"Where from here, the Spanish team was asked?" Plis Play will be shipped to Barcelona and their ambition is to win the Kings Cup in Spain and complete the yearly double of becoming global Kings Cup champions.
Complete Kings Cup 2003 results are available from the http://www.kingscup.com web site. Guy Nowell reports that the photos on this web edition will soon be available online in full resolution when he returns to Hong Kong and prints can be ordered directly from his website by going to: http://www.guynowell.com |
Are
we having fun yet? A fresh 20 to 25 knot trade wind came in with avengeance yesterday and although it has moderated today it appears as though it will last for the rest of the regatta. Two lengthy windward / leeward's for the racing classes and a 25 nm offshore passage race for the multihull and cruising classes where completed in gusty conditions and todays results has sealed a number of the overall class placing's.
IRC
1
Classic Ocean
Rover Complete Kings Cup 2003 results are available from the http://www.kingscup.com web site. Guy Nowell reports that the photos on this web edition will soon be available online in full resolution when he returns to Hong Kong and prints can be ordered directly from his website by going to: http://www.guynowell.com |
Initially is was Karakoa, Hi-Fidelity and Yo! in the Racing Class provisional results but after hearing Neil Pryde's protest the Jury decided that Karakoa and Yo! are to be given 20% penalties. At the time of going to print several counter protests and a redress were being prepared. Although Ray Roberts on Hollywood Boulevard managed to avoid the startline debacle he is in the running for the AsianYachting "Unluckiest Sailor of the month" award when his mainsail ripped across at the 2nd batten down at Ko Racha but despite this managed to continue racing overtaking Karakoa and catching up with Plis Play on the way back.
The Premier Cruising Class also face a round of protests and expecting redresses from the International Jury on a mistaken 1st mark placing and direction from the start as a number of yachts are deemed to have totally missed rounding the mark. Initially Marcel Liedts Hocus Pocus 2 placed 1st with George Olivit's Big Buzzard 2nd and after a brave move of attacking the other starters on starboard Dr Ian Nicolson's Intrigue of Stornaway 3rd. In the IRC 1 class John Vause's Ruby Tuesday added another win to his first day victory over David Lindhal's Phuket based La Samudra who are vying for the overall lead. Last years winner Viroj Nualkhair's Octopussy rebounded into 3rd after a few dismal mid fleet finishes so far. The Royal Thai Navy revelled in todays brisk conditions with number 2 skippered by NC Rachid Sanpakeaw winning the day over # 1 helmed by Lt Bunpot Jaibunjong who had a bad day yesterday finishing amongst the back markers. Tracy Williams Patrice III stays in the hunt with a 3rd today and the final 2 days of racing will determine the overall winner as the mixed placings has produced a very close pointscore in the IRC 2 class. Karl-Heinz Gebhardt's Destiny clambered onto the podium to collect 1st place in the IRC 3 class today over Bob Ashman's Simba who has scored 2 race victories to date..Paul Nicholas's Amadeus has also made his first visit to the podium with a 3rd place and are expecting better performances in the remaining races.
The Multihulls took the opportunity to show a clean pair hulls to the much fancied monohulls this time around with Thailand's Radab Kanjanavit's Cedar Swan arriving first at Ko Racha before Phil Atkinson's Securicor Fine Pitch overtook them and screached back to the Kata Beach finish way in front of the others. Mark Pescott's Latitude 8 Cyrene put in a solid performance to take the handicap honours from Cedar Swan and Bill Eby's Lighten Up entered the frey with a well placed 3rd.
Complete Kings Cup 2003 results are available from the http://www.kingscup.com web site. |
Phuket
Kings Cup Regatta 2003
Neil Prydes Omega sponsored Hi-Fidelity jumped back into contention in the Racing Class with a 1st in race 2 and a 2nd in race 3 to take the lead on the overall leaderboard after 3 races. Ray Ordoveza's Clariden-Karakoa scored a 1st in the 3rd race which added to his two 4th's which moves them into 2nd overall. Vicente Garcia's new Farr 520 Plis Play added a second in race 2 but dropped down to 4th in race 3 to be tied on points with Karakoa. Jeremy Muller's Sydney 32 Scallywag added two more bullets onto his first race victory in the Sportsboats to hold a clear lead over Stuart Harrison's Mumm 30 Panic who has scored 3 seconds so far and David Hamilton's sistership Luuk Loma finished up with two thirds today. Scott Duncanson's slippery Phuket 8 Securicor Somtam Express suffered from being overpowered in the stronger breezes to score two 4th places and is presently tied for 3rd place overall with Luuk Loma. The battle of the giants continued in the premier Cruising Class with the smaller Big Buzzard skippered by George Olivit and Jon Wardill's Australian Maid sharing the honours with one race win each today and Marcel Liedts Hocus Pocus 2 hanging in 3rd place overall with a 2nd and a 4th today.
In the IRC 3 class Simba skippered by Bob Ashman was awarded 1st for yesterdays race after Patrice III changed classes and took out the daily double today with a 1st and fastest to lead Graham Lind's Sumatra who has 2 second places. Antonio Escribano's Aproache Sailing took second today but Jim Ellis's 4th place on Remington lifts him to overall 3rd place after 2 races. The Multihull class saw Phil Atkinson's Securicor Fine Pitch turn the tables today on the Mark Prescott skippered Latitude 8 Cyrene although Mark holds a slim 1 point overall lead over Fine Pitch with Thailand's Radab Kanjanavit's Cedar Swan taking 3rd to trail the leaders by only 1 point.
The Ocean Rover Class has only 3 yachts competing where Ray Bradshaw's Gladys Guttenburg finished 1st from John Fenn's The Four Winds and George M Johannes OK-LA. Complete Kings Cup 2003 results are available from the http://www.kingscup.com web site. Guy Nowell reports that most of the photos on this web edition will soon available online in full resolution and prints can be ordered directly from his website by going to: http://www.guynowell.com |
Vicente Garcia's new Spanish Farr 520 team on Plis Play who are still celebrating Valencia being selected as the next America's Cup venue had more to celebrate as they took Line Honours on their first ever outing over Ray Roberts older Farr 52 OD. Peter Ahern's YO! narrowly won the day on handicap by 50 seconds from Neil Pryde's Hi-Fidelity and Plis Play ended up third trailing by a mere 25 seconds. Juan Meseguer from Valencia who sailed on Prada in the last cup is trimming the main here, expressed the teams joy with the boats overall performance and praised DK Yachts for having prepared the boat in time.
George Olivet's Big Buzzard ended up in a familiar top place on the podium in the clash of the big boats in Premier Cruising class from Jon Wardill's well traveled Australian Maid. Marcel Liedts Hocus Pocus 2 finished up in 3rd after taking a handy lead on the passage across to Ko Hi and Ko Aeo.
The Royal Thai Navy also have something to celebrate after finishing 1st and 2nd in the IRC 2 class and continued on their winning ways from last year. The all girls Dewi Bayu Team from Malaysia on Gotcha Lagi! managed to fill 3rd spot after a close tussle with the Thai navy boys.
Aussie multihull designer Mark Prescott on the locally built Cyrene managed to pip Thailand's Radab Kanjanavit's Cedar Swan in the Multihull class. Phil Atkinson's Securicor Fine Pitch that has won here 3 times before finished up 3rd with less than a minute separating the first 3 yachts after handicaps have been applied.
Only 3 yachts are competing in the Ocean Rover Class where Ray Bradshaw's Gladys Guttenburg finished 1st from John Fenn's The Four Winds and George M Johannes OK-LA. Well
what a wonderful start to this years Kings Cup. Plenty of wind for all
to be able to complete the course in record time and back at the Kata
Beach Resort bar a little after mid-day. Tomorrow sees the start of
the first 2 rounds of windward / leeward's for the racing classes and
short passage races for the remaining IRC and cruising classes. If the
fresh conditions continue there should be some very close racing and
establish the order at the top of the leaderboard. Complete Kings Cup 2003 results are available from the http://www.kingscup.com web site. Guy Nowell reports that most of the photos on this web edition will soon available online in full resolution and prints can be ordered directly from his website by going to: http://www.guynowell.com |
All eyes will be on the Racing Classes who are joined by a new Farr 520 Plis Play from DK Yachts with a teak deck and full interior, Ray Ordoveza's previous winner Karakoa from the Philippines possibly skippered by Steve Benjamin from North Sails, 2 very slippery Phuket 8 sportsboats and another Mumm 30 Luk Loma from Singapore under David Hamilton's helm. Last years winner Peter Ahern's YO! is back to defend the hard fought title and Ray Roberts Farr 52OD Hollywood Boulevard is in the hunt after a convincing win 2 weeks ago at the Raja Muda Regatta in Malaysia.
The remaining yachts which make up the bulk of the fleet are mainly cruiser/racing yachts or outright cruisers have been placed into 3 separate IRC Classes that are classified by their handicap ratings. The usual lot of Phuket based yachts that have individually won on different occasions all stand a chance again here given suitable conditions. The Royal Thai Navy are back in force with 2 competing yachts to defend the title they so narrowly won last year from Gotcha Lagi! that this year will be raced by the all girl Dewi Bayu Team from Malaysia that pulled a few surprises in the racing class at the recent Raja Muda Regatta.
Ten large Multihulls have entered this highly contested class that is usually overlooked in favour of the racing monohull counterparts. Thailand's Radab Kanjanavit's Cedar Swan starts each year as one of the favorites but will be hard pressed by many of the locally built catamarans and Tony Lough's Securicor Fine Pitch that has won here 3 times before. So as the stage is all set plus the Simon James led race committee are ready to tackle any issues and designed courses to suit all craft, all that is needed is the light North Easterly trade winds to co-operate and we will witness a wonderful week of exciting yacht racing in the Andaman Sea this year entirely conducted from the Kata Beach Resort in Phuket. To view past AsianYachting King's Cup Race Reports and Summaries click on 2000 2001 or 2002 Ray Roberts recent RMIR victory has lifted Hollywood Boulevard to currently share first place with Peter Ahern's YO! in the 2003/04 AY Skipper and Yacht Rankings after the 3rd ***** five star, grand prix yacht racing event held this Season. Check out how the championship is shaping up at: http://asianyachting.com/news/Rankings0304.htm Return
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