2016 Samui Regatta - coastal course shakes up the standings

by Samui Regatta Media on 26 May 2016 With a little less wind forecast this morning, PRO Ross Chisholm and his Race Management team headed north out of Chaweng Bay to set a windward/leeward off Samui's northern tip for IRC 0 and IRC 1, followed by a 26 nm coastal course which took sailors towards the famous Full Moon Party beach off Phangan island, Haad Rin, around the marks in the channel between Samui and Phangan, and back to the finish. The Cruising Class got the single coastal course today.

It's all become a little predictable in IRC 0 as Kevin Whitcraft's newer generation TP52, THA72 – considerably lighter and clearly faster – is out performing the older generation of TP52's; Oi!, Freefire and Team Ulumulu, together with the rest of the IRC 0 fleet. They added two more bullets to their tally today and whatever the conditions, whatever the course, appear unstoppable. The race is now on for second and third in the class.

IRC 1 went to script in the first race: Jessandra II took the bullet, another second for EFG Mandrake III and third for Fujin, but the subsequent coastal race turned the scoreboard on its head. Black Baza scored their first win of the series and made it a double adding line honours. EFG Mandrake III kept them honest around the course correcting out less than 30 seconds behind to secure their third second place of the series and with it move to second in the standings, tied on points with Fujin whose fourth today behind series leaders Jessandra II has set the scene for a tight battle over the final two days.

In the Cruising Class it was all change as the 74-foot Le Cochon Noir V knocked El Coyote off their perch, just missing out on line honours but correcting out 14 seconds ahead of SailQuest Hi Jinks whose second place today moves them up to third overall in the standings. With El Coyote finishing third on the day, Le Cochon Noir V now sit just one point behind them in the series.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the Lay Day, and Samui Regatta are hosting an IRC Q&A Session with James Dadd, Director of the RORC Rating Office. Racing continues on Friday 27th May off Centara Grand Beach Resort Samui, Chaweng Beach.

For further information and full results: www.samuiregatta.com