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The
3rd Koh Samui International Regatta
Race Report 2
Date:
25 April 2004
A good
12 to 18 knot SW breeze stirred up by a unprecedented number of
low pressure systems extending across Indonesia up to China and
as far west as India. This certainly tested the crews sail handling
skills and a number of torn sails, damaged equipment and yachts
overshooting the downwind mark affected their final placings during
2 very trying trapezoid courses.
Ray
Roberts skippering his former stead Ulumulu bounced back into contention
with a 1st place in Race 2 today but a ripped mainsail forced them
to sail with a tri-sail in race 3 and ended up with a creditable
3rd in race 3. The parting of the No 2 headsail on Sam Chan's Ffreefire
left the way open for Gerry Daughton's Outrageous to fill 2nd spot
in Race 2 but turned the table in Race 3 and returned to their winning
ways.
Marcel
Liedts crew on Hocux Pocux 2 sailed a almost flawless race to lead
the fleet around every mark leaving Peter Churchhouse's Moonblue
2 trailing in his wake and Dr Ian Nicolson's 60ft Intrigue of Stornaway
in 3rd. The positions where reversed in Race 3 with Moonblue 2 edging
out Hocux Pocux 2 at the top of the podium and yesterdays winner
Lawana embarrassingly catching all the headsails on the mast mounted
radar bracket and requiring a emergency dash to Phuket for sail
repairs.
The
Thai Naval Academy finished up completing a 1, 2 in both races with
Veerasit Puangnak's crew getting the better of Rachit Sanphakaew
by a mere 25 seconds. Saranya Makinson's Magic Roundabout took 2
third places but will have to do much better to catch the well sailed
Farr 34 MRX's who are looking at a run away win in this class.
In
the colorfully named Sportsboat class Jonathon Mahony's Mum 30 Happy
Endings easily beat David Bell's Pink Pussycat and Mark Horwards
Image Asia Attitude 8 in race 2. Early retirements in race 3 for
Happy Endings and Image Asia Attitude 8 left the way open for Pink
Pussycat to complete the race alone and add another win to her tally.
Khun
Radab displayed a show of speed around the course on his Farrier
9 Cedar Swan trimaran in both races to eclipse Kirati Assakul's
13m Lock Crowther catamaran Sonic and Francesco Brancaccio's Farrier
24 Vivace. Race 3 saw the retirement of most of the front runners
leaving the way clear for Martin Peter's Wharram Tiki 30 Nok Talay
to surprisingly take 2nd place in race 3.
Racing
continues in the fresh breezes with a passage race tomorrow leading
into a layday on Thursday when emergency repairs can be conducted.
Ends
Results
and more news are available on http://www.samuiregatta.com.
Race
report by Capt. Marty Rijkuris of Asian
Yachting.
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