Asia-Pacific Laser Regatta opens way to Olympic trials

The forthcoming Asia-Pacific Laser Championship among seven countries of the region will be, basically, a curtain-raiser for several other big regattas and a possible opening for Thai sailors to qualify for the Sydney 2000 Olympics via events in Melbourne next January.

Peter Cummins reports
An intensive weekend at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club last week saw preparations for the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Laser Championships.

Checking out the Royal Varuna Lasers for the big event (L to R) Charlie Zbinden, Lawnin Crawford and Paul Millsom. Photo Peter Cummins.

It also ushered in a very busy nautical period for the Kingdom in the last quarter of the year, with a number of national championships, the 1998 Royal Vega Rudder race dedicated to H.M. the King, the 13th Asiad yachting and water sports sections to be held at Pattaya-Jomtien and Sattahip from 6 - 19 December and the twelfth sailing of the Phuket King’s Cup regatta from 7 - 12 December.

With the Asia-Pacifics opening a possibility for Thai sailors to participate in next January’s Laser Olympic pre-qualifying World Championships and several other huge regattas - also pre-Olympic qualifiers - already set for Melbourne in January, Thai sailors have a lot of competition ahead, leading up to Sydney 2000.

Royal Varuna Commodore Lawnin Crawford goes down for a close look. Watching (L to R) Paul Millsom, Cheerut Sudasna and Charlie Zbinden. Photo Peter Cummins.

Royal Varuna Flag Commodore Lawnin Crawford, Varuna Laser fleet captain Charlie Zbinden and Cheerut Sudasna, MD of the Phatra Marine Products Company, the Laser distributor of Thailand, opened the Varuna racks for visiting Laser International officer Paul Millsom, arriving from Australia.

Paul, as official measurer of this tightly-controlled class, spent a feverish two days grading the 60-some Varuna Lasers, assessing their conformity to a world-championship standard. Generally, for worlds and such big regional championships, new hulls are supplied from a licensed manufacturing source. However, tight budgets all around and a highly-punitive Thai tax structure levied upon any boats not exported after such an event, caused Laser International to look at the availability of local craft.

Paul came away highly satisfied, noting that, with some adjustments, a few replacements and various other minor details, Royal Varuna had a Laser fleet worthy of this prestigious event.

Adding that a pool of qualified international race officers and jurors is also available locally, Laser International expects a great regatta for this, one of the world’s most numerous one-design craft and, as of Atlanta (Savannah) in 1996, the newest Olympic single-handed class.

Participants will descend on Pattaya from Australia, Guam, India, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and, of course, there will be a large contingent of Thai sailors for the event, to be held from 31 October to 7 November.

The 60 or more expected solo sailors will include some of the world’s best, such as Guam’s Brett Chivers and Aussie Michael Blackburn, who is one of the world’s top five. Blackburn, Australian national champion, was second-placed at the International Sailing Federation’s (ISAF) worlds at Dubai earlier this year and was fourth at the Atlanta Olympiad.

One of the many things that delight sailors coming to Royal Varuna at South Pattaya is the availability of good accommodation only 300 metres walking-distance from the venue, and then a soft-sand beach launch to a start line only a few minutes offshore. This combination is, indeed, rare - at any event.

What a contrast to the horrendous accommodation and race-course distances from the venue and the apparent transport problems at Atlanta, to look at one example.

One can only hope that the hotels in this area will clean up their mess before the event, so competitors will not have to wade through stinking raw sewerage being released onto the access road from some of these hotels - for so many months now, that parts of the road have been destroyed.

It could be a lasting impression of "Amazing Thailand" for these visiting sailors - many coming from high levels of management and public office in their own lands - negating somewhat the many positive images that the Asia-Pacific regatta will impart.

The culprits were warned at Pattaya City Hall last week in a meeting between the City Fathers and a visiting contingent of members of the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand. The regatta organizers hope the hoteliers will respond.

Paul Millsom noted that the top three placings among both the Asian groups and the Oceanic teams (Aust, N.Z.) will automatically pre-qualify for slots at the Laser World Championships to be held on Port Phillip, Melbourne, early in January and, consequently, a chance for the Olympics.

In fact, with the world’s huge yachting fraternity concentrating already on the Sydney 2000 Olympics, many prior events, including Thailand’s own Laser-Pacifics, will have some bearing on the first Olympiad of the new millennium.

Paul noted that there will be a 1999 World Sailing Championships held at Melbourne, which is mooted "as one of the largest international yachting events ever staged". The Victorian Yachting Council, the organizing body, "has secured the rights to host the first concurrent conduct of 15 world championships, seven of which (will be) a qualifier for Sydney 2000."

All this will take place on Port Phillip during January. It will be an incredible array of racing - at least 2,000 racing craft plus jury boats, committee vessels, rescue craft, police patrols and a huge spectator fleet spread across Port Phillip during the period.

As Paul said, "we have run out of international judges but Port Phillip’s massive open waterway, covering almost 2,000 square km (about half the size of Brunei Darassalam) of deep water will ensure plenty of room at the marks for all classes."

The seven classes, which will have Olympic qualifiers, include the new Olympic design 49er, Soling, Finn, 470 men, 470 women, Europe (women) and the Laser.

May the forthcoming Laser event witness a Thai sailor qualifying for the Melbourne event - and then, on to the Olympics! Maybe Thailand’s first Olympic yachting Gold is in the offing.

Dick Barbie triumphs at Pattaya Country Club

PSC Pattaya Golf Society

Veteran Dick Barbie triumphed at Pattaya Country Club with a round of 2 under par in the weekly meeting of the Pattaya Golf Society. Dick has only just returned from his annual stay in the UK and it seems to have done him good.

For the record, Dick is the rules expert of the Society and if you play with him you certainly do not need a pocket calculator to mark your score.

George Meigh and Graham were joint second with 3 under par and newcomer Stephen Marlow was fourth with 6 over par.

On the golf calendar for the coming months, there are two events which should prove of interest to members.

On the 18th of September a "Rules Invitational" Stableford competition is to be held at Khao Kheow, followed by a Golf Rules Quiz at Hare House. Members are invited to the quiz evening even if they cannot take part in the tournament.

On October 2nd, "Delaney’s Open", a Stableford competition, is to be held at Green Valley. The entry fee will be 1000 baht, with green fee, caddie, shirt and many prizes all included. A free carvery for competitors will be available at Delaney’s that evening. There seems little doubt this event will be well patronized.

Brooks & Morris claim soggy victories

PSC TAGGS Golf from the Hare House

Wednesday, August 19 - Phoenix Golf and Country Club (Bogey)
1st: Norman Brooks, All Square
2nd: Mike Morris, 1 down
3rd: (Tie) Roger Errington, 3 down
Harry Riley, 3 down

Norman Brooks took a respite from the rigors of being retired in Pattaya and went back to his native Wales for a two month vacation. He came back well rested and relaxed and ready to resume playing golf with The Alternative Golf Gentlemen’s Society. It took him a week to get into the swing of things, but on Wednesday Norman was ready. He won the bogey competition at Phoenix finishing his match play "all square".

It must have rained the whole time he was back in the U.K. because the heavy rain at Phoenix didn’t seem to bother him much. While the rest of the field struggled with wet grips, stinging eyes, and soggy lies, Norman just kept his cool and never let his match get away.

Playing off 16, Norman shot a one under par 87 and won not only the competition, but four "squat boxes" and eight skins from his fellow golfers. Later at the Hare House, enjoying the fruits of those who couldn’t get their drives past the ladies’ tees, Norman was asked to what he attributed his fine round under such adverse conditions. "Inferior competition," cracked one of the back benchers. Norman just smiled and took another sip from one his free Heinekens.

Coming in second and just one down in his match against the course was American Mike Morris who was making his first appearance on the leader board. Playing off 10, Mike shot a gross 83.

Tying for third place at 3 down were Harry Riley and Roger Errington.

Friday, August 21 - Natural Park Resort Country Club (Stableford)
1st: Mike Morris, 41 points
2nd (tie): B.J. Smith, 36 points
Malcolm Clare, 36 points

When a golfer scores 41 Stableford points in competition, the eyebrows go up, the smirk spreads across the face, and the question is asked; "What is his handicap?" Expecting the answer to be twenty-five plus, the mouth drops open when the reply is "ten’. Mike Morris won his first TAGGS tournament with an impressive 41 Stableford points at Natural Park Resort on Friday and became the fourteenth straight different singles winner in competitions out of the Hare House.

The ten handicapper overcame the NO CARTS TODAY ruling that was posted in the lobby of the club house and walked his way to the top of the leader board. He also had to overcome the rain softened fairways from the previous night’s drenching and the strong winds that blew all day. In spite of the rain, the course was in good shape but the golfers used to playing "cart ball" were not. There were some weary looking farangs in the locker room after the day’s round.

Holding up to the rigors of a "good walk spoiled" was Australian B. J. Smith who made his first appearance on the rostrum as he accepted his designer golf shirt from Hare House emcee Richard Livingston. B. J. had thirty six points and tied for second with red hot Malcolm Clare who seems to like the attention that comes from doing well in golf tournaments.

Quiz rules changes

Pattaya’s trivial pursuits addicts, as and when sober, are being asked to note the administrative changes to both the Sunday and Wednesday leagues. Following the resignation of Sunday question setter Roger Harris, who has left Thailand for a university appointment in UK, both quizzes are now set by Barrie Kenyon who is generally regarded as both overworked and undervalued. Not to mention underpaid.

Questions will no longer be delivered to individual bars, nor will the answer sheets be collected. Instead, home bar owners will collect the envelopes from Palmer’s Bar, in Pattayland Soi 2, anytime after 3 p.m. on the day of the quiz. Answer sheets must be returned to Palmer’s no later than 9 p.m. on the following day. Palmer’s has arranged for a drawer, ingeniously marked quiz, to be used for these purposes.

Results sheets will be placed in the following week’s question envelopes. There are no changes to the appeals framework and alternative answers to those on the master answer sheet will be allowed where appropriate. Where the answer on the master sheet turns out to be plainly and obviously wrong, which happens whenever Barrie has an attack of senile dementia, then bars following him with the same silly answer will have marks deducted. In the past, mistakes by the question setters generally resulted in the cancellation of the question, that is all bars received two points willy nilly. This over generous concession has now been withdrawn lest Pattaya’s reputation as a center of deep learning and amazing insight be compromised.

PSC Golf next week

Again a busy schedule for September covering eleven courses and favouring those where we anticipate the best playing conditions and clubhouse services.

August ends on Monday the 31st with a better ball competition at Khao Kheow from the Cafe Kronborg and a Stableford competition at Natural Park Resort with the Splinter Group from the Green Bottle.

On Tuesday 1st September PGS go to Sattahip and on Wednesday the 2nd there is a second chance to putt the lightening fast greens at Khao Kheow with the Splinter Group, or play a Medal round at Phoenix with TAGGS from Hare House.

On Thursday we play Stableford at Bangpra from Cafe Kronborg, and end the week on Friday the 4th at Rayong Green Valley for the Diana Group Medal (postponed from August), while TAGGS from Hare House go to Sattahip.

Other key events coming in September are the ‘Rules Invitational’ on Friday 18th September at Khao Kheow - a Stableford competition open to all PSC Member golfers, between the Splinter Golf Group and TAGGS. The best 10 scores from each side will determine the winner of the Stableford Cup to be awarded at a Rules Quiz and Buffet at Hare House in the evening; and the other highlight of the month will be the inaugural Delaney’s Open, to be organised by PSC Golf at Rayong Green Valley on Friday October 2nd.

More details of both these events and the full September schedule can be seen in Pattaya Mail, at PSC Golf venues, and on our web page at www.pattayasports.org

Fitness Tips: More quick tips for a healthy body

by David Garred, Club Manager Dusit Resort Sports Club

G’day Pattaya, back again with a couple of interesting tidbits that in themselves are great arguments for taking up and maintaining a regular activity pattern.

Eighteen Canadian arthritis patients took part in a six-week program of Aerobics, Stretching and Power training. They faired a lot better than twenty other patients with the same ailments who did only relaxing exercises for the six weeks. Patients who worked out were able to reduce their pain by about one third, those who relaxed by about 10%.

Having had no prior workout history, most patients experienced increased pain during the first week of training (non-arthritic trainers should get the same reaction when they change their program). The intensity of the pain subsided after six weeks, whereas only a small part of the neurological points became completely pain free. Thus (according to this study), it does make good sense for arthritic patients to follow therapeutic instructions and to grit their teeth, while trying to overcome their dislike of any kind of athletic activity.

Even bones can be trained

Of the one hundred middle aged, sedentary (not exercising at all) women who participated in an 18 month long study in Finland, those who started to do intensive aerobic exercise routines increased their bone mass by up to 3%, as compared to those women of the same age and build who remained inactive.

All it took was a regular routine of 1 hour, three times a week, of high impact aerobics that included stepping and jumping. The bone mass increased on those parts of the body that have to take (carry) most of the strain from the body’s own weight.

It is essential for women to build and retain bone mass while they are young to be able to withstand some of the bone density loss that occurs later in life, after menopause. Frequent bone fractures in older women is a great and costly health risk. A risk that is compounded by a sedentary lifestyle but can be controlled by regular exercise (and a calcium rich diet will help a lot in the fight).

Have a great week.

Carpe’ diem

Updated every Friday
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