That 1998 was not a good year for the economy has been rather evident.
Yet, in spite of that - or, maybe because of that - it was, conversely, an excellent year
for yacht racing in the Kingdom. Naturally, in a year of down-turn, there was little
sponsorship for the Royal Varuna Yacht Club’s Pattaya-Jomtien circuit and club
racing. Earlier in the year, nevertheless, generous support for the Thailand Catamaran
National Championships was forthcoming from Volkswagen and later in the year, Loxley Video
Post held its annual race.
Support - even for the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, sailed each year in
December to celebrate His Majesty’s birthday - was flagging badly. Then a windfall -
at least for the Phuket event - came from Iridium Southeast Asia, whose motto
"freedom to communicate - anytime, anywhere", makes it the perfect transmission
link for craft at sea.
Iridium’s very timely entry as the principal contributor to the
Twelfth Regatta ensured the success of this year’s event. Or, to re-phrase that
somewhat, it could be said that Iridium’s eleventh-hour support came in time for the
twelfth year of the Regatta which finished on the twelfth day of December.
The yachting year, regardless, went out with a flourish, with four big
events in the last two months: the highly-successful Asia Pacific Laser and Laser Radial
Championships at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club in South Pattaya (reported in full in Pattaya
Mail, November, 13, 1998); the 1998 international Varuna Cup, also held at Royal
Varuna (Mail, 25 December, 1998); the Thirteenth Asiad yachting spectacular, held
off the Royal Thai Navy yachting centre at Sattahip (Mail, 18 December, opening of
the Sattahip centre; Mail, 20 November, Asian Games); and the Twelfth Phuket
King’s Cup Regatta, sailed off the Kata Beach Resort, Phuket.
Si Racha sailor Radab Kanjana-Vanit was the best-placed Thai helmsman in
the just-ended King’s Cup Regatta, sailed on the beautiful Andaman Sea, off Kata
Beach, Phuket. Radab placed second in the Ocean Cruising Class, at the helm of "Cedar
Swan", an F-31 catamaran built by his late father Rachot who, sadly, passed away
during the Eleventh Regatta last year.
It was a close struggle, but the personable Radab had to concede the
honours to Phuket-based Kiwi Muzza Nordstrand, sailing a new prototype hi-tech US designed
trimaran, "Fine Pitch", built in the Philippines. But wherever he was around the
course, Radab’s "Cedar Swan" was easy to identify by the sponsor’s
Iridium black spinnaker.
The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was established in 1987, as a birthday
tribute to His Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej, on his 60th birthday. The King, a
regional Games Gold Medal dinghy sailor himself, is the Regatta Royal Patron. This
year’s event had a record fleet of 81 keelboats, with some 1,000 participants from 20
countries.
Neil Pryde’s Sydney-built Bashford 46, "Hi Fidelity",
narrowly beat Aussie yacht "Yo!", helmed by Peter Ahern, to win the Racing Class
honours.
It was the sweet smell of success for Neil, the renowned Hong Kong-based
sailmaker who saw his dreams realized when he emerged as the Racing Class winner, after
several years in the minor placings.
It was, indeed, a great - and very popular - victory for the New Zealander
who is a long-standing participant in and an ardent supporter of the event. Neil’s
"Hi Fidelity" on seven penalty points was 3.5 points clear of "Yo!" at
the final count, after five races, with one discard. Filipino Ray Ordoveza’s
"Karakoa" placed third, on 14 points.
Early regatta leader, Swiss mountaineer and Olympic helmsman, Andreas
Bienz, forsaking the Alps for the Andaman, helmed "Jenny III", chartered from
Singapore’s 1993 winner, Jeffrey Leow, to finish equal-fourth, with Hong Kong Yacht
Club Commodore David Hong, on 15 points.
Next week: A ‘Cuppa’ Lipton...
Happy Pattaya New Year Sailing, 1999!
