YACHTING
PETER CUMMINS
PHUKET : Apart from a few minor problems with the start vessel drifting and skewing the line, the first racing day of the Phuket King's Cup Regatta was virtually perfect.
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| Participants of the Premier class prepare at the starting line. ALBERTO CASSIO |
A moderate-to-strong north-easterly wind averaging some 15 knots with a fairly choppy sea greeted the huge fleets of 93 craft, divided into 10 classes.
The opening gambit of the regatta was a great tribute to all who are involved, considering the difficult times in Thailand and the results show a good spread of nationalities who have come to Phuket to pay homage to His Majesty the King, the Regatta Royal Patron who celebrates his 81st birthday on Friday.
Although defending Racing Class champion Frank Pong of Hong Kong (Jelik) revelled in the conditions, bringing his maxi Reichel Pugh 78 in first seven minutes ahead of Paul Winkelmann (HK)/Steve Dodd (UK) on Island Fling, it was not enough to beat the latter team which won when the handicaps were adjusted.
Ian Nicholson (UK) on Intrigue was outright winner of the Premier Class, winning on handicap by just one minute from Aussie David Ross (Macquarie Frangipani Girl).
The Japanese sailed to the front in the Sports Boat Class with Kenji Takahashi some five minutes ahead of current class champion Phuket's Scott Duncanson who was just one second ahead of Pattaya's Morten Jakobsen (Emma Mathilda Ji-Zip).
IRC One saw Aussie Matt Allen, Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, take an outright win (line honours and first on handicap) on his Beneteau First 44.7 Ichi Ban.
Royal Thai Navy ace Pontap Sukudom and his Sattahip colleagues thrashed the entrants in IRC Two Class with Irish lads Gould and Cusack (Di Hard) second and Dane Niels Degenkolw (Phoenix) third.
The Sunsail One Design was a battle between Holland and Germany with Achim Griese first and German compatriots Jakob Handte and Jan Ruedel in the minor placings.In the Bareboat Charter Division, German Jan Kisteit topped an international line-up, with Japan's Toru Inoue second, Russian Andrey Duvanovm third and USA's John Rutherford fourth.
The Phuket-designed and built Firefly Class had a very close finish between UK's Peter Dyer and Germany's Hans Rahmann who came in first and second respectively.
Thailand's top sailor Radab Kanjanavit showed his experience with a big win in the Multihull Class from Aussie Bob Brindley and UK's Neil Ayre.
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