Phuket Racers Storm Through on Phuket Regatta Day 2

PHUKET: Six knots, then eight knots. Grey skies, then blue. That was the Phuket weather prediction for Day 2 of the 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek and as the boats left the anchorage, the winds were light but building.

Two windward/leewards for IRC Racing, Firefly and Racing Multihull classes, and longer island courses for IRC Cruising and Classic classes was the order of the day and Race 1 got underway in a fresh eight knots of Phuket breeze.

Thai boat Brace! Brace!! Brace!!! (Paul Murphy) got the best start but no sooner had the Chinese-built Katsu (Ben Copley) passed her, Thai regular Kevin Whitcraft and his crew on Wan Marang closed in, rounding the bottom mark less than a boat length behind. Wan Marang went on to pass Katsu and take line honors in Race 1.

Despite the lively finish to the end of the race as a storm came through, Chinese team Jing Jing (Rick Pointon) sailed well to win Race 1 on corrected time.

After a delay waiting for the winds to fill in, Race 2 started under glorious blue skies with seven knots of wind building to 10. OCS for Katsu, Wan Marang and Ruby Tuesday saw them unable to recover and Jing Jing raced on for another win. Two from two today.

In Sportsboats Brace! Brace!! Brace!!! got a flyer in Race 1 but was soon caught by Longitude (Rolf Heemskerk) who rounded the leeward mark two boat lengths ahead. Longitude went on to take line honours by a single second from Brace! Brace!! Brace!!!

However, on corrected time, the win went to Thai boat Surf Patrol (Ray Waldron). In the Race 2 four boats in the fleet rounded the bottom mark together, including Brace! Brace!! Brace!!! which came off best and went on to win both line honors and on corrected time.

Coming off the back of a 2-1 yesterday, Skandia Endeavour of Whitby (Stuart Williamson) slipped off the pace in the first race which saw Australian-entry Moya Hin (Peter Jones) take both line honours and the win on corrected time in Race 1.

In Race 2 today, Moya Hin took her second line honours but lost out on corrected time to an improving Skandia Endeavour of Whitby.

IRC Cruising got to stretch their legs on a scenic coastal course and Sail in Asia (Mike Downard), sailed by a crew of students learning to sail in Thailand, made the best start taking an early lead which they never relinquished, to secure the daily double - line honors and the win on corrected time.

The Phuket-built Firefly One-Design boats enjoyed some exciting Phuket racing today, especially when the winds picked up during the passing storm in Race 1.

Bows dug throwing up the spray in as the fleet rounded the top mark in gusting winds of 15+ knots. Voodoo (Hans Rahmann), who scored two Phuket firsts yesterday, put in a good performance to win both races and despite it being a clean sweep so far, only a few minutes are separating the top three places each race.

Today's minor places were shared between Premier Cru (Peter Dyer), Twin Sharks (John Newnham) and Moto Inzi (Roger Kingdon).

Miss Saigon (David Liddell) got off to a slow start in Race 1 in the Racing Multihulls class with the SeaCart 26 Sweet Chariot (Henry Kaye) first off the line.

The lights Phuket airs didn't suit Sweet Chariot and DaVinci (Mark Pescott) charged to the front. Despite her slow start and a poor spinnaker hoist leaving her tangled on the downwind leg, Miss Saigon was second over the line behind DaVinci, who secured line honors and the win on corrected time.

In Race 2 DaVinci secured another win, making it four from four, but the racing was tight as Miss Saigon took line honours by a single second. Rob Cullen and crew on Nina are racing consistently with two thirds today placing them third overall with two days to go.

McBob The Boat (Joe Gruba), the stunning Hans Christian 38T in the Classic class, got a good start and sailed a solid race around-the-islands to take line honors and the Phuket handicap win today. She moves to the top of the class standings, tied on points with Seraph (Captain Bao).

Races continue tomorrow off Cape Panwa Hotel.

The 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek Title Sponsor and Host Venue is Cape Panwa Hotel. The Presenting Sponsor is Mount Gay Rum. The supporting Host Venue Sponsor is Kantary Bay Hotel and Co-Sponsor the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Phuket Regatta Racers Enjoy Cape Panwa Treats

PHUKET: The 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek got off to a lively start last night with Presenting Sponsor Mount Gay Rum hosting the opening party and entertaining the crowds with Polynesian-themed dancers.

Supported by unlimited Mount Gay Rum - ''the sailor's rum'' - the Regatta welcomed a national first as the event was the platform to launch into Thailand the new Mount Gay Rum Extra Old.

Well-received by over 500 guests, the party was a tribute to all that's good and popular about sailing.

Thirty-four boats registered, competing over seven classes and divisions, including a good spread of racing, cruising, charter and multihulls, made up the 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek fleet.

Day 1 looked looked set for some good competition as predicted winds of 10-12 knots gusting to 15, arrived on cue.

Race Officer Simon James announced Windward/Leewards (Course 2) for IRC Racing, Firefly One-Design and Multihull Racing, while IRC Cruising and Classics were sent on longer round-the-islands courses - Course 13 and Course 19 respectively.

The 13-strong IRC Racing fleet is split into three divisions: IRC Racing I, Sportsboats and IRC Racing II. All three divisions were on the startline together as the Race Officer got the Regatta underway.

The all-new Katsu (Ben Copley), an Aquila Reichel Pugh 45 built in China, was the one to watch and they took an early lead off the line in Race 1.

Katsu lead upwind and downwind, rounding the leeward mark ahead of Wan Marang (Kevin Whitcraft) in second and Jing Jing (Rick Pointon) in third.

Katsu continued to lead around the course in Race 1 and secured line honors, only to loose out on handicap to Jing Jing who sailed a solid race. Wan Marang finished in third only 25 seconds behind Katsu on corrected time.

Katsu got off to a poor start in Race 2, fearing OCS she ducked back behind the fleet as the rest bunched at the pin-end of the line. On the downwind leg Katsu had made up some ground on the fleet and rounded in second close behind Wan Marang.

However, Wan Marang managed to hold off Katsu's charge to take line honors but lost out on handicap to Jing Jing who took their second bullet of the day.

In the Sportsboats class, the Welbourn 25 Brace Brace Brace (Paul Murphy) lead the fleet around the course to take line honors while Surf Patrol (Ray Waldron) and Longitude (Rolf Heemskerk) had a close on-water battle matching each other tack for tack.

At the first leeward mark rounding, a poor spinnaker drop by Longitude saw Surf Patrol sneak past and go on to beat Longitude around the course and also on corrected time.

In Race 2, Brace Brace Brace made a good start and took an early lead. Surf Patrol and Longitude continued their ''Battle Royale'' racing within a few boat lengths of each other around the course.

Brace Brace Brace stretched their lead and took both line honors and the handicap win making it two from two on the Day 1.

In IRC Racing II, seven closely-matched boats and a number of regional regatta winners with crews from all corners of the world lined up at the start.

Competition was expected to be tough and on-the-water the racing was close. Regatta regular Skandia Endeavour of Whitby (Stuart Williamson), took the first win on corrected time from line honors-winner Ruby Tuesday (John Vause).

Third place went to Phoenix (Niels Degenkolw), with only four minutes separating the top three on corrected time.

Stuart Williamson and his crew on the Bermudian Sloop Skandia Endeavour of Whitby continued their winning ways in Race 2 with a win in the second race from Phoenix who switched places with Ruby Tuesday.

IRC Cruising were set on Course 13: south around Bon Island and back around Lon Island to port, and on to the finish. Asia Marine Kinnon, skippered by local sailing stalwart Andy Dowden, got the best start leading the fleet off the line.

However, the Oceanis 423 Dreamtime (Rob Azzopardi) soon find their way and moved to the front of the pack to race off and secure line honors and the win on corrected time. The well-known Sparkman & Stephens design Remington (Jim Ellis) placed second ahead of Sail in Asia (Mike Downard) in third.

Five boats lined up for the Firefly One-Design class, including winner of the recent Phuket Multihull Regatta Voodoo (Hans Rahmann).

True to form, Voodoo lead off the line with Twin Sharks (John Newnham) close behind. The Frog (Neil Ayre) tacked early with Twin Sharks following and Voodoo covering. As they rounded the leeward mark for the first time, there was a traffic jam as The Frog and Twin Sharks, and Phoenix (IRC Racing II) battled for position on-the-water.

Voodoo went on to win the race and set the standard for the rest of the one-design Firefly's to beat. Moto Inzi (Roger Kingdon) finished second and Twin Sharks third.

After a last place in the first race, Premier Cru (Peter Dyer) got off to the best start in Race 2 for the Firefly One-Design class but lost ground on the course as Voodoo, Moto Inzi and Twin Sharks powered past to finish 1, 2 and 3 respectively.

A highly competitive fleet of six multihulls registered for the Multihull Racing class. The much anticipated newly-launched Stealth 11.8 Cat 'Hurricane' (Alan Carwardine) suffered damage on the way to the anchorage the day before and scored a DNS.

Sweet Chariot (Henry Kaye) and DaVinci (Mark Pescott) surprised the rest of the class with a dash from behind to lead off the start at the pin-end.

However, Miss Saigon (David Liddell) soon made up ground and lead on the approach to the downwind mark. A poor spinnaker drop saw Sweet Chariot round first and go on to claim line honors.

DaVinci forced Miss Saigon wide as they approached the finish and the two crossed together. However, on corrected time, DaVinci took the bullet ahead of Charro (Damien Kimball) and Nina (Rob Cullen).

In Race 2, Sweet Chariot again got the better start and seasoned skipper Henry Kaye went on to put space between them and the rest of the class.

Sailing well, Kaye and his crew secured another line honors but lost out to in-form DaVinci on corrected time, while Nina again finished third.

The four-strong Classic class stretched their legs on a single islands course: around the southern islands of Hae (Coral Island) and Aeo.

Classic boat racing is a rare sight in Asia and Classics is a class that has been well supported at the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek since the Regatta's inception.

The stunning Hans Christian 38T McBob the Boat (Joe Gruba) took line honors but was beaten on corrected time by Sirius (Simon Morris), who after racing for almost three hours beat the grand dame of the fleet, Seraph (Captain Bao), by only 30 seconds on corrected time.

Winners were presented their trophies at a beachside prize-giving and party at the Cape Panwa Hotel.

Races continue.

The 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek Title Sponsor and Host Venue is Cape Panwa Hotel. The Presenting Sponsor is Mount Gay Rum. The supporting Host Venue Sponsor is Kantary Bay Hotel and Co-Sponsor the Tourism Authority of Thailand.