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VOL. 12.5

ARCHIVES:

By Michele Pippen

A fleet of hi-tech performance yachts sporting the latest in sail design; smartly attired, well-trained crew decorating the decks; and all boats trying to be on the start line in the same position at the same time! The normal image of a yacht race.

The 3rd Annual Phuket-Phang Nga-Krabi Regatta, held during Chinese New Year, 24 - 27 January, had a good number of the expected style of racing yacht vying for 1st place. So, it isn’t that this regatta is radically different; it’s more the subtle components that make it special. One such component is that the central focus of this regatta is fun!

Truly a sight worth seeing is the fleet of ‘cruisers’, making their way patiently to the start line: wind generators and solar panels hanging from the rails, spare fuel containers carefully secured, the aroma of freshly baked bread and brewing coffee wafting from the galleys,

Apart from the emphasis-on-fun aspect of this regatta, the three-day event takes the fleet through one of the most magical and scenically beautiful areas in Southeast Asia - Phang Nga Bay. The regatta leads them around a number of the islands in the bay and through three of Thailand’s provinces – Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi - giving reason to the event’s initial lengthy title.

The regatta’s humble beginnings were inspired during an Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) race weekend in August, 1998. The first day’s racing took the tiny fleet of twelve yachts to Koh Chong Lat and a party aboard ACYC Commodore Mark Horwood’s Seraph. That night, surrounded by the towering limestone cliffs and observing the merriment of the sailors aboard the mothership, John Everingham and Captain Christoph Schaefer began the plans to promote an annual regatta. Posing the idea to the club’s key committee members, it was agreed the inaugural Phuket-Phang Nga-Krabi Regatta would take place during Chinese New Year, 1999.

From a modest fleet of fourteen boats, the regatta has grown to thirty-eight entries with over two hundred participants! This certainly attests to the regatta’s increasing popularity and is now being placed on the ‘must do’ list of races in Southeast Asia. In fact, for those who don’t own a boat in the area there is the option of chartering a yacht to join in the fun!

The yachts enter in one of three divisions: Racing, Cruising or Multihull with organisers considering further sub-divisions for future regattas. The cruising division this year totaled twenty vessels with Mike Downard’s Bourgois Tag and Jim Ellis’ locally based Remington dominating the lead positions consistently throughout the three-day regatta.

Due to a combination of rather light airs and design extremes of the racing division, from the classics such as St๖rmvogel and Isobar, to racing machines such as Hocux Pocux, Big Buzzard and Yo!, it was no surprise to see the distinctive grey-hulled racer, Yo! take line honours and first on handicap in all three races.

Multihulls competing this year numbered only three with Summersalt, Full Steam and Lee Marine’s Fine Pitch crisscrossing paths around Phang Nga Bay. Next year will see this division increasing in number with promises of registrations already being made by other multihull owners.

Following a kick-off party at Railay Bay Resort on Railay Beach in Krabi, the Phuket Island Lager Race began the three-day event the next morning. The yachts swept past the majestic Phra Nang headland, letting the brisk early morning winds fill the colourful spinnakers as they turned westward. The fleet sailed a picturesque course utilizing the Koh Hong group of islands as markers, with a finish line southeast of Koh Yao Noi.

After a day’s racing in the hot sun what could be better than a well-deserved swim in the cool, salty water? A number of yachts anchored east of the channel with just that aim in mind before heading further west into the channel for sunset cocktails prior to the night’s prize-giving and celebrations aboard the enormous Nakalay Junk.

There is more to this particular regatta than who comes in first, second and third. It seems to nurture not only camaraderie amongst the sailors but also a genuine warmth between competitors. This was particularly evident during the prize-giving ceremonies with heartfelt cheers and calls of a congratulatory nature from competing boats’ crew members to those receiving trophies and prizes.

Phuket Magazine’s Around the Islands Race on the second day certainly challenged all crews’ light air sailing skills. Most sailors can keep their vessels ‘making good headway’ in a fresh breeze; but it’s quite a different story when there is little or no wind! Not only does it test their skills in trimming sails but also their ability to remain focused regardless of the hot, tropical sun mercilessly beating down on them.

Across the quiet waters of Phang Nga Bay hushed requests could be heard: “A little on the headsail!” or “Ease that mainsheet a fraction!” Crew could be seen moving quietly around the deck to distribute weight in more advantageous positions. A multitude of well-practiced skills were utilized to keep boats merely pointing in the right direction and ready to take advantage of even the slightest zephyr passing their way.

One couple commented “Well, we really didn’t mind having the wind drop out at all. We were grateful for the time to marvel at the glorious scenery and take some wonderful photographs!”

The most heartwarming story was from the cruising boat Deusa, owned by Robert and Rosemary Forrester. Apparently their little part-terrier quietly leapt overboard and it was some time before her absence was noticed. Retiring from the race to search for her, Robert and Rosemary were cruising past a small islet when they observed someone sitting on the spit of sand, a canoe alongside. On closer inspection they spotted their beloved canine! Remarkably the canoeist found the tiny dog swimming in the middle of the bay and managed to coax her into the canoe. What a fortunate little rascal!

At last the fleet made its way up to the peace and calm of its birthplace, Koh Chong Lat. The night’s prize-giving celebration was again hosted aboard the magnificent Nakalay Junk amidst the cathedral-like limestone cliffs of the island and the mainland.

That evening the ‘go-fast’ racing crews could be seen reveling in the tales of the world cruising sailors as they quenched their thirst with icy-cold Phuket Island Lager and feasted on the buffet dinner.

With such a diversity of boats and owners gathered, there are many stories to be told. Adding further variance and interest was Ermanno Traverso’s Stormvogel celebrating forty years of yacht-racing. To mark the occasion, Ermanno supplied Line Honours trophies in all three divisions for the final day’s racing, as well as sponsoring the live-band which contributed appropriately to the festivities of the closing party held at the Phuket Yacht Haven Marina.

Mike Mudd, owner of the yacht Kelson, certainly got into the spirit of Chinese New Year by entertaining everyone, including friends from Hong Kong, with a spectacular fireworks display - from the bow of the yacht! The fireworks have become a tradition for the boat
and Mike promises an even more impressive extravaganza of colourful gunpowder at next
year’s regatta.

This year’s regatta even had an all-female crew of four aboard the yacht Simpatico, under Baan Rim Pa restaurant sponsorship. The girls managed a 7th place on handicap in the racing division for the Phuket Island Lager Race. But the real surprise came on the last night when one of the crew, Mary Jane Carter from Sydney, Australia, stepped up on stage, joining the band as the guest vocalist!

The final day’s race, The QBE Insurance Sprint, took the fleet under the billowing colours of their spinnakers west across Phang Nga Bay to a finish line east of the channel between Phuket Island and the Thai mainland. Again the sailors’ skills and patience were tested under the clear blue skies. The distinct outline of Koh Panak seemed so close, yet ever so elusive.

From the light airs at the start line to an almost dead calm, the race had many choosing to retire. Not at all surprising with the Phuket Yacht Haven Marina’s warm hospitality and facilities awaiting them!

The perfect finish to a wonderful regatta - excellent food, further supplies of chilled Phuket Island Lager, live music, dancing amongst swaying palm trees under a tropical, star-filled sky and, of course, more seafaring stories!
The overall compliments being echoed on the final night clearly indicated this year’s fun aspect won over light airs and had sponsors, owners, skippers and crew planning to join next year’s regatta. Same time, same place, proposed new name: the Bay of Mountains Regatta 2002.