7th
Six Senses Phuket Raceweek 2010
AY
Race Report 4 & Summary
AY
Race Report 4 & Summary |
All
hell breaks loose on the final day...
Summary
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July
25th: At the sumptuous Six Senses Evason breakfast overlooking
the racing area, the warning signs for a tough day ahead were already
in full view. White caps and lumpy seas, stirred up by 20 to 25 knot South
West Monsoon winds. Upon arrival at Race Control at Into the Beach, Nitt
kindly pointed out at that
Stuart Williamson's Beneteau 34.7 Skandia Endeavour of Whitby
had
drifted off, some time during the night and was firmly planted on the
rocks at Koh Bon. A Thai fishing boat had been engaged to skull drag her
from the beach and tow her into Ao Chalong for repairs. As the assembled
media were due to board the boats an enormous storm descended on Phuket
bringing with it 30 to 35 knot gusts and lashing rain. After half an hour
delay, those that were brave enough to tackle the bronco bucking jetty
and risk ruining their valuable camera equipment, clambered aboard and
headed out to the racing area to see what was going on out there. Capt
Brent McInnes our boat owner and driver afforded us a brief photo shoot
of the Skandia
Endeavour of Whitby grounding
and then expertly guided his magnificent Donzi speedboat around the starting
area, all the time desperately trying to keep the photographic equipment
dry. Just after PRO Simon James started the IRC Racing and IRC 2 classes
the threatening black clouds that were building out to sea, descended
over the race course and all hell broke loose in torrential rain and zero
visibility.
The
boats that could, had already taken deep reefs in their mainsails and
were carrying small head sails but the boats that couldn't were completely
overpowered and out of control on the race course. As the weather shut
down proceedings, the skippers and crew milling around waiting for their
start, wisely went into survival mode. Ray Waldron's brand new Phuket
8 Surf Patrol was the first casualty when the boat almost capsized
in over 30 knots and in doing so, lost two crew members over the side.
Almost straight after Nigel Cross on the Daniel Moore 11.2 catamaran Little
Soul radioed in to tell the race office that they were dismasted
near the start line. No one was injured and they were attempting to sort
out the mess of rigging and sails dragging in the water on their port
side, before motoring to Ao Chalong. The media boats were asked to find
these floundering boats, render any assistance and standby. Grenville
Fordham's Andaman Cabriolet Niña safely picked up the
two Surf Patrol crew members, as the remaining crew lowered the
mainsail and got the boat back under control. At the height of the storm
and for safety reasons many skippers decided not to take any further part
in racing and preserve the boat and their equipment for another day.
As
the weather abated and clearer skies returned, PRO
Simon James resumed
the starting sequence for the remaining boats on Course 16, that would
take them into and around the much calmer Ao Chalong Bay. The Racing and
IRC 2 classes were beginning to exit Ao Chalong and head for the finish
line, when the recently started classes were just entering the bay. Only
time for a quick wave as the boats passed. Antony Hastings radioed the
committee to let them know that due to some boom damage he was also retiring
his Beneteau First 53 F5 Baby Tonga from the race. Just when
everything seemed to be under control, another black cloud rolled over
the southern tip of the island and unleashed another round of fury on
the normally sedate waters. Having experienced the earlier storm most
boats were ready and took notice of the early warning gusts to douse the
spinnakers and get ready for another big blow. Apart from the lashing
rain, finding your way in zero visibility and identifying other boats
or landmarks in your vicinity, is a good reminder of the dangers that
this sport can pose.
In
the IRC Racing class, Scott Duncanson managed to keep his Phuket 8 Quantum
Fusion M upright and sailed conservatively to take Race 7 handicap
honours. Ben Copley's Swan CS 42 Katsu took line honours and
second place, to finally ditch the bridesmaid role and take home the overall
Racing Class trophy. Robert van Paridon's Beneteau 44.7 Tantrum
clung on for third place today, but Antony Hastings Beneteau First 53
F5 Baby Tonga did enough in the earlier races to take third spot
on the podium. Surprisingly enough the race committee were set up and
almost ready to hold Race 8 when the second storm struck and had to abandon
proceedings.
Toshio
Furuta's mainly Japanese team on the chartered Mumm 36 Emma have
scored four line honours out of seven races but after handicaps are applied
have finished right down the bottom of the order in the IRC 2 fleet. Today
was their lucky day as Emma scored the daily double in Race 7.
Second place for Bryan Gauson's refitted 1976 Sydney Hobart Race winning
Farr 1104 Piccolo has lived up to its reputation and galloped
away with the IRC 2 title on their first outing. It's amazing what a lot
of tender loving care and a few talented crew from North Sails, Perth
can do for a top performance. Although Peter Dyer's IOR 1/4 tonner Sea
Bees incurred some sail damage on the way to the start line and did
not compete today, they managed to hold onto second place on the podium.
Defending champion Jaray Tipsuk on Platu 25 Royal Thai Navy 5
ripped their jib when they went to the aid of the Surf Patrol
crew and were awarded points for Race 7 to lock in the third podium place.
Jack
Cristensen's Bavaria 49 Linda has been lagging at the back of
the IRC 3 class all regatta but today survived the savage conditions to
pull off first and fastest to end the regatta in fine style. Second place
for the Russians on Alex Takhovski's Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 50DS Lero
sees them through to claim the overall title. Fourth place for Keith Garry's
Malaysian based X-412 BeauX Esprits holds them in second overall
and the retirement of John Caffin's Jeanneau J53 Don't Think Twice
makes way for Horst Lakits' Swan 55 Big A to jump up onto the
third step of the podium.
Four
boats chose not to compete and one retirement today paved the way for
Andy Pape skippering the new Andaman Cabriolet Da Vinci to dismiss
the bridesmaid role and win Race 7 in adverse conditions. After rendering
assistance to the Surf Patrol crew, Grenville Fordham's original
Andaman Cabriolet Nina went on to take second place. Despite
third place ruining a clean sheet of six wins in a row, Henry Kaye's Seacart
30 Thor has convincingly won the Multihull class title and was
even seen flying the center hull today. Da Vinci holds onto second
overall and despite not competing David Liddell's Corsair 37 Miss
Saigon lays claim to third overall.
Damien
Page in charge of SEA Property triumphed on Race 7, in front
of Roger Kingdon's ever elusive Moto Inzi and overall leader
Hans Rahmann's Voodoo. This result did not change the podium
places as Hans Rahmann's Voodoo scored four wins and never finished
out of the top three places to secure the Firefly 850 Sport one-design
trophy for the second year running. Roger Kingdon has pushed Moto
Inzi hard all regatta and deservedly takes second place on the podium.
Today's win secures SEA Property skippered by Damien Page third
overall in front of a marauding, hungry chasing pack.
In
the two boat Classic Class, Gunther Nutt's Friendship Sloop Kerida
and Tom Howard's 100 year old North Sea Fishing Boat Seraph had
a close battle in the difficult conditions until some damage forced Seraph
to retire. Which handed the race win and overall title to Gunther Nutt's
Kerida, who also was awarded the Seraph Trophy for displaying
some outstanding sportsmanship on the classic class boats.
