Phuket King's Cup 2022 – a fast start under threatening skies
by Guy Nowell 5 Dec 2022 07:28 PST
5-10 December 2022
Phuket King's Cup 2022 © Guy Nowell / Phuket King's Cup
Unrelenting Grey was the colour card for the opening races of the PKC 2022 big boat programme. 20 kts of breeze gusting 25, and a 1.2 nm leg windward-leeward for the racing divisions got the 34th King’s Cup away to a energetic start for the IRC 0 and IRC 1 divisions, while the Premier Cruisers enjoyed a trip around the seaward side of the islands all the way to the Cape Panwa Safe Water mark and then back home in the lee of Koh Hi and Koh Aeo, while the Multihulls and Cruisers took a wriggly route around Koh Bon and Ko Kaeo Noi.
Three races for the IRC 0 entries were always going to be match races between Kevin Whitcraft’s THA 76 and Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood, and spectators were not disappointed. With gathering storm clouds to the south west, the two TP52 went at it hammer-and-tongs, with THA 76 taking the honours in the first two races. On the third start, Roberts wound up a port hand reach to the line at the pin end, hitting the line with speed and right on time, and rolling over to starboard to windward of THA 76. From there they never looked back, finishing the day 1-2 down against the local boat.
There was plenty of experience on the line for the IRC 1 division, but the surprise entry (and performance) came from Morten Jakobsen’s diminutive VX One sportsboat, Hanuman XXXIX. (We’d like to see photos of the other 38 Hanumans, please). Jakobsen was seen pacing the TP52s down the run, showed no hesitation in mixing it up with the traffic at the leeward mark, won the first race, and finished the day second in division. First place went to Craig Douglas’s Farr 40 Ramrod, with a shaky fourth place to start with (it must have been the sight of that VX One) followed by two bullets. .
Being mothballed during the Covid Years has clearly not been kind to sails – even those that were ostensibly stored in air-conditioned premises. A number of spinnakers have failed to stay in one piece, and Pine Pacific (X-55, Premier Cruising) damaged a main, a J-1 and a J-2 before even crossing the start line of yesterday’s practice race. Today’s opening salvo of races involved Windsikher retiring with alternator problems (which of course can only happen if you have electric winches), and Alright limping off the race course with a damaged vang, a broken spinnaker pole track, and a torn A-1.
The two-boat Multihull OMR class saw Hermann Schwarz’ 2Fast4you, a Mumby Cyber 4800, pip Hang Chen’s ZOE, a Bahia 46 by twenty minutes on corrected time.
The International Dinghy Classes race from 3-6 December at Kata Beach, divided into the following classes: Optimist Boys, Optimist Girls, 29er, 49er, Open ILCA4, Open ILCA6, Open ILCA 7, 420, 470, and Open Skiff. 182 dinghies from Thailand, United Kingdom, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, France, Canada and China are competing.
In the 29er class, after seven races, Chaichanawut Deenak and Suthon Yampinit of Thailand lead the pack. Fellow countrywomen Narisara Satta and Nichapa Waiwai lead the 49er class after 7 races as well. The Open ILCA4 hasISAAC GOH of Singapore leading after six races with fellow countrymen Khoo Zachary leading the Open ILCA6 also after six races. The Open ILCA 7 has Thai national Prakasit Hongpradab leading after six races with fellow Thai Paliga Poonpat and Chakkaphat Wiriyakitti leading the 420 class after 7 races. The 470 class has Navee Thamsoontorn and Panida Suksomporn of Thailand leading after Seven races. Open Skiff has Anandi Chandavarkar of Indonesia leading after six races. Optimist Boys Chanatip Tongglum and Optimist Girls has Prin Subying leading after seven races.
For full results of all classes and divisions please go to: www.kingscup.com/result
Racing resumes tomorrow with the first warning signal scheduled for 09.00.