Platu Transworld Regatta 5-8th March 2020

Platu Transworlds 2020. Sergey and the silverware © K Thammasak

The 6th Platu Transworlds was held in spite of the coronavirus problems which prevented many sailors from being able to attend. It is a credit to the management of Ocean Marina Yacht Club and especially the determined input from the harbour master, Scott Finsten, that the event was held at all. This helped greatly to keep the continuity of this event for the future.

By popular request from the crews, the format is of short two-lap windward/leeward races lasting about 25 minutes each. This allows for five or six closely fought races per day with a five minute break between each race. Starting at 11.00 hours, the tired crews were safely ashore by 15.00 hours and enjoying food and drink the instant they landed. It is a feature of this regatta that all the crews gather around one table on the lawn, outside the beautiful Ocean Marina Sailors' Bar, swapping exaggerated stories of the wind shifts that robbed them of victories that they really deserved. Great to see such camaraderie after the sometimes fierce battles on the race course.

The wind was perfect for all four days of the regatta, with speeds of between 9 and 15 knots and enough shifts to keep tacticians busy. Because the races are short, crews rarely spread out very far from each other, and this creates close exciting racing. To prove the point, the overall positions were not decided until the very last, double point race, with Sergey and Mati starting one point different after 20 races. Rounding the last mark only three seconds apart we anticipated a fierce, downwind, tactical, fight all the way to the finish but unfortunately a spinnaker failure on Mati’s boat blew that away.

Congratulations to Sergey for his overall win following his second place last year. Commiserations to Mati for what turned out to be a last day to forget, but thanks for making Sergey work every last metre for his success. Well done to Nathan and his crew for holding off a gradually improving Morten who had not sailed a Platu for many years.

Thanks to Sergey and Mati and their crews for flying long distances to come to the event.

Thanks to the Marina hotel staff for providing excellent food and beverages every day.

Thanks to K Thammasak, the new sailing manager at OMYC, for his work on the committee boat and setting the course marks. Also to his staff for photos and results.

Thanks to the crew of the committee boat for working hard with a constant smile on their faces.

Thanks to Tony, our more than reliable flag man.

And last but certainly not least, thanks to Scott Finsten for his never-ending support of the Platu One Design class at OMYC.