to third in the overall rankings. A second for Walawala 2 and third for Foxy Lady 6 sees them tied on 16 points going into the final day.

Aussie Matt Allen consolidated his command of the IRC Two Class on the penultimate day of the 12th Samui Regatta, even though he was absent today. Matt turned over the reigns of Ichi Ban (AUS) to fellow Aussie, local and a former Aussie youth champion, Scott Duncanson, to carry the flag. But, it was close racing against another Aussie, Ocean Marina skipper Gary Baguley's El Coyote (THA). In fact, scarce minutes - even seconds - have been the margin between the two IRC Two front-runners.

Close behind, also, in fierce competition are three Thai entries: Mick Grover's Moon Shadow (THA), Nicholas Smith's Free Wind (THA) and Bryan Coianiz's Siren (ITA).

The consolation for these skippers and Patinyakorn Buranrom's Sansiri (THA), right behind them, is that all these will be also rated separately as the top skippers in the Bareboat/Cruising class, to be announced at the Gala Awards Dinner tomorrow.

Elsewhere yesterday, Ao Chalong Yacht Club (Phuket) entry, David Liddell's Miss Saigon (THA), bolted away from erstwhile challenger in the Multihull class, Phuket's Henry Kaye, on Sweet Chariot (THA) and leads the standing by two points.

The 2013 Samui Regatta is organised by leading regatta services provider, Regattas Asia, with strong support from Samui businesses and staff. The final day of racing is tomorrow, followed by a lavish Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, Chaweng Beach.

For more information, visit www.samuiregatta.com.

Sea Sure 2025X-Yachts X4.0North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

Related Articles

2025 Bermuda Gold Cup Day 4
Rain delays but rivalries intensify It's still all to play for at the Aspen Women's Match Racing Regatta after rain prevented the round-robin stage from being completed.
Posted today at 4:29 am
Coastal Classic: Lucky first to finish at 0323hrs
Bryon Ehrhart's pocket maxi, Lucky (USA), finished the 120nm PIC Coastal Classic at 0323am Bryon Ehrhart's pocket maxi, Lucky (USA), finished the 120nm PIC Coastal Classic at 0323am after racing for over 17 hours. Three hours later, Ian Moore, skippered Callisto, a Pac52 design, crossed the finish line.
Posted today at 1:30 am
2025 Wingfoil Racing Youth & Masters Worlds day 3
Families, Cows, and Calm Before the Storm! Light winds kept the fleet ashore at the WingFoil Racing Youth and Masters World Championships which means racing will resume on Saturday with the leading riders separated by just a few points.
Posted on 24 Oct
iQFOiL Youth & Junior Europeans 2025 day 6
A dramatic close to the fleet racing in Sardinia The final day of the Opening Series at the iQFOiL Youth & Junior European Championships brought a dramatic close to the fleet racing in Sardinia, with the Mistral delivering strong winds from the early morning.
Posted on 24 Oct
Rolex Middle Sea Race Day 7
The race that caters to all Each year the Rolex Middle Sea Race attracts a diverse fleet in terms of yacht design, size and age, crew composition and, of course, ambition. It is from this diversity that so many extraordinary stories emerge.
Posted on 24 Oct
Transat Café L'or: Saturday start for Ocean Fifty
The Ocean Fifty class and all its skippers have requested to advance their start The Ocean Fifty class and all its skippers have requested to advance their start to the Transat Café L'Or race which was originally scheduled for Sunday, October 26th.
Posted on 24 Oct
High stakes and High Seas
18 IMOCA boats battle at the start of the Transat Café l'OR The final IMOCA race of the 2025 season gets under way from Le Havre for Martinique in the Caribbean on Sunday, and it looks set to be a thriller featuring some of the top boats and sailors in the Class ready to push hard for victory.
Posted on 24 Oct
2025 Bermuda Gold Cup Day 3
Egnot-Johnson surges, Östling shines Defending champion Johnie Berntsson, from Sweden, is the first skipper to book his spot in the semi-finals of the 2025 Bermuda Gold Cup, finishing unbeaten for the second day running.
Posted on 24 Oct
Elite fleet for Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
A massive fleet of 142 yachts have entered the iconic Australian race Entries have closed for the 80th running of the 'Great Race South', the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, with an elite fleet set to face the starter's cannon on Boxing Day.
Posted on 24 Oct
Watching the growing sailing scene in China
A fun weekend at the 2025 Lake Fuxian Regatta I've become fascinated with the growing sailing scene in China. I had so many preconceptions ahead of my first visit to the country in 2024, which were blown out of the water on that trip, and this was reaffirmed at the Lake Fuxian Regatta.
Posted on 24 Oct