The Alfred's News Alfreds News November-December 2017 | Page 24

Members’ News
2017 Platu Cup Nov 3-5 at Ocean Marina Yacht Club
Chris Way and his Easy Tiger racing team travelled to Thailand to compete in the 2017 Platu Cup at Ocean Marina. This is
the Race Directors report on the event.
The wind forecast for the weekend was unprecedented in the Gulf of Thailand and Pattaya area. A front associated with
a typhoon crossing south Vietnam with winds of 25 knots and gusts to 35 knots were forecast for the whole weekend.
In spite of this, five Platu crews headed for the racing area immediately north of the marina to take part in the practice
day comprising three races which precedes the Platu Cup regatta. With the wind coming off the land it was possible to
stay close in to shore in raceable conditions, but this did not prevent massive wind shifts and gusts of up to 25 knots
coming through to provide tacticians with a very busy day. Three races were able to be completed before the wind
strength had all competitors running for the safety of the marina.
The results showed that Rolf
Heemskirk (Denmark living Malaysia)
was able to master the conditions
whereas Chris Way on Easy Tiger
(RPAYC) was happy to be able to
break in his mainly new crew before
the event. Colin Simmonds (UK) and
his Doolallie crew also had a good day
coming in second. Grant Atkinson
(Thailand) was brave enough to tackle
some racing in spite of having two
inexperienced crew onboard, while
Tim Browne (Thailand) and the
Weasel team used this practice
regatta to get up to speed for the
racing to follow.
Saturday brought wind speeds and
gusts hardly ever seen here in Pattaya
and certainly not the weather
conditions the Platu was designed to
race in. Racing was abandoned for the
day with sustained wind speeds of 25-
30kn. Sunday morning looked even
more ominous and was complicated
by a directive from the Marine Authorities of Thailand prohibiting any vessel from leaving the marina until further
notice. However the wind abated sufficiently for the order to be lifted and racing was able to commence at 12:30.
Again, the wind direction changes were significant but with winds of 12 knots and gusts up to 20 knots this was within
the safe zone for Platus. This did not make it any easier to race however and crews had to work extremely hard. The
Easy Tiger crew had obviously learned from the practice races and demonstrated their speed by winning the first three
races, followed by a second in the final double point’s race of the series. Tim Brown’s crew also sailed extremely well
and finished just 15 seconds and then 2 seconds behind Easy Tiger for the first two races. Unfortunately for them the
double point final race allowed Rolf’s win to lift him to second overall, one point ahead.
In spite of everything, the six competing crews finished the weekend with smiles on their faces and enjoyed the good
food and the odd beer or two provided by the excellent staff of the Ocean Marina sailors’ bar.