Top of the Gulf Regatta, bobbing around with the Oppies

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 3 May 2010 The Thai National Optimist Championships are an integral part of the Top of the Gulf Regatta, and have been since the regatta was inaugurated in 2005. They are one of the other classes that make up this ‘multi-class’ event (and the others involve Lasers, 420s and various beach cats – Hobies and so on).

On the way back from the Big Boats’ race course today we stopped off at the Oppie race area. Amazing. Dozens – no, hundreds! 129 to be exact – of little boats bobbing about all over the place, all heading in different directions, and all being helmed by small sailors in a markedly nonchalant manner.

Then there was a start – and suddenly all the little white specks lined up, like iron filings heading for a magnet. And out of the far end of the line popped the current Thai Oppie champion, Noppakao Poonpat. This tousle-headed young Thai lady led all the way up the beat, all the way across the reach, all the way down the run and then all the way up the last beat to the finish. In fact, she led the race from start to finish, and crossed the line while some back markers were still only just arriving at the first windward mark. Impressive sailing!

Adding today’s scores to her performance over the last two days, Poonpat won the Thai National Optimist Champion’s title in front of 128 other competitors. Second place went to Tharachin Narbonne – also from Thailand – and Ahmad Syukuri Abduazizi (MAL) was third.

Anyone looking for lightweight and highly competent crew on smaller boats should be talking to these young sailors, now!