Australians top class at Thailand's Top of the Gulf

9:40 PM Mon 4 May 2009 GMT

'Ray Roberts and Wikki Quantum Racing lift the Coronation Cup at their first attempt' Guy Nowell &copy

The fifth Top of the Gulf Regatta closed out today on a high note, with (more) sunshine and breeze, a couple of unexpected reversals in the finishing orders, good results for Australian crews and a large number of very happy sailors enjoying the prizegiving party.

Out on the water, racing started an hour early (1000 hrs!) in order to get proceedings under way and (hopefully) finished early to allow plenty of time for refreshments, buffet and the handing-out of trophies. All divisions except IRC Cruising completed two races, with the monohull classes racing windward-leeward courses and the multihulls nipping round some rather larger triangles.

In IRC Cruising, Renfred Tay's Amanda 'cruised' to her fourth win from five starts, emphatically wrapping up the series and discarding a second place in the process. 'Maybe these guys should be in a higher division', quipped the MC at prizegiving time. Whatever, it was a delight to see the dark blue boat win the start and take off in clear air to lead the Cruising fleet around the race course.

Two boatlengths to the line. Ichiban. Top of the Gulf Regatta 2009, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand - Guy Nowell &copy

It was another day's definitive sailing from Cruising Yacht Club of Australia's Commodore Matt Allen and the crew on his Beneteau First 44.7 Ichiban, although Leray Pascal's Breakaway got the better of them in the first race of the day - the only race in the series that wasn't a win. But they came back in the second with another first place to make it six out of seven, throw away the second place, and wrap up the series with a clean sheet.

In recent years Allen has had a lot of success Down Under with a series of Ichibans, including a Farr 52 and a VO70. Racing on the Asian regatta circuit clearly has its attractions, and there are whispers that Allen will soon be embarking on a superlight 30' programme intended to put the cat among the tropical pigeons.

The IRC Racing 1 division also included Dr Ian Nicholson's 80' Intrigue and Kipsan Beck's diminutive Shaw 6.5, Pornstar - a mis-match if ever there was. The Top of the Gulf doesn't yet have quite enough entries to warrant a larger number of classes, but the general level of enjoyment expressed by competitors at this event suggests that this is a problem that should soon resolve itself. Meanwhile, organisers have sensibly resisted the temptation to run a multiplicity of very small classes.

Platus heading into the bottom mark. Top of the Gulf Regatta 2009, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand - Guy Nowell &copy

Leif Ho's RS Elite Carrena was the overnight division leader in IRC Racing 2, but today is Monday and some people (including Leif Ho) had to go to the office. This left the door open for the Royal Thai Navy skippered by Damrongsak Pongwichlen to cap off the series with two bullets, discarding a third place and winning the division four points clear of David Bell's Magic Roundabout.

Cedar Swan, on the way to another race and series win, Ocean Multihull class, Top of the Gulf Regatta 2009, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand - Guy Nowell &copy

There was another results reversal in the Ocean Multihull division, when Peter Dyer's Firefly 850 Sea Property, overnight class leader, dropped the ball in today's first race to score an eighth place and hand the series to Khun Radab Kanchavanit's Cedar Swan. 'We went the wrong way up the first beat', said Dyer, 'and weren't able to make back the time over the rest of the course'. It was a fatal error: a first place in the last race wasn't enough to compensate, and Sea Property had to settle for second overall just three points behind Cedar Swan.

This follows on from winning the Multihull Division at the last King's Cup, and Dyer was quick to compliment Khun Radab on his achievement - 'it's tough racing against Cedar Swan - they are a class act with a well-run boat. Their win was very well-deserved.' Sea Properties had a nasty mishap recently when it turned upside in Chalong Bay (Phuket), and another when a broken forestay brought down the mast - only yesterday - so it was good to see her with a podium place at the end of the series.

Smokin’ Corsairs, Top of the Gulf Regatta 2009, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand - Guy Nowell &copy

Zenith drops at the leeward mark. Top of the Gulf Regatta 2009, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand - Guy Nowell &copy

Yet again the star turn for a day's racing was the Platu fleet's competition for the Coronation Cup. Australian sailor and Platu newcomer Ray Roberts (Wikki Quantum Racing), who has campaigned with distinction over many years across Asia in the IRC racing classes was leading defending champion Scott Duncanson (The Ferret) by three points, and Duncanson was looking to win the first race today 'with hopefully a couple of boats between us and Quantum.'

But an OCS for The Ferret in the first race put paid to that plan: Duncanson came in sixth , Roberts won and went home with a race in hand and the series in the bag.

Roberts is more usually seen behind the wheel of his Malaysian-built DK46, but on this occasion he said he was delighted to be holding the tiller of a rather smaller boat. 'It's nice to be back in a smaller boat,' he said, 'by way of a refreshing change. You get to feel the wind and the water, and it really is a very physical experience.'

Roberts went on to compliment the TOG regatta organisation and pronounced himself 'delighted' at the level of competition in the fleet. Scotty Duncanson was sanguine about his narrow defeat: 'the best guys won. We're really weekend warriors, and although I am sorry to lose the Cup I am very happy that this level of competition is likely to raise the bar for racing in the region.'

Max Soh's Singapore team on Magic Dragon rolled in a very honourable third, having beaten some class regional crews. Apart from local competitors, the Coronation Cup fleet included teams from Australia (4), UK (1), Hong Kong (1), Japan (2) and Singapore (3), making it the most 'international' class in the regatta.

With 14 boats on the start line, it was also the biggest fleet to contest the Coronation Cup in recent years. There are now a total of 19 Platus resident at Ocean Marina yacht Club, and class organisers are hoping for an even bigger turnout next year - and expressions of interest have already been received.

For interested parties, the sixth Top of the Gulf Regatta will take place 01-05 May 2010. Book your slot now.

Very happy Singaporean crew on Magic Dragon - 3rd overall. Top of the Gulf Regatta 2009, Ocean Marina Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand - Guy Nowell &copy

Ready for the prizegiving and presentations at Top of the Gulf 2009 - Guy Nowell &copy

There's no doubt about it, this has been a five-star regatta. Under the capable direction of Regatta Chairman Bill Gasson and with the assistance of quality race management (PRO Jerry Rollin, AROs Simon James, Morgan Hayes, Johannes Zehethofer, and Mark Haswell), the Top of the Gulf this year turned out a 'class act'.

Having been present at all the principal Asian events over the last few years, Top of the Gulf is now very high on Sail-World Asia's 'must-do' list.

There are other regattas in Asia that make greater claims, but declarations of excellence or pre-eminence require substantiation - which are not always forthcoming. Top of the Gulf makes no pretentious statements, and concentrates first and foremost on providing good racing, which is what a regatta should do. A marina for an operations base, a pleasant location for some apr?s-race chat and a drink, and a congenial atmosphere completes the flush. We'd like to be here next year, and if we are, we'd like to see you here too.