Phuket Kings Cup Regatta 2003 - Race Report 2
by CaptMarty@AsianYachting.com

Is the wind jinx on the KC broken? We hope so!
A steady 12 to 15 knot breeze greeted sailors that lasted through out the afternoon enabling the race committee to complete 2 windward / leeward's for the racing classes and a passage race for the multihulls and cruisers. It is a welcome relief as the regatta has suffered from light breezes for the last 3 years and after 2 days of racing everybody is hoping the good sailing conditions continue for the rest of the week.

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.

The IRC 1 class had some mixed results with David Lindhal's Phuket based La Samudra and Rob Williams Di Hard sharing the wins to bump La Samudra to the top of the leaderboard above John Vause's old favourite Ruby Tuesday who placed 2nd and 4th today and is also tied with Di Hard for second spot after 3 races.

After a mix up at the finish line the all girl Dewi Bayu Team on Gotcha Lagi! skippered by Juanita Spencer sprung a surprise on her male counterparts in the IRC 2 class by winning their only race today by a mere 35 seconds from Jock Combie's Fi Tuen. The Royal Thai Navy 2 skippered by NC Rachid Sanpakeaw followed only 31 seconds latter to hold onto 1st overall from Gotcha Lagi! and Tracy Williams Patrice III who was relegated and scored in this class overnight despite competing and winning the IRC 3 class yesterday.

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.

In the Classic Class Stephen Pepperell's Herreshoff designed Long White Cloud recorded his 2nd victory over Julian Hill's Sanook and Marc Massari's magnificent 42m Sylvia put on a majestic performance making their way through the smaller yachts to be scored 3rd.

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.