Boatshed Phuket are pleased to be able to take a pause in our Yacht sales activities to bring you the results of this year’s Phuket race week.

Although the wind eased up on the last day of racing, there was enough for two more races to be run, which completed the entire program. Handling the strong incoming current, around the south of Phuket, became a big issue and the determining factor in the final results. Certainly in the first race of the day the yachts that went offshore realized their mistake, as the yachts that favored the Koh Lon shore generally rounded the top mark first. Then it became a matter of either playing catch up or the front runners extending their lead. For several classes these crucial last race results would swing the podium places either way. In a couple of classes the top spot was already taken but the silver and bronze places were still to play for.

Coming into the final day Ray Roberts DK46 Evolution Sails held a slender three point lead over Neil Pryde’s Welbourne 52 Hi Fi . The discussion over breakfast was “Would this be enough ? Could Peter Ahern’s Farr 40 Yo! 2 slot in to create some points separation?” Neil Pryde’s crew were up and at it early with an air of confidence in their stride and struck gold early by winning both races . Only 34 seconds in Race 7 and 41 seconds in Race 8 behind was Ray Roberts on Evolution Sails, which reduced the overall points lead down to one, for Ray Roberts to claim the title on his first outing at Race week. Two third places for Peter Ahern’s Farr 40 Yo!2 placed them in third overall.

Jaray Tipsuk’s all Thai crew on the Platu 25 Mitrmitri stand on the top of the podium in the hotly contested IRC 1 class. This is a great achievement for the Thai team that raised 5,000 Baht per sponsor and then plastered the names all over the hull of the boat. Not too pretty, but very effective. The battle for second and third overall came down to Peter Dyer’s IOR 1/2 tonner Madame Butterfly and Niels Degenkolw ‘s X Yacht IOR 3/4 tonner Phoenix ,with Madame Butterfly coming out on top.

Andrew de Bruin’s Ron Swanson Sloop Awatea has been on form all regatta and by keeping a clean score sheet they took home the Club Charter Class title for the second year running. Horst Lakits crew on the Swan 55 Big A have been busting a gut all regatta but could only win one race and enough points to secure second overall, with Rob Azzopardi’s Jeanneau SO 34.2 Prosafe Cunning Plan coming in third.

The battle royal between Henry Kaye and Fergus Wilmer’s Sea Cart 30 Thor and Grenville Fordham’s newly launched Andaman Cabriolet skippered by designer Alan Carwadine came gracefully to an end. Winning the starts, showing a good turn of speed and being in front of the Corsairs won Da Vinci Niña six out of eight races and the Multihull title on her first aggressive outing. Henry Kaye was not happy to be beaten by an Italian restaurant but had to settle for second place on Thor. Neil Ayre’s Corsair 28 Shanghai Baby has been hanging in there all regatta and a well earned third place overall makes them the best of the rest.

Although there was a change in the finishing order in Race 7 today, six wins for Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo Child, in the earlier races, sealed them the Firefly One Design title with a day to spare. Despite breaking some gear causing an early retirement, Roger Kingdon’s Moto Inzi six second places earned them second overall. John Newnham’s The Frog won Race 6 and consistently scoring third places keeps them in third overall.

Tom Howard’s North Sea Fishing Boat Seraph, being the only grand old lady to turn up this year for the Classic Class, has had four beautiful days of sailing around the islands to the south east of Phuket and no doubt wins the Seraph Trophy

What a great regatta Phuket Raceweek has turned into. Hard racing during the day and plenty of entertainment at night. The close racing and high tech hardware has lifted the event to the next level in more ways than one. Boatshedphuket would like to congratulate all the winners and we hope to see all the competitors again next year, when we hope to be able to take a break from selling used boats to participate in the regatta.