Windy and wavy from the get-go, PRO and race organizer Simon James staged three different starts and set three different courses for the third day of the 2018 Bay Regatta. Racing & Cruising A’s start was followed by Cruising B and Bareboats’, and then Racing and Cruising Multihulls. Course-wise, the Racing Class and Racing Multis were off on the longer 24NM course, while the two Cruising classes hit the 17NM course and the Bareboats & Cruising Multis sailed a 14NM route. All finished off of Railay Beach in Krabi.

With its second consecutive first-place finish, Sergey Khamstov’s Megazip won the Bay Regatta’s Racing Class; Uminoko, skipped by Vitalii Plaksin, third-place showing on the day saw it jump to second overall with Steve Manning’s Red Rum settling into third spot and Gary Baguley’s family on Fujin holding the last position in the four-boat class. Manning, won the 2016-17 Asian Yachting Grand Prix on the Ker Custom 42 Black Baza, which he co-skippered with Anthony Root.

In the Cruising A class, Niels Degenkolw’s and his women’s’ team second-place finish today kept Phoenix in first overall, Palleschi’s Prime Factor third-place showing allowed them to keep a stranglehold on second spot in this eight-boat class while Paul Merry’s Night Train snuck into third overall by winning the class today.

Cruising B saw Ket Mangklaseranee’s Marigold hold onto first overall, by claiming victory for the second straight day. Mig Wehrle’s Aqua stayed in second overall by finishing third today while Paul Baker’s Isabella moved up the leader board to third overall with a second-place finish today.

If this regatta was determined on elapsed time alone, Fugazi would have won it a few seconds into race day one. Taking line honours for the third straight day with a time of 02:12:20 (corrected time was 02:17:30) was good enough for another third-place finish. Twin Sharks gave them a run for the money throughout the day, crossing the finish line a few minutes behind Fugazi, solidifying their hold on first spot overall, Asia Catamarans Hurricane and Blue Nose, sit second and third overall and it will be a battle royale across Phang Nga Bay tomorrow as the racing multis head back to Ao Chalong.

The Bareboat Class saw Denis Aksenov’s Venture George Brown’s Kinnon, battle it out again with Venture holding a one-point lead heading into the final race day. Russell Waddy’s upset victory on day three saw them move into third overall.

Multihull cruising saw Robert Hossack’s Raptor 2001 beat Rick Fielding’s Mojo for the straight day by almost 12 minutes on corrected time.

The Bay Regatta was founded by a photographer (John Everingham) and friends (Chris Schaefer and Andy Stephens). Everingham, a long-time Phuket King’s Cup Regatta committee member, was motivated in part by frustration at the annual struggle over setting that regatta’s courses. On the one hand, he wanted to shoot the fleet of sails contrasted against the dramatic scenery. The hard-core sailors, on the other hand, wanted their boats as far away from land as possible to avoid fickle winds. Dramatic photos would attract more sponsors, argued the photographer; but the sailors always won. So the stymied lensman rounded up some like-minded friends and established a regatta designed to sail among the dramatic limestone island towers and mainland forests of the waters off Phuket’s east coast. The problem was that the courses would go too deep into the Bay, where the wind didn’t blow. So when the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (now the Phuket Yacht Club) gained control over the regatta a couple years back a compromise was worked out between beautiful scenery and good sailing courses.

The ACYC, and its volunteer board, however, felt it could not properly run the regatta properly, so five years ago it was handed over to “Mr Regatta” himself, Simon James of Regattas Asia. Simon, who aside from being the PRO of the Regatta for many years, had also been one of its principle organizers along with his partner Kae Wattana, so they knew exactly what they were getting into.

About The Bay Regatta

The Bay Regatta was launched in 1998 by a group of Phuket-based sailing enthusiasts and a photographer who wished to showcase the stunning beauty of the Phuket/ Phang Nga/ Krabi seascapes.

Co-Sponsors: Chang Beer Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited, Chang, Mekhong, the Shellsea Krabi, and Raymarine, Budget Car & Truck Rental.

Regatta Partners: Jungceylon, Phuket Boat Lagoon, TIPLife, Chandara Resort & Spa, Kan Eang II, Haadthip, O2 Beach Club, Tonsai Marine Services, East Marine, Port Takola, Koh Yao Chukit Dachanan Resort, and Ao Nang Villa.

Local Supporters: B & G, Infinity Communications, Prestige Marine, Octopus Marine. The Mangosteen Resort & Spa, Electrical Marine and Epic Charters.

Media Partners: The Phuket News, SEA Yachting, One Coast magazine, Check In - Surat, MDA, aBoat.

The Bay Regatta is organised by Regattas Asia under the auspices of the Phuket Yacht Club in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Province of Phuket, the Province of Phang Nga and the Province of Krabi.

For more information, visit www.bayregatta.com or www.facebook.com/bayregatta (Detailed courses can be viewed at www.bayregatta.com/courses).

About Regattas Asia

Regattas Asia is a brand name of Phuket and More Co. Ltd., established in 2001 with over 15 years’ involvement in the organisation of leading marine events in Asia. Regattas Asia has become a prominent player in Asia's regattas industry, with an innovative approach to the management of major sailing events in the region, and provides services to the following events: Phuket King's Cup Regatta, Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek, Sabang International Regatta (Indonesia), Royal Langkawi International Regatta (Malaysia), Hainan Around the Island Regatta (China), China Cup International Regatta.

Regattas Asia are sole organisers of The Bay Regatta and Samui Regatta (www.regattas.asia).