ILCA Asian Open Championships at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club

by Royal Varuna Yacht Club 19 Dec 2022 03:45 PST 9-15 December 2022

The conditions were deemed almost perfect for racing at the recent ILCA Asian Open Championships hosted by the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya, Thailand from the 9-15th December.

A total of 95 entries representing 15 countries raced in all three disciplines of the class, the ILCA 7, ILCA 6 and ILCA 4 with the latter being the largest fleet contesting for the Asian Open Championship title which displayed great promise for the class in this region and beyond.

ILCA Asian Open Championships 2022 - photo © Suellen Hurling / Element 6 Evolution

Prior to, and during the regatta, a building breeze arrived between averaging 12 knots, and despite being a slightly more nor'eastery and shifty than usual, the first races commenced in 8 to 10 knots with a second in 10-12. During the midway point of the championship, the breeze increased to 12-14 knots and the conditions gained even more momentum on the final day of racing with 14-16 knots and gusts of 18-20 ensuring the hotly contested event finished on a high.

With the official racing commencing on Sunday 11th December, the race committee did a stellar job over the five days, moving the course when required to accommodate the oscillating breeze.

While the regatta was the Asian Open Championships, sailors from across the globe travelled to Pattaya, making it a truly world class event.

ILCA Asian Open Championships 2022 - photo © Suellen Hurling / Element 6 Evolution

The standout of the regatta was 2022 Optimist World Champion and Royal Varuna Yacht Club local Weka Bhanubandh, who after 10 races finished on just 15 points in the ILCA 4 Boys division, some 36 points clear ahead of second place finisher Feodor Zoubovski from Cyprus. Weka is certainly a name to watch in the future.

Prior to the regatta, ILCA Asia organised Tamas Eszes (HUN) to provide three days of intensive coaching across all the classes to ensure that the fleet were ready to race on the waters of the Gulf of Thailand, a service that was well received by the sailors who took part in the on water sessions.