There were 10 winners at last week’s 24th Phuket King’s Cup, each of them earning the respect of their peers through delivering close, consistent competition in challenging conditions.
Those winners were Ray Roberts’ Evolution Racing, Matt Allen’s Ichi Ban, Peter Dyer’s Team Sea Bees, Peter Sorensen’s Baby Tonga, Ilya Ermakov’s Sarawadee, Paul Brunning’s Dondang Sayang, Richard Macfarlane’s Aida, Jean Rheault’s Souay 1, Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo and David Liddell’s Miss Saigon.
“Evolution”. (Photo by Guy Nowell)
The cup attracted 107 yachts representing 16 nations across the 10 classes. Mixed among the competitors were sailors of all levels from club weekend racers to America’s Cup, Olympic and world champion sailors.
At the start of the week the 2010 King’s Cup had all the potential to deliver a brilliant event and by the end of the week, that is exactly what happened.
The quality of entrants in each of the classes has grown over the years. The results were exceptionally close coming down to the last race on the last day counting for everything in several classes. Few classes were dominated by one boat. Many races saw the winners and losers separated by a matter of seconds on corrected times.
In the Racing Class, which included five TP52s, the final results saw just one point difference between Evolution Racing and HiFi.
In IRC2 Team Sea Bees and Royal Thai Navy 1 also came down the wire with one point separating these two exceptionally competitive teams.
The Premier Class, otherwise known as the furniture class, was stronger this year with 15 entrants, up from nine in 2009. The two top placegetters, Baby Tonga and Xena, drove each other unmercifully during their four races to deliver an equal scorecard of two firsts and two seconds.
In the Multihulls it was one point difference across the top three placegetters; Miss Saigon, Thor and Da Vinci.
There was the usual range of dramas on the water and a few that could never have been anticipated.
The traditional light air King’s Cup conditions returned, at least until the last few hours on the last day of the series. The IRC2 and Multihull class entrants had to change gears quickly for some fast, furious racing while the cruiser/racer fleet leaders turned around to see their fellow class members quickly closing the gap as they bought the breeze with them.
Evolution Racing and HiFi delivered a dead heat in race six. They were just 11 seconds apart at the finish and equal on corrected time.
Strewth lost a crew member overboard when the starboard spinnaker sheet caught him behind the legs lifting him straight over the side. Quick action by the crew ensured the crewman was back on board safely with only his pride dented.
Frank Pong’s dream of seeing an all-Chinese team compete in the Racing Class was achieved with Olympian, Song Xia Quin at the helm and the team finishing in a credible ninth place.
Thor missed the radio call on the location of the finishing mark in race four, then had to turn back to round the mark, costing them time, places and ultimately a back-to-back overall class win.
On Pytheaus Aura, one of the crew members sadly passed away and was discovered as the yacht was heading out to the start line.
Ichi Ban went into the King’s Cup history books achieving three back-to-back wins in the IRC1 class matching Bill Glasson’s Keelboat class win of the early 90s.
Freefire finally found themselves at the top of the fleet winning line and handicap honours in the last race for the Racing class.
The largest boat in the fleet, the 50m S/Y Perseus, provided a stunning back-drop to this year’s King’s Cup. Certainly what they lacked in speed in the light airs, they made up for in sheer elegance.
Unfortunately the light winds of the series disappeared for the last day of the regatta, replaced by 20 knots plus westerly and a huge swell battering the fleet as they sat at anchor off Kata Beach. Racing was cancelled for the day as the yacht rescue mission commenced in earnest.
Race committee member, former Regatta Chairman and a competitor in 24 King’s Cups, Chris King, reflected on the last regatta-day drama.
“Our Regatta Director, Simon James, worked exceptionally hard since 3 a.m., when the storm first blew up, trying to get all the resources we could to try and help these boats off the beach. The perception among a lot of sailors is that we hadn’t done anything. The fact is we didn’t succeeded in doing what needed to be done, but it is not from want of trying. All the resources we’ve got, all the resources of the Navy and many of the bigger boats that were out there on the water that have the horsepower to help were roped in.
“It was absolutely an abnormal situation. I live in Thailand and have been here for 40 years. I have spent a lot of time in Phuket and a lot of time on the water (here). This time of year, I have never, ever, seen anything like this. This is December. The wind is supposed to be blowing from completely the opposite direction.”
The introduction of the much anticipated combined fleet racing for the IRC and Multihull Challenge trophies, scheduled as the concluding event of the regatta, was cancelled due to the wild conditions of the last day.
Prize-giving was held on the scheduled final day and was followed by another legendary regatta party. The sailors and race committee members can now sit down and start talking about the Phuket King’s Cup 2011.
“Next year is our 25th anniversary and His Majesty the King’s seventh cycle. He is 84 years old. This event was started to celebrate the King’s fifth cycle, his 60th birthday. The King is the patron of the event, very revered and he is a sailor. Next year we are going to celebrate that. We are also going to celebrate that it’s 25 years since we started the King’s Cup. It is going to be big and exciting.” Chris King said. (Press Release)
One of the beached yachts on the last day of the Phuket King’s Cup 2010. (Photo/Guy Nowell)
A candlelight ceremony was held to honour His Majesty the King’s birthday at Kata Beach Resort. (Photo/Guy Nowell)
“Xena” crew racing on the edge.
The Cruising fleet with the wind behind their sails on the opening day of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.
Blue skies, beautiful scenery and highly competitive racing were a feature of the first four days of the regatta. (Photo by Captain Marty /Asian Yachting)
