Sail-World.com : You can't have too much of a good thing: Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
|
You can't have too much of a good thing: Six Senses Phuket Raceweek |
The palm trees were awake and waving before 0800 hrs this morning, and the view from the breakfast terrace at the Evason Resort was nothing short of glorious. Blue sky, sunshine, breeze – heck, putting away the camera and going sailing seemed like a great idea. But that would have made this report a little tricky to write…
Racing started on schedule at 1000 hrs, with Racing division sent off on a 25-mile trip ‘out east’ to Koh Maithon and back. The race started in 10 knots of breeze from the west, and after a short beat to Koh Bon it was 'spinnakers up' to pass outside Koh Hae and then run down to Maithon. By the time the division got back to the start/finish line, the wind was blowing a steady 15 kts, with occasional 17s in the puffs.
Hi Fi was first home in 2 hrs 52 min, followed by Ray Roberts’ Evolution Sails and then Yo!2.
But after the number-crunching it was first place to Evolution by an 8-second squeak from Yo!2. 'It started out as a plain race,' said Evolution tactician Steve McConaghy, 'until we had to find a way through half of Thailand’s fishing fleet on the other side of Koh Maithon – that was pretty challenging! On the return beat we got inside a right shift coming up to Koh Lon, tacked, and almost laid the finish line.'
He went on to acknowledge a great performance from Peter Ahern and the crew on Yo!2, who 'sailed an absolute blinder – they hung on to us, and there was just no way we could get rid of them. I think we were lucky to have them by all of 8 seconds in the final accounts.'
 | |
As soon as the class were all finished, RO Simon James went into sequence for a three-leg windward leeward. 'That was highly tactical,' said McConaghy. 'With the breeze still coming from the west, over the land, it was very shifty and gusty. Sailing downwind against two knots of tide was painful - and it felt like very hard work coming straight after the long first race!' 8 seconds was obviously the magic number today as once again it was the winning margin for the race – with this time honours going to Hi Fi in front of Evolution Sails.
After drops, Evolution now leads Hi Fi by 6 points to 9, with two races on the closing day of the regatta tomorrow.
While the Racing division was checking out the island scenery, the remaining classes were sailing laps up and down Ao Chalong Bay, and then came back to the waters in front of the Evason for a windward-leeward race. It was steady and light breeze for the most part, with occasional puffs to make things a little more interesting, and all conducted under the watchful and serene gaze of Phuket’s ‘Big Buddha’ up on the hill behind Ao Chalong.
Skandia Endeavour of Whitby (Stu Williamson) had another flash of brilliance in the afternoon, becoming the only boat in the division to score two wins. 'The sail drive leg is still wobbling and clunking,' said Williamson, 'but we are still within striking distance of a win, and will be very disappointed if we don’t get on the podium. Expect us to come out fighting tomorrow!'
 | |
 | |
The closest results of all the classes at this regatta are in IRC 1, with first places going to five different boats in six races. And a quick look at the corrected finish times shows that the margins are very small indeed. Jaray Tipsuk has been showing what a Platu can do when sailed well, and was leading the score board yesterday without having won any races at all– that changed today when Mitrmitree won the first race from Madame Butterfly by two minutes. Tipsuk and his all-Thai crew are still leading the division (by just one point) but with two more races tomorrow there are four boats capable of winning. It will make interesting viewing.
The flat water and moderate breeze in Ao Chalong Bay should have suited Henry Kaye’s Seacart 30 Thor to a ‘T’, but in spite of rushing around at enormous speed, and even lapping Da Vinci Nina during the first race in the Multihull division, it was the racing-green boat skippered by her designer Alan Carwadine that won both races today.
Yesterday’s money on ‘predictable’ results in the Firefly class was a winner. Voodoo, gleefully helmed by owner Hans Rahmann, scored another two wins to maintain her clean sheet. John Newnham’s The Frog got in front of Moto Inzi on a number of occasions – but not at the finish line, and Moto is still collecting the '2s' set while The Frog picks up the '3s'.
 | |
 | |
 | |
Phuket has really turned it on weather-wise this week. The forecast for tomorrow is for 'more of the same', so please keep your fingers crossed.
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
| IRC Racing |
| Sail No |
Boat |
Name |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Race 7 |
Race 8 |
Total |
Drop |
Score |
Place |
|
8889
|
Evolution Sails
|
Ray Roberts (AUS)
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
4
|
1
|
2
|
|
|
10
|
0
|
10
|
1
|
|
HKG2112
|
Hi-Fi
|
Neil Pryde (NZ)
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
|
|
12
|
0
|
12
|
2
|
|
AUS2000
|
Yo!2
|
Peter Ahern (AUS)
|
2
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
|
|
17
|
0
|
17
|
3
|
|
HKT801
|
Quantum Fusion M
|
Scott Duncanson (AUS)
|
4
|
4
|
6
|
2
|
7
|
3
|
|
|
26
|
0
|
26
|
4
|
|
AUS 1943
|
Katsu
|
Ben Copley (AUS)
|
5
|
6
|
4
|
5
|
4
|
7
|
|
|
31
|
0
|
31
|
5
|
|
|
Tantrum
|
Robert van Paridon John Vause (NED)
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
6
|
6
|
5
|
|
|
33
|
0
|
33
|
6
|
|
MAS 99
|
Baby Tonga
|
Antony Hastings Fraser Jonson (GBR)
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
7
|
5
|
6
|
|
|
39
|
0
|
39
|
7
|
|
IRC 1
|
| Sail No |
Boat |
Name |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Race 7 |
Race 8 |
Total |
Drop |
Score |
Place |
|
1234
|
Mitrmitri
|
Jaray Tipsuk (THA)
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
|
13
|
0
|
13
|
1
|
|
GBR4497
|
Madame Butterfly
|
Peter Dyer (GBR)
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
2
|
2
|
|
|
15
|
0
|
15
|
2
|
|
JPN 777
|
Phoenix
|
Niels Degenkolw (DEN)
|
3
|
2
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
|
|
18
|
0
|
18
|
3
|
|
MAS88
|
Skandia Endeavour of Whitby
|
Stuart Williamson (GBR)
|
5
|
1
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
1
|
|
|
21
|
0
|
21
|
4
|
|
JPN6373
|
Emma
|
Toshio Furuta (JPN)
|
7
|
7
|
1
|
7
|
5
|
4
|
|
|
31
|
0
|
31
|
5
|
|
|
Windstar
|
Peter Wood (IRL)
|
4
|
5
|
5
|
5
|
6
|
8
|
|
|
33
|
0
|
33
|
6
|
|
THA777
|
Minx
|
Mick Kealy Kevin Gillow (AUS)
|
6
|
6
|
8
|
6
|
8
|
6
|
|
|
40
|
0
|
40
|
7
|
|
THA118
|
Coco ColaTuay Lek
|
Sail in Asia David Iszatts (THA)
|
8
|
9
|
7
|
8
|
7
|
7
|
|
|
46
|
0
|
46
|
8
|
|
| Club Charter |
| Sail No |
Boat |
Name |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Race 7 |
Race 8 |
Total |
Drop |
Score |
Place |
|
AUS 36
|
Awatea
|
Andrew de Bruin (AUS)
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
|
6
|
0
|
6
|
1
|
|
MLT 1295
|
Big A
|
Horst Lakits (AUT)
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
6
|
|
|
|
14
|
0
|
14
|
2
|
|
181
|
Prosafe Cunning Plan
|
Rob Azzopardi (AUS)
|
2
|
6
|
3
|
4
|
2
|
|
|
|
17
|
0
|
17
|
3
|
|
M
|
Amandla Star
|
Chrisotpher Kingsley-Smith (GBR)
|
6
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
3
|
|
|
|
22
|
0
|
22
|
4
|
|
|
NRG Alissa
|
Elite Yachting Benjamin Dupal (THA)
|
4
|
3
|
5
|
5
|
6
|
|
|
|
23
|
0
|
23
|
5
|
|
| Multihull |
| Sail No |
Boat |
Name |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Race 7 |
Race 8 |
Total |
Drop |
Score |
Place |
|
|
Da Vinci Niña
|
Composite Catamarans Alan Carwadine (THA)
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
8
|
0
|
8
|
1
|
|
|
Thor
|
Henry Kaye/Fergus Wilmer (GBR)
|
2
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
2
|
3
|
|
|
11
|
0
|
11
|
2
|
|
234
|
Shanghai Baby
|
Neil Ayre (GBR)
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
2
|
|
|
19
|
0
|
19
|
3
|
|
GBR 720M
|
Miss Saigon
|
David Liddell (GBR)
|
5
|
6
|
4
|
3
|
5
|
8
|
|
|
31
|
0
|
31
|
4
|
|
20
|
Chameleon
|
Faraway Yachting Shane Smith (THA)
|
4
|
3
|
8
|
8
|
6
|
4
|
|
|
33
|
0
|
33
|
5
|
|
|
Madame Cholet
|
David Thomson (GBR)
|
8
|
7
|
8
|
5
|
4
|
8
|
|
|
40
|
0
|
40
|
6
|
|
00
|
Happy Feet
|
Arnold Duckworth (USA)
|
6
|
5
|
5
|
8
|
8
|
8
|
|
|
40
|
0
|
40
|
7
|
|
Firefly 850
|
| Sail No |
Boat |
Name |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Race 7 |
Race 8 |
Total |
Drop |
Score |
Place |
|
FF777
|
Voodoo
|
Hans Rahmann (GER)
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
6
|
0
|
6
|
1
|
|
FF222
|
Moto Inzi
|
Roger Kingdon (GBR)
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
|
|
12
|
0
|
12
|
2
|
|
690
|
The Frog
|
Andaman Sea Club John Newnham (THA)
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
3
|
|
|
18
|
0
|
18
|
3
|
|
|
Blue Nose
|
Damian Kimble Mark Horwood (CAN)
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
6
|
6
|
|
|
28
|
0
|
28
|
4
|
|
|
SEA Property
|
Peter Dyer (GBR)
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
6
|
|
|
36
|
0
|
36
|
5
|
|
Classic
|
| Sail No |
Boat |
Name |
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Race 7 |
Race 8 |
Total |
Drop |
Score |
Place |
|
59
|
Seraph
|
Tom Howard Bao (GBR)
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
1
|
|
| |
by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia
4:31 PM Sat 25 Jul 2009 GMT
Click here for printer friendly version
Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.
If you want to send this story to a friend, please use link below
http://www.sail-world.com/USA/You-cant-have-too-much-of-a-good-thing:-Six-Senses-Phuket-Raceweek/59440
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
|
Based on your current download speed Sail-World has delivered large images (660 pixels long side.) If you would like to see only small images (300 pixels long side)
click here . For medium sized images (500 pixels long side)
click here .
| |
