The
15th Phuket King's Cup Regatta 2001
with Principle Sponsor BMW 3-8
December
Race Report 7
Race Reports and Press
Releases
by Andrew Owen from Proteus Sports
Wararak Voravidthayakom Sports Desk
The Nation@Thailand
Asian Yachting Circuit by Fortune
Date: 8 December 2001
Hong Kong yacht Hi Fidelity won this year's Phuket King's Cup. Skippered by New Zealander Neil Pryde, Hi Fidelity has now won the first two events on the Asian Yachting Circuit. Second was Malaysian yacht Yo! skippered by Australian Peter Ahern. Third was fellow Malaysian yacht Pla Loma skippered by the UK's Keith Moore. Says Neil Pryde "It's been a long week of tough racing. It's a bit of a lottery when the winds get that light but we're really pleased with the result. We were up against some tough competition and after a fairly ordinary start we had to come from behind. The next big event is the Singapore Straits Regatta in January and we're feeling confident."
Says
Peter Ahern "Obviously we're gutted. We felt let down yesterday with the
light winds. We were hoping for some strong racing action today but it
was not to be. The King's Cup was within sight."
In the Premier Cruising division it was the
surprise package of Yendys from Malaysia that took the honours ahead of
Hong Kong's Hocux Pocux 2 and Maligaya out of the Philippines. This year's
regatta saw a little less wind than competitors and spectators would have
liked. The wind rarely got above 6 or 7 knots and the warm waters of the
Andaman Sea felt warmer than ever. But the King's Cup combination of competitive
racing, beautiful natural environment and active social scene made it
a hit for everyone.
Says Andrew Cuttihy, a previous Amercia's Cup competitor and crew onboard Yendys, the winning Premier Cruising yacht this year "The King's Cup is extraordinary. The beautiful location, the local culture and the racing. I've been really impressed by the standard of racing and how competitive it is. I could have come up to the event about six years ago and I can't believe how much I've been missing! I'll definitely be back."
Competitors will gather tonight for one last party and an awards ceremony presided over by the King's Representative. The Asian Yachting Circuit then moves on to Singapore in January and the Singapore Straits Regatta. The 15th Phuket King's Cup Regatta is the second event on the Asian Yachting Circuit (AYC) that also visits Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Asian Yachting Circuit is presented by FORTUNE. The Principle Sponsor for the Phuket King's Cup Regatta is BMW and the event is supported by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Kata Beach Resort, QBE, House of Kangaroo, Sunsail, the Evason Phuket, Phuket Island Lager, The Boathouse, BJC and Pepsi. For more information contact Proteus Sports turn to www.asianyachtingcircuit.com and for full results turn to www.kingscup.com or call Andrew Owen from Proteus Sports on +852 9472 1704
Return to AsianYachting News and Views
The
signature race at the Phuket King’s Cup is the BMW Andaman Sea Race which
is also part of the FORTUNE Cup series. As such an important part of the
Regatta the Organizers were this morning saying a prayer to the wind gods.
Their prayers seemed to have been in vain as the competitors arrived at
the beach and another placid scene greeted them. The wind gods have a
reputation as a fickle bunch and sure enough, by 9pm the breeze had suddenly
picked up and it was clear that the BMW Andaman Sea Race would begin early.
Approaching
Koh Racha Yai Peter Ahern’s Yo! was in the lead and she was in
good shape to continue her excellent string of results. But those fickle
wind gods also seemed a little lazy and they’d not yet reached the leeward
side of the island. Waiting for Yo! was a zone of no wind and she,
along with Jelik and Maligaya, were stranded. For boats
of this size (the smallest of the three is 15m) it is crucial to maintain
forward momentum. All three boats became trapped in the wind shadow of
the island. Meanwhile boats behind them were carried forward on a gust
and, by maintaining some momentum, were able to pass the stranded giants.
The wind gods are cruel indeed.
After
rounding the island it was clear Hi Fidelity and Pla Loma 3
were at the front of the fleet and the handicap-favoured Hai Min
and The Dogs, both smaller yachts from Singapore, were looking
strong. As Hi Fidelity and Pla Loma tacked towards the finish
line at Kata it looked more like match racing – but it was Hai Min
that won the race on handicap. Behind her was The Dogs and in third
Hi Fidelity. Pla Loma place fifth behind Stella.
Yo! struggled home in a frustrating 12 place.
After
six races there is now one result each yacht in the Racing Division can
discard. Yo! were pleased to throw out the 12th place finish today
and they remain at the top of the leader board. But joining them on 10
points is Hi Fidelity. Third is Pla Loma.
Today’s
result places Hi Fidelity at the top of the Fortune Cup Series
with Pla Loma in second and Luna Nuova in third. The next
FORTUNE Cup Race will be at the Singapore Straits Regatta in January.
The
seasonal north-easterly winds that usually bring strong and steady winds
to Phuket throughout the whole of December have not been much in evidence
this week at the Phuket King’s Cup. Today was no exception. A light sea
breeze picked up around midday to only 5 knots. Disappointing – but still
enough to race and the gathered yachts proceeded out onto the course in
the heavy heat.
The
fleet was divided neatly into two – those who had been over early and
those who got away clean. At the front of the race was Hi Fidelity.
The speed over water may not be impressive in only 5 knots – but the widening
gap between the Hong Kong-based yacht and the rest of the fleet was. By
the end of the race it was clear that Hi Fidelity had picked up
another bullet – two wins from two races. Behind was Yo! and in
third Linklaters.
By
11am the wind was picking up, the sailors began to stir and a murmur ran
through the beach. There would be racing today after all. Eyes brightened
and steps quickened and suddenly boats were streaming out of the bay and
heading for the start line. The Phuket King’s Cup was back in action.
At
the end of the first race it was Yo! that took victory, making
it two wins from two races. Behind her was Neil Pryde’s Hi Fidelity
and in third Stella from Hong Kong. Said Peter Ahern, skipper of
Yo! "This is a great result for us. We are a big boat so to
sail this well in such light winds is fantastic."
There
was no sign of winds early in the morning but the organizers waited until
9.30am to announce the race postponed to 1pm. However, since the winds
in the afternoon are always lighter than in the morning. The sailors had
no luck to do what the 76 yachts are here for. 
By
8am most of the boats were moving towards the start line but without a
breath of wind, the water was a glassy calm. By 10am it was clear that
the wind was not about to fill in and boats were allowed back to shore
where they could wait in comfort for the winds that would surely come.
At
first only some of the classes had the winners as the whole fleets of
some classes could not come home in the time limit. However, the orgaizer
decided to award points from the positions at the last mark. So only 20
boats got the “Did Not Finish” result.
In
the Cruising Class 3, no boats came home in time limit. But the first
place was awarded to Braig Parsell’s Passiona with the time of 01:50:29.
Stuart Crowe’s Cinders was second and Mike Downard’s Bourgeois Tag was
third.
The
elite Racing Division has an impressive list of high calibre yachts with
a string of titles between them. Favourite in the division is Neil Pryde’s
Hi-Fidelity (14m) from Hong Kong, defending AYC Champion and fresh
from his victory at the previous AYC regatta in Malaysia – the Raja Muda
International Regatta. Also in the fleet is Karakoa, winner of
the Raja Muda in 2000 (though this year it’s being driven by Paul Winkelman
from Hong Kong). Stella (12m) out of Hong Kong won the Singapore
Straits Regatta earlier this year. There’s also DK42 from Malaysia
who placed second in the AYC last season. Other boats to watch will be
Jelik (23m) skippered by Hong Kong’s Frank Pong and Yo!
(15m) from Malaysia, skippered by Australian Peter Ahern.
It
was an early start this morning with crews taking local long-tail boats
out to their yachts wet-moored off Kata Beach Resort before 7am. By 8.30
racing was underway at the Phuket King’s Cup but the winds were light.
The course led them south, away from Kata Beach and around the southern
tip of Phuket around the islands of Ko Hi and Ko Aeo. Wind speeds stayed
light throughout the race with a peak at around 10 knots. Despite there
being five more days to the event the first race is of course a crucial
test that can set the tone for a boat for the entire event. It was a frustrating
time racing in heavy heat battling both light winds and high expectations.
It was the Malaysian boat Yo! that showed real class to claim the
victory ahead of DK42 and Hi Fidelity.
The
regatta is on! In spite of the turmoil and uncertainty following the tragic
events in the USA on September 11th, the Phuket King’s
Cup Regatta – and its committed followers – will go ahead.
As many of the world’s political leaders have said, it is vital
that life goes on and that things return to normal, as far as possible.
What
of sponsorship in these difficult times? Last minute uncertainties have
finally been resolved. One nervous first-time sponsor pulled out – with
a hope of coming in next year when the climate improves – and Thai Airways
International’s sponsorship has succumbed to the troubles plaguing the
airline industry. Yet our sponsorship remains encouragingly strong, with
all of our loyal supporters staying on side. BMW Thailand, as this year’s
principal sponsor, sees the King’s Cup as an essential component of their
product launch strategy this year and is firmly committed.