Eastern Seabaord sailors dominate first Princess Cup Regatta

by Peter Cummins, Pranburi

The best Royal Thai Navy and Royal Varuna Yacht Club sailors from the Sattahip/Pattaya/Jomtien waters made no doubt who was in charge at last week’s Princess Cup Regatta, held off the Phatra Marina and Yacht Club Pranburi.

Seventeen of the top places were taken by the Eastern Seaboard’s top teams, dominating the 25-strong fleet.

If ever the names in a winner’s circle could be regarded as most appropriate to a specific event and, more generally, to current concerns in the Kingdom, then the first three placings at last week’s Princess Cup match up perfectly.

The First Princess Cup, sailed off the Phatra Marina and Yacht Club on the waters off Hua Hin and Prachuab Khiri Khan was held to raise funds for the Kidney Foundation of Thailand. It just happened that the first place went to the medical profession, with a Thai Navy team sailing the boat sponsored by the Bangkok Hospital.

Photo: Who's in charge here? Mayhem at the windward mark.

As Thailand enters the second quarter of the two-year "Amazing Thailand" tourism promotion campaign, it was also fitting that in second place was a boat sponsored by SEA Tours, one of the leading companies promoting Thailand as a tourist destination. A Royal Varuna Yacht Club team, led by Varuna flag commodore David Race, was only one point behind the winners, to finish second in a fiercely-contested regatta.

With all eyes on the Thai economy, it was also quite apt that the Phatra Thanakit Company sponsored the third boat to finish, with Viroj Nualkair and his team finishing two points behind the Varunians and three points behind the Royal Thai Navy.

The regatta was Raced in the Farr Platu 25, specifically designed and built for the Phatra Marina and Yacht Club and, since the first consignment of this lively craft arrived in Thailand some three years ago, fleets have rapidly spread to other countries of the region, as well as Europe. It is built to very strict standards and epitomizes the concept of "one-design" racing, the ultimate in yacht racing competitions.

The regatta, the first of its kind, was dedicated to HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana Krom Luang Naradhiwas Rajamagarindra who enjoyed the marvellous spectacle of a sail-past and two races held off her residence at Hua Hin. The Princess presided over the impressive awards ceremony at dusk on the banks of the estuary of the Pranburi River at the Phatra Yacht Club. She also presented certificates of participation to the sailors and of appreciation to a large contingent of very generous sponsors and, of course, trophies to the top-placed teams and the perpetual Princess Cup to the winning Thai Navy team.

Each of the 25 craft was sponsored by an individual or corporate entity who contributed Baht 25,000 sponsorship fee. All proceeds of this great regatta - amounting to almost two million baht - have been donated the Kidney Foundation of Thailand of which the Princess is the Royal Patroness.

After a sail-past to salute the Princess, the first day featured very strong winds and big seas, with the first race consisting of a triangle and some horrendous spinnaker work on the down-wind legs.

Then came the "great leveller", a beat into the southerly back to the Phatra Marina and Yacht Club base. It seemed to take forever to pass the famous Hua Hin landmark Kao Thakiap and the tail-enders came into the estuary in darkness.

The second day featured three short Olympic windward-leeward courses conducted with precision by the very professional race management team under principal race officer Suwan Poopoksakul, to make a total of five races from which each team discarded its worst performance.

The regatta management was well satisfied with the event which ended with a splendid "Hawaiian Night" party and a promise of a bigger, better event next year.

With the Princess Cup now established as a regular feature for March, the President’s Cup in the Philippines in April and the Coronation Cup at Pranburi in May, the Phatra Marina and Yacht Club is looking at the possibility of a regional Platu Championship, whereby the highest scorer in all three events takes the year’s honours.

The South East Asia Perpetual Cup Series is an event already established and, with some differences, could be a precedent for a similar Platu challenge. In this series, the best-placed yacht in the three big international regattas, the Raja Muda in Malaysia, November, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, December and the Singapore Straits Regatta, sailed in Singaporean and Indonesian waters in January, is awarded the Sir Thomas Lipton Challenge Cup as South East Asia’s best keelboat racing class team.

With Thailand as the venue for the forthcoming 13th Asian Games where yachting and related water sports will be held off the Jomtien and Sattahip waters, as pointed out recently in the Pattaya Mail, the Princess Cup and next month’s Coronation Cup will be a further boost to Thailand as a marvellous venue for yacht racing.

Top 10 Results 1998 Princess Cup (sponsor listing, points): 1. Bangkok Hospital (11); 2. Sea Tours (12); 3. Phatra Thanakit (14); 4. Royal Thai Navy l (16); 5. Royal Thai Navy ll (18); 6. ACYC l (18); 7. Nitas Tessile (25); 8. Triumph Engineering (30); 9. Three Crown (32); 10. Pacific Insurance (34).

"Godzilla" wins but disqualified

The Thailand Quarter Mile Championship round at the Bira Circuit last Sunday ended with the outright Open Class winner getting the trophy, but the runner-up getting the points!

It was a very spirited battle between two "funny cars" (very heavily modified vehicles) and a Nissan GTR twin turbo (known as Godzilla in Australia but banned from competition down under as being too fast!). The struggle for outright honours saw all three in the 12 second bracket for the quarter mile, but the 4 wheel drive, twin turbo Godzilla shut the others down with a 12.1 second elapsed time on its final pass.

Unfortunately, Godzilla had changed drivers from that nominated previously and so, while being the fastest car, it was the runner up who is credited with the win.

In the minor class brackets there was also close competition, with some drivers losing out by only one hundredth of a second.

Over 200 cars ran in the Championship round, with qualifying commencing at 9.00 a.m. and the final runs being completed at 6.00 p.m.

Results:

Quarter Mile General

1st Hatai Chayawan

2nd Chanchai Sukhsayam

3rd Rabin Phaojinda

Quarter Mile 2 Wheel Open

1st Songsak Karakiriseubsakul

2nd Phayao Boon-Am

3rd Hatai Chayawan

Bracket Category 15 Seconds.

1st Pholsakda Thongchachawal

2nd Withichai Orasanon

3rd Eakarat Phanyong.

Bracket Category 16 Seconds

1st Art Mahakhun

2nd Amnaj Abdulloh

3rd Sithimeth Thongchachawal

Bracket Category 17 Seconds

1st Viroj Suwanasukho

2nd Akhom Amtheuk

3rd Phoolaphat Jaroonsiri

Bracket Category 18 Seconds

1st Pharkphoom Ratanasuwan

2nd Dechaphorn Sroysiri

3rd Nethchai Tanskul

Bracket Category 19 Seconds.

1st Ramil Phichitphongchai

2nd Phasaken Phitayasoth

3rd Nanthi Usayoke

Bracket Category 20 Seconds.

1st Pharkphoom Ratanasuwan

2nd Viraphong Democrack

3rd Virachai Veraparasu

Big John strokes victory at Sattahip

Big John carded net 4 under par to win the Pattaya Golf Society stroke play tournament on Tuesday, March 24th at Sattahip Navy Course.

The new 18 holes at Sattahip proved to be a real test for the large turnout of Pattaya Golf Society players. Only Big John and Ken Carr were able to adequately cope with the many hazards on the course.

Ken Carr achieved a creditable level par to come in second place.

Arthur Blackly, with 2 over par, came in third, followed by John Hopkins and Remy on 6 over par.

Remy has only recently taken up golf and has become a true enthusiast. At home in Antwerp, Remy runs a tennis club and if his improvement continues there could be a real possibility of him changing sports.

Remy was successful in nearest the pin, along with Colin Morgan, Roy Mitchell and Mike Floyd.

Members and visitors are encouraged to attend the weekly play of the Pattaya Golf Society, meeting at J.B. Bar at approx. 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays for a 10:00 a.m. departure.

Good and Bad - and the Uglies

PH3 Run#732 - 23/3/98

It is Wednesday 6 p.m. and I am at the Hare House to pick up the scribe. Nothing to pick up - no scribe. The house intern Hasher and a visiting other Hasher were also not willing to write down the events of the last run. Sir Airhead, you may have a point: the hares should delegate their own scribes.

So, what happened last Monday? After signing in all those eager runners we boarded the bus and off we went, far and long in the direction of Siam Country Club. At first everything seemed just fine - lush greens bordering a perfect tarmac and the air was un-dusty. A right hand turn changed all that. The quality of the tarmac faded and so did the bordering vegetation. After a few more turns there was no more tarmac and no more vegetation. A-site was in the middle of it.

Salvatore, one of the Hares and a fifth time Hare at that, explained specifically not to get lost after the 3rd check or we would be in ‘biiig truble’. With this in mind we took off towards East, front runners in the front with the slower equip following suit. It took no five minutes and we were already in ‘biiig truble’. I swear on my slightly sagging bum I was on paper all the way, turned left to follow some more paper and came across an F.T. Never saw a check. Big confusion, ‘biiiig truble’. We all went back and forth, left and right like a herd of cows trapped in a corral trying to break out but not quite sure yet which barrier to run down. Then I noticed Lady Di standing at the FT pointing beyond and like believers, we all followed his direction. He was the only one in doubt and consequently went back home to A-site and a tin of beer. After an extensive interview with Lady Di today he expressed regrets about his premature retrieval of his person from the run. Hares take note: never use your scientific calculator on a first check, people get bored figuring out a complicated check. Runners take note: never throw the towel in on a first messy check.

Soon after that we came to a check at the edge of a big long field with that awful powdery earth. Did I say earth? ‘This is check #3, here starts the ‘biiig truble’ if we run it a la Teeny Weeny. Says Drippy, ‘No, this is only the second check I saw.’ Goes German Shepherd, ‘I second that.’ Volunteer I. This which-check-was-it conversation goes on a while longer... until the desert run headed towards a ditch and into some really bigfatlongtall grass trunks. No more running - just watching out I didn’t get knocked out by a back-swinging prick of a grass. Finally out of the ditch and into a forest made of palm trees and onto the last check. I chose to check towards the sunset. I swear I was running at least 700m on paper when I came to an FT. WHAT??!! Drippy, that needed inch taller than me, could spot the bus further on so past the FT we run and on in.

All in all I liked the run. Thanks Salvatore and Determined Spinner.

The circle was called. The usual business dealt with. The RA lost his sunglasses. People were named. Sorry Sten, that your ‘Captain Chaos’ became P. Head, but isn’t it all the same? Our Jack Shook, now Rambo WW2, turned out to be a real birthday kid: 69 - Happy Birthday, Rambo WW2! Thanks and a down down went to Sweetballs for sponsoring last week’s excellent tucker at Papa Ray’s. Bye to a few and specially Determined Spinner and Hom Hoi, renamed Determined Spanker. They are getting married when in Scotland. Congrats!

We finished the circle real hash tradition style with the hymn and I made sure I had a sitting seat back home. Thanks F. & Forget for the ride. The Happy hour was at Who Ate All The Pies’ Rovers Return. Thanks buddy.

And what happened the next day? Sir Airhead went out looking for his sunglasses, which turned up later that day. Chicken F. had them in the beer truck and almost sat on them. Salvatore also went back to the site to check that first check where things became ‘biiiig truble’. He was seen measuring and stacking out the area, tacking notes and probes, analyzing foot and finger prints, and came up with the following solution...

To be continued...On On

Fossil

Reminder: The Songkhran Run (which will be an in-town run) is on April 13th, and from now on summer hours are in effect: i.e., the bus leaves Hare House Mondays at 4:30 p.m.

PSC Golf next week

April continues on Monday the 6th with the Splinter Golf Group going to Century Chonburi for a Better Ball competition and a Stableford competition at Noble Place from Cafe Kronborg.

Two excellent courses feature on Wednesday the 8th. Laem Chabang from the Green Bottle and Natural Park Hill from Hare House, playing Stableford and Better Ball competitions respectively.

Thursday offers a Stroke Play competition at Pattaya Country Club from the Cafe Kronborg, and the week ends on Friday with the annual TAGGS AM-AM at Phoenix, or a round at Siam Country Club with Splinter Golf from the Green Bottle.

Sign-up for the AM-AM at Hare House, Diana Inn, Shakey Pete’s or Cafe Kronborg.

Advanced notice of the second Pattaya Sports Club Charity Classic to be held on Friday May 15th at Phoenix. More details in this issue of Pattaya Mail, or see our web site. Also note in your diary the annual Papasan Ray Rogers’ Birthday Tournament taking place on May 7th at Pattaya Country Club, with food hosted by Papa Ray at his house afterwards.

For more details of April fixtures and the PSC Charity Classic, visit the PSC Golf Web Site at www.pattayasports.org

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