2019 Sailor's Regatta at Phuket Yacht Club - Overall
by The Commodore 10 Mar 2019 18:34 PDT
8-10 March 2019
There were three tight starts in the IRC class today with Megazip and Uminoko pushing each other to achieve an advantage at the start line. Uminoko's spinnaker handling was much better and as a result their downwind performance improved greatly.
Uminoko won all three races today and finished tied with Megazip at 12 points each, but Uminoko won the class on countback as they won the last race. Remember, there were no discards in this regatta.
Farrgo Express, the other boat in the IRC class continued to display interesting spinnaker techniques in the final day of racing and pulled out of the final race, taking third spot in the seven races they did compete in.
In the Firefly/OMC class, Twin Sharks strong team (Scott Duncanson, Alfie Rowson, Tom Cracknell, Ciaran Corrigan and skipper John Newhamn) scored three bullets today, winning the class by the end of the second race.
Ballerina (the only Firefly not built by Latitude 8 in the regatta), took three second-place finishes today and with crew such as Andy Pape Mick Kealy, and Liz Schoch helping out Peter Taylor you just knew they were going to surprise and do well.
Surf Patrol, Mamba, Moto Inzi and This rounded out the class, although This did not compete in the final race of the day. This was the only non-Firefly in the OMR division; Originally a KL25 catamaran, designed by VLPP, with racks and trapezes, Dirk Weiblen bought it calling it Offline, He had then had a rethink and increased the width of the boat by 60cm, got rid the of trapezes and tracks, and reduced the rocker making a flatter hull, more suitable for Phuket waters.
At the same time that the Sailors Regatta was going on, the PYC's Junior Sailing Programme was taking place so it was interesting to see the young sailors juxtaposed against their more senior comrades all having fun in Ao Chalong.
A huge thanks must go out to Kim Mitchell and his crew at the PYC bar/kitchen for keeping all sailors fed and topped up with libations. Kim also supplied a water fountain free of charge where sailors could fill up their water bottles as the PYC is phasing out plastic bottles.