Top of the Gulf 2011 - Registration, and Optis by the hundred

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 29 Apr 2011 It’s Registration Day today at Top of the Gulf, with the big boat sailors signing in and signing up, and the dozens of young Optimist competitors rigging their soap boxes and getting out on the water for a day’s practice. The breeze was ‘in’ from about 1000 this morning, and the sun is shining. All’s well for the start of the event that now bills itself as ‘Asia’s biggest sailing event’.

The entry list has 48 ‘big’ boats in six classes, including three IRC divisions, a PY Cruising division, the Platu ODs and the Multihulls. Add in 60-odd beach cats and Open dinghies, and upwards of 100 Optis competing in the Thai Optimist Nationals with entries from Thailand (obviously), Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Cambodia, Italy and more.

This year’s Optimist World Champion, Thailand’s Noppakoa Poonpat, has reached mandatory retirement age (15) so the door is open for a new champion.

The big boats divisions are headed by a bona fide Racing class, involving defending champ Ray Roberts (Evolution Racing), Neil Pryde (Hi Fi), Kevin Whitcraft’s GP42 Won Ma Rang, Hannes Waimer’s substantially-modified TP52 Team Premier and Jon Mahoney’s newly acquired Humphreys 52, Zanzibar.

Matt Allen will be racing in Div 2, and reports that Ichiban – last seen firmly ashore at the end of the Phuket King’s Cup – is 'in better shape than ever.' Trying to deny him another TOG title will be Ben Copley (Katsu), Pasaya (Schle Wood) and Bryan Colaniz (Siren).

Numbers are a little down in the Platu division at 10 entries, but the field is stong, including no less than three SMU teams, Rolf Heemskerk with Peter Ahern on board, and defending Coronation Cup champion Scott Duncanson. And the Corsairs are out in force in the Multihull division, contributing five of the seven entries.

At a press conference this afternoon Regatta Chairman Bill Gasson was quick to stress the importance of the junior contingent of the regatta – 'probably 10-15% of those youngsters will be sailing on big boats in a few years’ time. It’s great to have them here for the Optimist Championships, and of course we look forward to welcoming them back one day.' He continued, 'we are delighted to have a strong very Racing class at this year’s event, and equally strong support in the other divisions. The success of any regatta rests on all those sailors who spend time and money to participate and compete in events like Top of the Gulf.'

Scott Finsten, Marina Manager, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, added, 'Ocean Marina is looking ahead to the future - we have been dredging the marina to accommodate bigger boats, and are expanding by 140 berths. Top of the Gulf is set to get bigger, supported by the excellent facilities at Ocean Marina.'

Tomorrow will see all those boats, big and small, out on the water for the first day’s racing in Top of the Gulf 2011. Watch this space.