Six Shooter- Yo!2 cleans up at Phuket Raceweek

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 27 Jul 2008 Six bullets from six races has parked Peter Ahern’s refurbished Farr 40 at the top of the IRC 1 division at the Six Senses Phuket Raceweek – and that’s a hard act to beat with only one race scheduled for the last day of racing tomorrow. Today’s two clean scores meant that Ahern could actually ‘drop’ a first place from the card and (of course) still stay in the lead.

'The racing this past three days has been absolutely as good as you can get in Asia,' said a very relaxed-looking Ahern this afternoon. 'We started with a light airs race in some rain, but since then it has been absolutely top dollar conditions for every race.' Racing today was held in similar conditions, but with even more ‘bumpy stuff’ outside the ring of islands that constitute Course 5.

First race of the day went away in 18 kts of breeze, same course as yesterday morning, around Koh Bon, Koh Hae, Koh Aeo and Koh Lon, and taking in the Safe Water Mark near Laem Panwa. The course literally goes round in a circle, and so involves all points of sail, even if tactical calls are limited.

'Angry Rob' Heilkema on Endeavour of Whitby said, 'it was the same course as yesterday, so we just made sure that we didn’t fall into same soft patches (but we still scored 5th both times). And it was really lumpy out there – there was a major ‘chunder from Down Under’ - and we had some pretty serious knitting problems. The afternoon race was a good deal easier, a windward-leeward with a pin favoured start and almost a fetch to the top.' Williamson’s office-wallahs scored 4th in race 6 to allow them to hold on to 4th overall, just one point in front of Toshio Furuta’s Mumm 36 Emma on 25 points (after a drop).

After a series consisting of all 2s and 3s, Ben Copley’s Swan 42 Karsu is lodged firmly in second place, with veteran Ruby Tuesday (John Vause) behind them in third place. Ruby Tuesday did something with a genoa today that they aren’t talking about, but we believe it included draping it around and under the bow, and using it to polish the leading edge of the keel. (This report would be more accurate if they had been more forthcoming with information).

The fight for IRC 2 is also over, with Niels Degenkolw’s ‘Carlsberg Crew’ (Imported, Danish) on Phoenix dropping their 3rd place in race 1 and carrying a string of firsts earned ever since. Peter Dyer’s Madame Butterfly will have to be content to be the bridesmaid this time.

Right now the fleet is substantially reduced in numbers: the strong breeze has bent a few, broken some, and made others think again. Stuart Crow’s Cinders (Club Charter class) lost her mast yesterday, Switchblade (Mike Downard) broke the vang today, Scott Duncanson (Raimon Land) broke the rudder casing yesterday, and a couple of the Racing Multihull class decided that discretion is the better part of valour.

Even monohull sailors are impressed by the speed of the Firefly 850s: 'We were hosing down behind the islands, hitting 14 and 18 knots, surfing,' reported a crewmember from Yo!2 – 'and this cat just went past us like we were standing still. ' It was Peter Dyer’s SEA Property, that went on to take the gun in both races today, and is now holding on to a 2-point lead at the top of the division.

Some of the divisions are wrapped up after six races, and some aren’t, but if tomorrow’s weather is indeed 'more of the same' then everyone will be out on the water for just for the sake of a Damn Good Sail.

Welcome, once again, to 'Asia’s windiest regatta, in the off-season, when the wind blows.'

Full results at www.phuketraceweek.com