Sailing in Hawaii at King's Cup

by Rob Kothe and Jaroonroj 'Knot' Satitkasem on 2 Dec 2008 A perfect start to the 22nd annual Phuket Kings Cup, with the 93 boat fleet sailing island passage courses in strong north easterly conditions and sunny skies.

As Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Commodore Matt Allen said after winning the IRC Division 1 aboard his Beneteau 44.7 Ichi Ban, ‘Today it was like sailing in Hawaii, warm and windy.’

The two start lines were as usual off Kata Beach and the fleets sailed around clearing marks before sailing south east towards Ko Kaeo Noi, and up to Ko Hi and to the safe water mark north of Ko Aeo.

When Race Officer Tony Denham gunned away the Grand Prix Racing fleet for their 28 nautical mile course, it was blowing 20-22 knots.

Ray Robert’s Quantum Racing was on the pin, then Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth’s Fortis Mandrake with Paul Winkleman’s TP52 Island Fling a further little back. Neil Pryde’s Welbourne 52 Hi Fi had good speed on the right of the group, going forward on Mandrake.

Frank Pong’s Reichel Pugh Jelik was fashionably late on the start, 15 seconds late in fact. She started near the Committee boat with lots of speed, clean air and good height.

Island Fling found good pressure on the left with Quantum Racing close to her.

At the top mark Jelik was 15 lengths clear of Hi Fi, who was four lengths ahead of Island Fling, with three lengths to Fortis Mandrake, ahead of Quantum Racing.

On the beat and the first part of the reach Hi Fi was very impressive, she was advanced on the fleet, close to Jelik, looking every bit a winner.

As the fleet blasted from Ko Noi towards Ko Hi with plenty of warm white spray soaking the sailors, Island Fling began to gain, the green hulled TP52 enjoying the brisk conditions. She made further gains on the run home.

Island Fling has been on form all year and Hi Fi showed just why she did so well at the Raja Muda regatta.

In the Racing Division Jelik took line honours ahead of Island Fling. In third place was Hi Fi. The Handicap winner was Island Fling followed by Hi Fi and Jelik.

In the IRC Division Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban team threw out the challenge to the big fleet. Allen campaigns his modified Volvo 70 Ichi Ban on the Australian circuit, but he’s been sailing across Asia with the Beneteau 44.7.

He’s had a great season winning in Dubai and at the Koh Samui regatta with Michael Spies, the 31 Sydney Hobart veteran, calling tactics.

Today Allen said 'We put the number three (small headsail) up today. In the previous two regattas we’ve not seen wind speeds much over 15 knots, but today we had wind in the 20’s quite a lot.

It was great sailing, reminded me of sailing in Hawaii, warm, windy and great scenery.'

In the IRC 1 Class, Ichi Ban beat Ben Copley’s Swan CS 42 Katsu by 30 seconds. Third across the line was Rob Bottomley's Beneteau 47.7 Sailplane.

Ichi Ban won the handicap honours, followed by Rob Bottomley’s Sailplane. In third place was Tom and Kevin Whitcraft's Farr 41 MX Octopussy.

In the Premier Class Dr. Ian Nicholson’s magnificent Dubois 80 Intrigue took the gun, followed by Jon Wardill’s Cassidy 55 Australian Maid. In third place was Peter Cremers’s Warwick 55 Shahtoosh.

Intrigue won the handicap well ahead of David Ross’s Swan 53 Macquarie-Frangipani Girl and Shahtoosh.

In the Sports Boat Class Scott Duncanson’s Phuket 8 Somtam Express took first place on line honours. Second across the line was Ray Waldron’s Phuket 8 Vino and third place was Kenchi Takahashi’s Platu 25 Motor Net.

The handicap winner was Motor Net followed by Somtam Express, who was only one second ahead on corrected time of Morten Jakobsen’s Platu 25 Emma Mathilde Ji-Zap.

In the IRC 2 class Gould and Cusadk’s Frers 42 Di Hard took line honours ahead of Naval Cadet Pontap Sukudom, skippered Farr MRX Royal Thai Navy 2. In third place was Stuart Williamson's First 34.7 Skandia Endeavour of Whitby.

Royal Thai Navy 2 won the handicap honours, in second place was Di Hard followed by Niels Degenkolw’s three quarter ton IOR Phoenix.

In the Sunsail One Design Class, Achim Griese’s Princess Anna took both handicap and line honours, with Jakob Handte’s Princess Isabella in second place and Jan Ruedel’s Princess Arieta third.

In the Bareboat Charter Class Geoffrey Lee’s Beneteau 50 Emmjay took the gun, followed by Arnold Boere’s Harmony 47 Wagenborg II. She was just two seconds ahead of Trevor Joyce’s Hanse 400 Kinnon.

Jan Kisteit’s Bavaria 34 Cruiser Little took the handicap win from Toru Inoue’s Feeling 10.90 TAG. Third was Andrey Duvanov’s Jeanneau S/O 40 Sandy Ann.

In the Firefly 850 One Design Division, Peter Dyer’s Sea Property beat Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo Child in a very close race. There were just four boat lengths between the two leaders as they smoked across the line. Brent Gribble’s Twin Sharks took third place.

The surprise of the race was Roger Kingdon’s Moto Inzi, who back in fifth place after a gear problem early in the race.

In the Multihull 1 Class, David Liddell’s Corsair Miss Saigon took the gun. Second across the line was Radab Kanjanavanit’s F-9A Cedar Swan. Third was Anurat Tiyaphor and Bob Garner’s Corsair C31 Pimalai Charm.

The handicap winner was Cedar Swan followed by Bob Brindley’s Whiteheavan 11.8 X Catriot and Neil Ayre’s Corsair C28R Hotel Travel Shanghai Baby.

In Ocean Rover Class, Chapus Marc’s Contraste 44 Zorba took line honours and was second on handicap behind Krasnoperov Oleg’s Beneteau Oceanis 423 Thalassa. Charles Hay’s Jeanneau SO45DS Smystery was third.

In the Classic Class James Stoll and Simon Koch’s Schooner Argo took first place on line honours. Second across the line was Ralph Goetz and Simon Jupe’s Waconda. Third across the line was Roger Foley’s Herreshoff Tradition. The handicap winner was Argo, Waconda took second and with Tradition third.

While there were plenty of winners, there were losers to.

In the strong conditions Ronald The's Firefly 850 Blue No Ze blew off a hatch cover doing 19 knots. There was Corsair carnage. David Wales Corsair 750 Sprint broke her rudder, as did Bob Sleason's Zhuka. Mike Crisp's Hanse 400e Venture was another retiree along with Peter Dwyer's Madam Butterfly.

But Hong Kong sailor Neil Pryde summed up the day. 'An incredible day.... probably one of the best day's sailing in the last 20 years at Kings Cup.'