AY Race Report - Day One

by AsianYachting.com on 1 Dec 2009 Let the fun & games begin...

Six to eight knots North Easterly was not enough for PRO Jerry Rollin to gamble on sending the racers on a island course, so he opted on keeping them together and running windward / leeward races to seaward of Kata Beach. This proved to be a good opportunity for crews to familiarize themselves with the boat and pull together as a team. Everyone was eager to get going and some a little to eager, employing barging tactics and being over the line early, will have to work on their time and distance study. Several red protest flags were seen flying, so the final result may not be known till late into the night. Less wind on the northern course meant a short delay before PRO Ross Chisholm sent the cruiser/racers on a passage race up along the west coast beaches and back.

The Racing Class were ready to do battle right from the very start. They soon settled into a familiar pattern with Frank Pong's 75ft Jelik II setting the pace at the front of the pack of six fifty footers that were engaging in a real ding dong battle. Wind shifts and picking the right passing lanes would play a big part in determining the results. Chris Meads custom Corby 43 Full Metal Jacket with renown Kiwi Chris Dickson calling the shots came to the fore in Race 1, in front of Neil Pryde's custom Welbourne 52 Hi Fi and Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth custom Mills 51 EFG Bank Mandrake slotting into third. Race 2 saw Neil Pryde's Hi Fi recalled for being over the line at the start. Frank Pong's Jelik II extended his lead and managed to take first and fastest. Geoff Hill's TP52 Strewth got the best of the 50 footers and Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth EFG Bank Mandrake posted another third place. As the wind faded in Race 3 Neil Pryde's Hi Fi rebounded with first place just beating Frank Pong's Jelik II on corrected time and the ever consistent Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth EFG Bank Mandrake in third again. At the end of a very tiring and long day on the water Neil Pryde's Hi Fi is top of the overall leader board, one point in front of Frank Pong's Jelik II and Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth EFG Bank Mandrake holding onto third place.

In the Premier Cruisers Antony Hastings Beneteau 53 Baby Tonga won the only race today and after winning the Raja Muda two weeks ago are still on a roll. Competing for the 16th time Jon Wardill's Cassidy 55 Australian Maid slotted into second spot and Robert Tanner's Shahtoosh into third place.

Three wins in a row for Matt Allen's Beneteau First 44.7 Ichi Ban sends them to the top of the pointscore and maintains an almost unblemished record in the IRC 1 class. Only Ben Copley's Club Swan 42 Katsu came anywhere near toppling Ichi Ban but ended up second overall. Brent Morgans little bit smaller Beneteau First 40.7 L'autre Femme stayed close to the leaders to post third overall. The Japanese chartered Farr 43 Switchblade skippered by Yasuo Namamori had a moment of glory in Race 2 with second place but two fifth places puts them down in fourth overall.

In the IRC 2 class the wins were shared between Stuart Williamson's Beneteau 34.7 Endeavour of Whitby, Alfie Rowson's Platu 25 The Beaver and Peter Dyer's modified Humphrys ¾ Toner Team Bentley. That rest of results were a little up and down that ended up with Peter Dyer's Team Bentley topping the leader board, Japan's Koji Kikuchi Platu 25 Puma in second place and the defending champion CPO. 2 Wiwat Poonpat on the Farr MRX Royal Thai Navy 1 close behind in third spot.

Only one race for the 25 strong Bareboat Charter Class. Mike Crisp's Hanse 400e Venture came to the fore on this occasion. John Ford's Baveria 34 Little Eva took second place and Griese's Sunsail Odyssey 35 Princess Anna did the best of the rest with third place.

Peter Wood's Commanche 42 Windstar topped the Modern Classic Class in front of Nick Band's S&S 48 Ketch Emerald Blue and Simon Jupe's Hardin 45 Waconda.

Only 27 seconds on corrected time separated Bob Ashman's Dehler 39 Simba and Rod Heikell's Warwick Cardinal 46 Skylax that won four races on the trot at the Raja Muda. Very close behind Gavin Welman's much bigger Halberg-Rassy 53 Rascal held onto third spot after handicaps have been applied.

The much awaited clash in the Multihull classes started with the Firefly 850 Sports Class. Hans Rahman's Voodoo Child drew first blood but Brent Gribble's Twin Sharks were quick to take the next two races and the overall lead in front of Voodoo Child. Damian Ford's SEA Property slotted into third place after a close tussle with the rest of the chasing pack.

Legendary sailor Henry Kaye's Seacart 39 Thor lived up to their reputation by taking the daily double on all three races today. Khun Redab followed suite with three second places on his Farrier 9A Seamico Cedar Swan. Pre-race favourite David Wales Corsair 750 Sprint The Sting slotted into third overall but already has a lot of work to make up the points deficit. This is where all the owners bragging and exaggeration of speed stories stop and proof will be measured on the playing field.

Only two boats fronted for the Multihull Cruising Class this year and Yoshiaki Fujitani's Prout Event 34 Sunfish III got the better of Timothy Robins Lagoon 500 Nipper.

Some trouble brewing amongst the grande old dames of the sea in the Classic Class. Provisionally Rene Tiemessen Phillip Rhodes designed Alondra took first place with Simon Morris' Aussie classic Sirius 1935 in second and Christopher Edwards Baltic Fishing boat Schwalbe in third. Edwards has lodged a protest claiming the other two boats sailed the wrong course and if found to be correct will see a complete change in the results.

Dinghy racing – final results
by Event Media.
29:11:09 A total of 19 dinghies made it to the start line: 4 Topaz, 7 Tasars, 8 Lasers. Junior sailors ranged from 10 to 18 year olds and the Topazes were crewed by Thai Orphans from Sunshine Orphanage in Phuket.

In the Laser class, Anusorn Loywat continued his winning ways with three more bullets, finishing the series unbeaten. After fifth place in the first race, Thanakij Intarakanchit found his rhythm with four second places to take second overall in the series. Third place winner was Nut Butmarasri.

Jonas Johansson & Tanawat Sarawaree outperformed the others in the Topaz fleet winning the last five races of the series in a remarkable turnaround after scoring only a third place in the first race, to take first place overall. Second place was won by Philip Johansson & Adunwit Suppapon. The only all female Topaz crew, Sukanya Saimarn & Chonticha Chaklang, performed admirably with a series of second and third places to finish in third overall.

The Tasar fleet was dominated by Phil Lawson & Thanasorn Chookate on G-String, with three firsts and three seconds to take first overall. Second place was won by Andrew de Bruin & Donna Stephens on Slipstream with three first places, a second place and two third places. Third place in the Tasar series was won by the all Thai crew Tamasa & Ploypan.

The dinghy racing was organised by Phuket Yacht Club, in co-operation with the Phuket King's Cup Regatta. Principal Race Officer was Mark Pryke, assisted by Bryan Willis. For full series results, go to http://www.kingscup.com/showFile.cfm?fid=1099