22nd
Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2008
“Another AY Grand Prix Championship Event”
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22nd
Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2008
“Another AY Grand Prix Championship Event” |
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Goto the KC 08 Photo Gallery
Overnight a discrepancy was discovered in the Racing Class Race 3 starting time which has reshuffled the results considerably and dropped Quantum Racing down the order coming into today's racing. The southern islands coastal coarse was selected in the reverse order this time and yachts set off into a 12 to 16 knot north easterly. Frank Pong's Jelik sailed off into the distance as usual and Paul Winkelmann's TP52 Island Fling and Neil Pryde's Welbourne 52 Hi-Fi reopened their close quarters battle and as they have performed consistently well since the beginning moved one step closer to taking this years title. Towards the end of the race the breeze dropped out disadvantaging the back markers. Jelik went on to take line honours but the 52 footers held on to the end with Neil Pryde's Hi-Fi taking the handicap honours by a little over a minute from Winkelmann's TP52 Island Fling expertly helmed by Steve Benjamin with Jelik in third place. This result combined with the Race 3 correction places Hi-Fi at the top of the leaderboard with 11 points, Island Fling one point behind with 12 points and Jelik only one point further adrift on 13 points. How close is that?
In the IRC 1 class Matt Allen's Beneteau First 44.7 Ichi Ban continues on there winning ways by posting their fourth win in a row to keep the only clean sheet in the fleet. Ben Copley's Swann CS 42 Katsu has been nipping on the heels for a top placing all regatta and taking second place today moves them one step closer into third overall but will have to go a lot harder to topple Ichi Ban. Third place for Rob Bottomley's Beneteau First 47.7 Sailplane may not be what they wanted but it keeps them in second overall.
Despite causing a huge traffic jam at the start line Toru Inoue's Japanese team on TAG managed to restart and find the fast lane to win the race convincingly. Trevor Joyce's Kinnon rose to the occasion to score second place and slip into third overall. After winning the first two races Jan Kisteit's Bavaria 34 cruiser Little Eva dropped to third but still holds a slender one point lead over TAG. Aussie Brent Gribble's Twin Sharks became the fourth individual race winner in the Firefly 850 Sport class. Hans Rahmann's newly acquired Voodo Child continues to improve by taking second place and climbing up into second overall. Third place for Peter Dyer's SEA Property is enough to keep them on the top of the table as they have scored podium places in all races held so far which is a feat within itself in this very competitive class. Fifth place for Henry Kaye's Seahorse Interiors - Mamba sees them drop to third overall. Although Paul Brunning's Dondang Sarang seemed to be struggling in the heavy morning air they came good in the latter stages to claim race 3 victory. Kiwi Roger Folley's Herreshoff schooner Tradition stepped up a notch to take second place and Ralph Goetz's Waconda skippered by the unflappable Simon Jupe ended up third. Despite finishing third James Stoll's grande old dame Argo still tops the leaderboard.
More PKCR 2008 news and results can be found at: http://www.kingscup.com Online AY
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Grinding
out the results before the final push.
Today
the regatta passes the mid point and although some ups and downs have
been experienced we are on track for a successful conclusion. The wind
has moderated since the blustery beginning but has stayed in each day
for the competitors to complete the course in reasonable time. Wind Guru
has the breeze increasing back to 15 - 20 knots by Friday afternoon so
competitors can expect an exciting push to the finish and one last gasp
for a good result.
Like
a blast from the past Peter Cremers Shahtoosh claimed handicap
honours today and put themselves closer to winning another Premier Cruising
title. David Ross' Swan 53 Macquarie - Frangipani Girl has scored
either first or second places and maintains the overall lead by one point
from Shahtoosh. Dr Jon Wardill's Cassidy 55 Australian Maid
announced there presence with third place today but will need to improve
in the remaining races if they expect a podium place. After surviving
a protest hearing Dr Ian Nicolson's Dubois 80 Intrigue holds
onto third overall.
Three
wins in a row puts Scott Duncanson's Phuket 8 Raimon Land The Heights
in the enviable position of possibly taking out the Sportsboat title
for the second year in a row. Japan's Kenchi Takahashi Platu 25 Motor
Net just cannot match the pace of a planning Phuket 8 at full stride
and has scored three second places to prove it. Nobuyuki Kawanish's Team
Puma made a concentrated effort to take third place and lift there
spirits after finishing down the order in the earlier races.
After
a disruptive start to the regatta and playing second fiddle to there Navy
counterparts the Royal Thai Navy 1 Farr MRX skippered by CPO.3
Wiwat Poonpat came to the fore today with a convincing first and fastest
to jump into second overall. Second place for Niels Degenkolw's 3/4 tonner
Phoenix has them closing the ranks to fill third overall. After
a slow start Peter Dyer's defending champion Madame Butterfly
snuck into third place but will find it difficult to repeat last years
result. Despite scoring sixth place today the Royal Thai Navy 2
Farr MRX skippered by NC Pontap Sukudom sits on top of the overall leaderboard.
A
change in order saw Jan Ruedel's German crew on Princess Arieta win
the Sunsail One Design class dispatching Achim Griese's Dutch crew on
Princess Anna that has won the two earlier races down to second
place. Nick Rose British crew on Princess Christina came good
to slot into third place. Princess Anna still heads the pointscore
with a handy four point lead.
Being
pushed above the start line did not seem to worry David Liddell's Miss
Saigon as they took the lead by the first mark and screeched away
with all sails flying never to be headed and record a triumphant victory
in the multihull class. This win not only lifted there confidence but
elevated them to second overall. Bob Brindley's catamaran X Catriot
stayed on the pace to score second place and stay in the running with
third overall. Third place for Radab Kanjanavanit's Farrier - 9A SEAMICO
Cedar Swan keeps them on the top of the scoreboard but the spread
of points has narrowed in the odds for the overall podium places.
In
the Ocean Rover Class Krasnoperov Oleg's Russian team on Thalassa
rebounded by winning again to hold the overall lead. Chapus Marc's USA
team on Sailor Rest have been pushing hard to earn second place
today and maintain second overall. After a dip in form yesterday Charles
Hay's British team on the Jenneau SO 45DS Smystery rebounded
with third today and step up to third overall.
Until
today we have had trouble finding suitable contestants for the "Sailor
Chick of the Regatta" Perhaps the strong wind has
some chill in the air and almost everyone is rugged up in crew uniforms
and spray jackets but today on the long downwind leg in fading wind and
warm sunshine we found our second contestants - none other than steering
the yacht Bad Habits - what an appropriate name. 
