Oi! and Katsu sail ahead early in Phuket Raceweek 2013

PHUKET: Peter Ahern’s TP52 Oi! out of Langkawi drew first blood in IRC Racing I class today in the opening race of the Phuket Raceweek 2013 regatta, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary.

With Scott Bailey and Fergus Wilmer on board, Oi! finished the regatta opener on corrected time two minutes ahead of Ben Copley’s Katsu.

Roles reversed in the second race, however, with regular Phuket regatta racer Katsu taking line and time honors to level the overall score between the two contenders to three points apiece.

Kevin Whitcraft’s Wan Ma Rang placed third in both races to end the day’s racing on six points.

Peter Sorensen’s Fujin scored two wins today to secure first place overall in the IRC Racing II class.

Behind him – all on six points – are Stuart Williamson’s Skandia Endeavour Of Whitby, scoring a second and a fourth place, Ray Waldron’s Surf Patrol (fourth, second) and long-term Phuket yachtsman Neils Degenkolw on Phoenix (third, third).

In the Phuket designed and built Firefly racing multihull class, John Newnham’s Twin Sharks led the way scoring two firsts.

Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo scored a second and third place, respectively, in today’s two races to place second overall in the class, while Roger Kingdon’s Moto Inzi remains third overall after securing third and second place, respectively.

In the Multihull class, John Coffin and his crew on Java claimed first and second honors in today’s races.

Leading the “Coffin-dodgers” are Alan Carwadine and crew on Asia Catamarans Hurricane, who recovered from a fourth-place finish in the first race to place second in Race 2 to end the day second overall in the class.

Well-known Phuket yachties Grenville Fordham on Nina and Peter Gallagher on Da Vinci closed the day’s racing on six points apiece.

As is tradition with Phuket Raceweek, yacht racing crews, friends and families will be celebrating the day’s racing with festivities on shore at the Cape Panwa Resort tonight.

The parties have become famed throughout the yachting fraternity, and the event’s organization and promotion – through IMAGEAsia Events and Paul Poole’s Bangkok-based The Sponsorship Experts – won the event the title Best Regatta in Asia in 2011 (click here).

Phuket Raceweek is proudly sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, PGTV and the “Phuket Today” show.

For the full results from today’s racing, see the regatta’s official website, PhuketRaceweek.com (click here).

All results above are provisional, with no protests filed at the time of posting to web.

— Chris Husted