Despite low temperatures, strong wind and intense competition, Thai sailors posted unprecedented results at this year’s Kieler Woche (Kiel Week), northern Europe’s largest sailing festival, held in Germany.
The nine-day Kiel Week is billed as northern Europe’s largest summer sailing regatta, with 5,000 sailors and more than 400 regatta starts on eleven race courses, alongside an event-filled cultural festival that attracts three million guests from around the world.
Chusitt Punjamala sails his Laser to eight place overall.
Fresh on taking the first place trophy in his fleet at the Hong Kong Festival of Sports Open Dinghy Regatta in early June, national Laser 4.7 champion Chusitt ‘Pop’ Punjamala, 15, had jaws dropping when he finished in eighth position, despite warnings that the annual regatta might not the be the best place to debut internationally.
Chusitt Punjamala and coach LCdr Veerasit Puangnak at Kiel Week 2013.
“The competition was not as hard as people suggested it would be, but the winds of 15-19 knots with gusts of 20 plus knots were the strongest I have ever sailed the Laser 4.7 in,” said Chusitt. “And it was very cold, about 12 degrees during the day and under 10 at night.”
He credits his results, including a fifth place in the last race, with the lessons he learned on the water, saying. “I got a lot of experience on how to start in the first row among many more boats than I’ve sailed with before. By the last few races, my performance improved because I learned how to hike properly and how to trim my sail for the strong winds.”
On another race course, Thai brothers Don and Dylan Whitcraft, 18 and 16 respectively, overcame several setbacks to place 12th in the 29er fleet, with two first place finishes to their names, among over 100 competitors.
Enroute to Germany, their sailing gear was misplaced by the airline. At the event, they suffered gear failure in three of the 10 races they sailed. Shivering in the cold, rainy weather, putting on wet sailing gear in the mornings and heading back out to sea was not an enjoyable experience either.
“Still, 12th is great and we are looking forward to our next two regattas this summer,” said Team Leader Marijke Whitcraft. “I am just amazed with their persistence. After the races were finished, they went out training with the Swedish. Don was hit by the boom and now has a black eye. Yet we will soon be leaving for Holland where they have been invited to train with the Dutch national team in between regattas.”
The Whitcrafts, accompanied by former 29er world champion Australian coach Steve Thomas, will next test their skills in the Sail First ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship in mid July in Cyprus, and the 29er Worlds in Denmark in August.
Thai Laser Radial champion Kamolwan Chanyim will also sail in the Sail First ISAF Youth Worlds, where she is a medal contender, the only competitor to have finished twice in the top ten in the past three years.
Meanwhile, Chusitt, travelling with Thai Olympic coach LCdr Veerasit Puangnak and a mixed Asian team led by Polish coach Marek Nostitz-Jackowski, will sail in the Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds in Hungary in mid July. Afterwards, it will be overland to Poland for a professional sailing camp. In August, his plans are to fly to the USA to qualify for the 2014 Youth Olympics.
“The Youth Olympics is the biggest goal for young sailors,” said Chusitt. “It is tough to get there, but I want to race in it once in my life. I won’t be expecting a gold medal – not that I haven’t dreamt about it – but I will be doing intensive training so that I am able to do my best there.”
