Champagne day on the bay
SAILING: After the raging 40-knot winds of two weeks prior that left several boats – and a few sailors – physically damaged, glorious weather greeted the eighth and final race of the Ao Chalong Yacht Club ‘Irish Times’ series on Sunday (June 24).
Dane Halpin
Friday 29 June 2012, 04:57PM
With a gentle wind speed of eight knots, race officer Scott Duncanson kept the course inside the bay, and with six boats entering across the three divisions, the mood was more jovial than competitive.
In the cruising class, it was a close tussle between Andy Brennan’s Jenzminc VI and Peter Wood’s Windstar, as the two went neck and neck around the first and second markers.
It looked as though Jenzminc had the slight advantage, until the crew realised they weren’t in fact in the cruising class at all, but were rather in the racing division, and were forced to change course.
The confusion didn’t create too many problems for the crew though – they still managed to claim line honours ahead of Peter Jones’ Moya Hin.
Back in the actual cruising division, Windstar’s spinnaker troubles cost them precious time, and they could only round out third – and last – place.
Owner and skipper Peter Wood obviously wasn’t too fazed though, telling The Phuket News after the race: “It was a good day, lovely Champagne sailing.”
Iruvai skipper Mark Horwood, who finished second in the cruising division, was equally enthusiastic. “I have absolutely no idea where we finished, but it was a great day anyway.”
In the multi-hull division, Nina dominated the field to take line honours – there were no other competitors.
In the end, the gentle winds and glorious sunshine made for a spectacular day on the water – so much so that few were too concerned with the final results – and it proved a fitting end to a memorable ACYC Irish Times series.
The second series of sailing at the ACYC will get underway in August.
For more information, visit: acyc.asia
RESULTS
Racing
1 Jenzminc VI
2 Moya Hin
Cruising
1 Austraeus
2 Iruvai
3 Windstar
Multi
1 Nina
