5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006
AY Race Report 5 & Summary

Painted ships on a glassy sea...

Unfortunately sometimes in the tropics the wind gods are known for not being very co-operative. Today was such a day. A whisper of breeze inshore was enough to get all boats out on the water and sailors expecting to have a ding dong final day showdown. Their initial enthusiasm gave way to skepticism as the patchy nature of the breeze died out to a complete glass out. Many crews took to swimming around the boats and as there was no improvement the race committee had no other alternative other than to cancel the race and bring an end to the regatta.

The overall winners in Racing Class - Frank Pong's Jelik, Premier Cruising - Geoff Hill's Strewth, Class 2 - David Lindahl's La Samudra were virtually decided yesterday. In the Multihull Class it was a different story with Roger Kingdon's Moto Inzi and Armind Kundke's Coco Blues tied on points coming into today's final. They had to be separated by count back and as Moto Inzi had two wins to their credit have won the class from the defending champion. Full results can be accessed through: http://www.samuiregatta.com/

As the racing has turned into a bit of a anticlimax with little to report other than the final results we have decided to run a photo competition of the girl crews spotted onboard during the week. Keeping inline with things not mentioned in the tour brochures at Thailand's popular beach resorts, take a look at the photos below, select a favourite and send a reply to info@asianyachting.com and we will publish the results in the June News and Views coming out next week.

Summary

This regatta has had it all. Anything from 40 knots to dead flat calms, rain and scorching sunshine but with a little bit of patience the on the water program was satisfactorily completed. The beauty of a tropical island location at one of Asia's famous beach resorts means that the onshore activities are second to none. The sponsors parties have had the desired effect and the Range Rover excursion across the hilly backdrop has added some variety to the sailing event.

As the 2005/06 Season comes to a conclusion the regatta organisors must be congratulated for running so many successfull events. They have all have benefited from the experience and promise to be back bigger and better next season. After winning the China Coast Regatta, Raja Muda, Singapore Straits and second place at the King's Cup, Neil Pryde and his Farr 52 Hi-Fi Team Pryde earn the distinction of becoming the 2005- 06 AY Grand Prix Skipper and Yacht Champions for the second year in succession. Neil will not be present to receive this prestigious award but a special presentation and champagne ceremony will be organised at a latter date. This will not deter us from sharing the champagne around with the Koh Samui winners and everyone is looking forward to the magnificent prize giving party tonight on the lawns of the Central Samui Resort to celebrate the end of the season. To see how your favourite team has scored through out the season goto: http://asianyachting.com/news/AYGP05-06.htm

Nok Talay

Moto Inzi

Zico's Brazilian dancers

Billy YO!

Image Asia

5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006
AY Race Report 4

Wait, wait! Wait...
After an hour and a half of sitting around looking at the drizzling rain, race officer Tony Denham called for the postponement flag to be lowered and crews to make their way to the racing area. What started out as a bleak overcast day, racing got away in 6-7 knots on the southerly passage course 7 for all classes. While the reaching start provided some anxious moments at the committee boat, the pin end starters seemed to get a clear air advantage and a jump on the others by the time they completed the first leg. As there was no improvement in conditions the R flag was flown at the first mark in Laem Lamai Bay for all classes except the racing class to proceed directly to the finish line.

After a lackluster downwind leg Bill Bremner's Team F5 Foxy Lady provided the biggest surprise of the day as they came from behind to win handicap honours. Adam Wu Yi's Konka Hummingbird has been knocking on the door all week and finally got their chance today to score a line honours victory although relegated to second place on handicap. Sam Chan's Ffreefire claimed third spot after Frank Pong's Jelik had the misfortune of sailing into a few holes on the return windward beat to the finish but maintains an insurmountable overall points lead.

Geoff Hill's Aussie crew of sailing heavyweights on Strewth kept their score sheet clear by adding a fifth win in a row to rap up the Premier Cruising Class with a day to spare. Marcel Liedts Hocux Pocux 2 has consistently scored second place and just could not capitalise by having the bigger boat. After a few ups and downs during the series Peter Churchouse's Moonblue 2 ended the day with third place.

Jonathan Mahony's Mumm 30 Happy Endings kept clear at the crowded start line to sail away with a well earned win to stay in the running for the Class 2 title. David Lindahl's second place on La Samudra keeps them at the top of the leader board by two points and based on past performances will have to finish well down the order to loose from here. Pascal Leray's navy crew on High Jinks put in a solid performance to finish up in third place today.

After suffering a few early upsets Henry Kaye's Corsair Sprint 750 The Sting finally came to the fore today with a first and fastest over Roger Kingdon's bigger and faster Firefly 28.6ft Moto Inzi. They managed to get a early break from the pin end and never looked back. Francesco Brancaccio's Farrier F24 Vivace scored second place today and Armind Kundke's Coco Blues third placing has narrowed the overall points difference to put four boats within striking distance of the title.

Full results can be accessed through: http://www.samuiregatta.com/

5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006
AY Race Report 3

The luck of the draw...
Luckily the conservative twenty two nautical mile course to the north of Ko Samui was chosen for the passage race as the breeze struggled to reach five knots all morning. The downwind start saw spinnakers smartly hoisted and skippers making the big decision to either head for shore on a coastal route or stay out to sea for the expected sea breeze. For a while the inshore gamble looked great, then as the breeze dwindled away to nothing the yachts that had been parked up offshore got the benefit of the new breeze.

For nearly three hours the entire fleet was at the mercy of the favourable current and as there was no improvement in sight the course was shortened after only eight miles had been completed at Ko Phangan (famous for its full moon parties).

Frank Pong's 75ft Jelik once again got a jump on the rest of the racing class but had to endure the frustrating parking lot offshore before being lifted to the finish and score there fourth first and fastest in a row. Adam Wu Yi's team on Konka Hummingbird and Bill Bremner's Team F5 Foxy Lady have been at it neck and neck all week and as they split tacks half way down the leg it was the Chinese boat that lucked in this time to take second place from Bill's Singapore based team that unfortunately were forced to gybe off into oblivion.

Geoff Hill's Strewth also won the Premier Cruising lottery and it seems to be a case of the rich getting richer scoring four wins in a row. Marcel Liedts Hocux Pocux 2 emerged from out at sea to secure second spot and Suwan Poopoksakul's Lawana followed suite to claim third place.

In IRC Class 2 it was Greg Coops turn on Abraxas to come out on top after a topsy turvy day. David Pollard's Foreign Xchange stuck to his guns offshore and slipped past the fleet to claim second spot. After navigating through a minefield of ups and downs Keith Dunn's Lunchcutter II came across the line first but after handicaps are applied for all his effort ended up in third place.

A big day for the twin-rigged Radical Bay 8000's with Jacques Blanc crew on China House coming from behind to the fore on this occasion. Armind Kundke's Coco Blues stayed up with the leaders to escape with a second place but the biggest surprise of the day came Martin Peters very cruising Tiki 30 Nok Talay scored third place in front of the modern top class racers.

Full results can be accessed through: http://www.samuiregatta.com/

5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006
AY Race Report 2

The ups and downs of yacht racing!
Yesterdays blustery conditions have been replaced with warm tropical sunshine and a 10 - 15 knot South Westerly trade wind came through overnight to propel the yachts around two windward/leeward courses for the day. More like what is in the Samui tourist brochures and why we have grown to appreciate and love holidaying in the South East Asian region.

Frank Pong's 75ft Jelik paints a great picture as they cut a fine line around a tight windward/leeward course and their excellent teamwork has rewarded them with two line and handicap wins for the day. Bill Bremner's Team F5 Foxy Lady were hot on their heels in the race for time and secured two second placing's with only minutes to spare between them despite the size difference. Adam Wu Yi's Chinese team on Konka Hummingbird have stayed in the running with two third places and are continuing to gain momentum as the regatta progresses.

The Aussie team on Geoff Hill's Lyons 49 Strewth have reason to celebrate as they scored two bullets or wins today over their bigger rivals and in race two by the narrowest of margins with only one second to spare. Marcel Liedts X-612 Hocux Pocux 2 kept the pressure on with two second placing's and expect to find that extra second of boat speed in the coming days. Suwan Poopoksakul's Lawana and Peter Churchouse's Moonblue 2 shared the third placing's in the two races held today and are looking at cranking it up a notch to get in amongst the winners circle.

David Lindahl's crew on La Samudra always seem to be on the pace and despite being called over the line in race three they recovered well to score a first and second place respectively in the two races today. After joining together with the sportsboat class Jonathan Mahony's Happy Endings would seem to be La Samudra's biggest threat and by scoring a third and first place will have to continue to upset the bigger rival to make any impression. Greg Coops Abraxas secured second place in race two and David Pollard's Foreign Xchange a third in race three to share the placings around but need some extra boatspeed to topple the leader.

A battle royal is raging in the multihull class between Roger Kingdon's Firefly Moto Inzi and Armind Kundke's Radical Bay 8000 Coco Blues as they traded first and second places in the two races held today. Despite being first off the startline each race Henry Kaye's Corsair Sprint 750 The Sting had to settle on third place in race two and Damian Kimball's X-Ta-Sea claimed third spot in race three to keep themselves in the running and applying pressure on the leaders slim points advantage.

Full results can be accessed through: http://www.samuiregatta.com/

5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006
AY Race Report 1

Inshore or Offshore? That is the question!
The arrival of Typhoon Chanchu last week heralded the arrival of the SW monsoon season with vengeance. The entire Kra Peninsula has experienced heavy rain and strong winds. Although conditions have moderated, the quick seasonal change over and resultant fluctuations will keep race officer Tony Denham busy predicting wind conditions and the sailors on their toes throughout the week long event.

Developing low pressure systems in the South China Sea, West of Sumatra and Northern Thailand have further influenced the expected SW flow. The first day of racing saw the wind move from SW to South and passing rainstorms interfere with play as the yachts headed out on a 15 nm beat to the south of Samui and return.

Frank Pong's Jelik initially benefited from playing the inshore coastal route into Laem Lamai Bay but as the breeze swung the yachts standing offshore in lighter conditions benefited by being able to head straight for the mark. The approaching storm saw the breeze increase to 30 + knots causing Kim Thomas's Formula 28 Siamese Cat center beam to crumple and subsequently a dismasting to become the biggest casualty of the day.

Frank Pong's big Reichel Pugh 75 Jelik emerged from the storm leading by the proverbial mile and captured the daily double of line and handicap honours. Bill Bremner's Sydney 40 Team F5 Foxy Lady had a close tussle with Adam Wu Yi's Corby 41.5 Konka Hummingbird throughout the race and managed to finish a mere sixteen seconds in front to secure second and third place respectively.

Aussie Geoff Hill's Lyons 49 Strewth put in a winning performance in the Premier Cruising Class despite the fading breeze to jump up in front of Marcel Liedts X-612 Hocux Pocux 2 who took line honours and managed to hold onto second spot. Only a little over a minute behind the leader Peter Churchouse's Warwick 19.5m Moonblue 2 stayed in contact with the front runners to correct out with third place.

David Lindahl's Swan 42 La Samudra continued on their winning ways of the last few regatta's by coming from behind to capture first place in the Racer/Cruiser Class 2. Keith Dunn's much smaller Mount Gay 30 Lunchcutter ended up with second place after trailing Jonathan Mahony's Mumm 30 Happy Endings by a mere four seconds over the line who ended up placing third. Roger Colman's crew on Bill Yo! consisted to the Brazilian dancers from Zico's Bar and Grill that probably were the most photographed yacht of the fleet amongst the assembled press core.

Roger Kingdon's Moto Inzi managed to come through the day with a handy lead after Siamese Cat's demise and score a victory over Francesco Brancaccio's Farrier F24 Vivace who finished nearly a hour behind. Armind Kundke's Radical Bay 8000 Coco Blues finished a further half hour behind but still managed to score third place in front of several faster yachts that were left stranded as the wind dropped.

Full results can be accessed through: http://www.samuiregatta.com/

5th Koh Samui International Regatta 2006
AY Pre-Regatta Report

Last but not least on the 2005-06 Season this Tropical Island Regatta offers top class racing in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere at some of the Islands finest resorts makes this venue one of the best in Asia.

In a new move to try and make the KSR more participant friendly organisers have posted the SI's, the Schedule of Races and Courses on the web site at http://samuiregatta.com/on-the-water.html This will allow everybody to have a good read through the SI's and plot courses before they arrive at Samui.

A strong contingent of Hong Kong and Singapore yachts are joined by Thai based racers from Phuket, Pattaya and Samui that enjoy nothing more than some friendly rivalry amongst themselves within a very competitive fleet. Sam Chan's 2004 regatta winning 72ft ULDB Sled Ffree Fire is back again, taking on Frank Pongs Reichel Pugh 75 Jelik and Bill Bremner's smaller Sydney 40 Team F5 Foxy Lady. However they won't have it all their own way as joining for the first time is Adam Wu's recently acquired Corby 41.5 Konka Humingbird crewed by China Team members that was formerly raced as Minx and Nokia in the Admirals Cup and Cowes Week. Welcome to the frey!

The big three Hong Kong Premier Cruisers of Marcel Liedts X-612 Hocux Pocux 2, Ian Nicolson's Dubois 80 Intrigue and Peter Churchouse's Warwick 19.5m Moonblue 2 will be joined by Aussie Geoff Hill's Lyons 49 Strewth that has competed with distinction at all the major Asian regattas through the 2005-06 season. A real battle of the heavy weights is expected here.

Seven yachts are lining up in the smaller Racer/Cruiser Class 2. David Lindahl's Swan 42 La Samudra took out the Top of the Gulf Regatta two weeks ago, will be going head to head again with Pascal Leray's X-99 High Jinks and David Pollard's X 412 Foreign Xchange 2. Singapore's Greg Coops X 372 Abraxas and Keith Dunn's Mount Gay 30 Lunchcutter together with Phuket's Grenville Fordham on Image Asia Bintang and Dubai's Richard Colman on the Sunsail 35 will be out to prove a point and based on past performances are likely to ruin the party.

The Sportsboat Class sees Jonathan Mahony's defending champion Mumm 30 Happy Endings taking on Mark Horwood's Phuket Sports 8 Image Asia Attitude 8 and David Bell's Fremantle 8 Pink Pussycat. These are three very different designs suited to different conditions and as there is a marked decline in numbers organisors may well lump them in together with the Class 2 racer/cruisers for this year.

The Multihull Class is emerging as the biggest class racing at Thailand's major regatta's as they are better suited to the tropical climate and double up as fast cruisers in a vibrant charter industry. Roger Kingdon's Moto Inzi and Damian Kimball's X-Ta-Sea are extremely fast Phuket built Mark Pescott designed Firefly catamarans that can't be seen for the spray when the wind picks up. The Samui built Radical Bay 8000's China House and Coco Blues have ruled the roost at past events but may have their hands full against the trimarans of Henry Kaye's Corsair Sprint 750 The Sting and Francesco Brancaccio's Farrier F24 Vivace. Kirati Asakul's Lock Crowther 43 Sonic is always in with a chance and Kim Thomas's Formula 28 Pulsion 2 is new to the fold but very experienced in these waters. Martin Peters Tiki 30 Nok Talay is out classed in this field but likes to go along and enjoys the racing

Thanks to the sponsors generosity participants will enjoy a free tender service to the moored boats from the (CSBR) water sports centre - Daily Happy Hours from 17.00 to 19.00 - free drinks, snacks, daily results and awards at the Regatta Tavern on the beach in front of the Central Samui Beach Resort - CAT Telecomm IT Services - free wi-fi internet booths, free local and international overseas phone calls. Check out what else is in store this year visit the regatta web site at http://samuiregatta.com/regatta-schedule.html

Unfortunately as it turns out none of the front runners in the AY Grand Prix Championships will be competing at Samui on this final event. So Neil Pryde and his Farr 52 Hi-Fi Team Pryde hold a commanding lead after winning the China Coast Regatta, Raja Muda, Singapore Straits and placed second at the King's Cup to earn them the distinction of becoming 2005- 06 AY Grand Prix Skipper and Yacht Champions for the second year in succession. Neil will not be present to receive this prestigious award but a special presentation and champagne ceremony will be organised at a latter date. This will not deter us from sharing the champagne around with the Koh Samui winners at the magnificent prize giving party on the lawns of the Central Samui Resort at Chewang Beach to celebrate the end of the season. To see how your favourite team has scored through out the season goto: http://asianyachting.com/news/AYGP05-06.htm

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