Multihull Solutions Regatta 2020

Strong winds greet sailors on first day of MSR

Day one of the regatta was delayed for an hour due to strong shifting winds gusting to 31 knots. PRO Simon James then got the fleet underway just before 1pm with the Racing and Ocean Multis sharing the same start, followed by the Fireflies. Some shifty manoeuvering by John Newnham’s Twin Sharks saw Ray Waldron’s Surf Patrol go OSR in the Firefly division, but then it was off to the races around Koh Bon with the fluctuating weather and wind conditions causing some frustration and an eventually shortened course for the shortened multihulls.

By the time the second race got underway later in the afternoon the wind had died down to seven knots and PRO James held two more windward-leeward races, the first being three laps, the second two, which was shortened shortly before 5pm, when racing was scheduled to end for the day.

There was a minor battle within a major battle in the Racing Multihull Class –the battle of the Fugazis; Dan Fidock’s new customized catamaran vs. the old Fugazi (a Moore 37), now Bonza. It was the first race for Bonza with its new crew and the first race for the new Fugazi (a Bakewell-White 10.5).

Phantom V took the division on this day, with Warwick Downes’ Bonza second. Dirk Weiblen podiumed on No Fear finishing third on the day. This boat was previously known as Offline and This! Dan Fidock’s Fugazi was fourth and Twister 2 fifth.

The Firefly division was particularly competitive with multiple lead changes throughout the three races: Twin Sharks won the day, Blue Noze came second and Voodoo placed third overall, after being disqualified from the third race. Surf Patrol and Moto Inzi rounded out the class in that order.

ShoVel in the Cruising Multihull Class won the day with new sails and tactical skills capturing all three races though its only other competitor in the division unexpectedly had to undergo minor repairs before race one, so had to sit that one out but joined in for the latter two races.

There were two protests on the day: the first in race two saw a port-starboard dispute between Twin Sharks vs Moto Inzi resolved when Moto Inzi retired gracefully. In race three, Surf Patrol and Voodoo touched near the shortened finish line, and the protest committee decided in Surf Patrol’s favour handing Voodoo a DSQ.

The regatta’s on-water team deserved a lot of credit for pulling off three races in challenging weather and wind conditions that changed dramatically throughout the day

Phantom V captures Multihull Solutions Regatta title

The Stealth Phantom V with its boat builders Alan Carwardine and Roger Digglemanon board, as well as owner Andrew Horford, won the Racing Multihull Division of the 2019 Multihull Solutions Regatta. Its four first-place finishes, while never finishing lower than third, helped Phantom V clinch the title hi-lighting three days of great racing.

Warwick Downes’ Bonza flew around the course all regatta earning line honours on most of its races but had to settle for second overall though it did win two races during the event.

On the final day, Dan Fidock’s new Fugazi shed its teething problems as it romped through the water like a bat out of hell earning line honours (and second overall) in race one crossing the finish line in 1:35:29 after it sailed out around Koh Bon and then Koh Loh before turning for home at the Phuket deep port safe water mark. It also won race two on the day for the Racing Multis, a three-lap windward-leeward giving the boat its first victory of the regatta.

Glyn Rowlands’ Twister 2 who featured three generations on board finished fourth and if not for a FPSA on race three might have even placed higher. Dirk Weiblen’s No Fear came last in the five-boat division but a combination of DNSs and DNFs saw it only start three of the seven races held in the Racing Multis.

The Firefly division was a Battle Royale from the get-go between arch-rivals Twin Sharks and Voodoo as only a point separated them going into the final day of racing. And fittingly, it was all decided on the last race when Twin Sharks managed to push Voodoo into fourth place with a port vs starboard incident on the downward leg of the last lap enabling Twin Sharks to move into second place in the race and grab the title.

George Eddings’ Blue Noze was in the midst of it all throughout the regatta winning one race and taking third overall. Ray Waldron’s Surf Patrol finished the regatta with a strong performance winning the last race but placed fourth overall, followed by Marc Chapus and his crew on Moto Inzi, who never really did get over their teething problems finishing last in the majority of the races.

Zam Bevan’s ShoVel won all its races in the Cruising Multihull division but its sole competitor Bill Kane’s The Sting was granted “the perseverance trophy” for its “never say die” attitude during the event.

A tireless effort by Tom Cracknell and other volunteer committee members helped the regatta run smoothly. Khun Jeab and her crew in the kitchen made sure all the sailors’ thirsts were quenched and that their bellies were full. The Thailand Yacht Show graciously provided the food for the final party.

Kudos go out to Simon James and his crew for great course management on the water and a big thank you to Captain Brent McInnes of the Phuket Cruising Yacht Club for providing the photography boat. The principal sponsor for the sixth straight year was Andrew de Bruin and Multihull Solutions. Race day sponsors included Boat Lagoon, East Marine Asia and Octopus Electrical Services. Supporting sponsors are SEA Yachting, the Thailand Yacht Show, Asia Catamarans, Regatta's Asia and Doyle Sails.

Strong winds greet sailors on first day of MSR

Day one of the regatta was delayed for an hour due to strong shifting winds gusting to 31 knots. PRO Simon James then got the fleet underway just before 1pm with the Racing and Ocean Multis sharing the same start, followed by the Fireflies. Some shifty manoeuvering by John Newnham’s Twin Sharks saw Ray Waldron’s Surf Patrol go OSR in the Firefly division, but then it was off to the races around Koh Bon with the fluctuating weather and wind conditions causing some frustration and an eventually shortened course for the shortened multihulls.

By the time the second race got underway later in the afternoon the wind had died down to seven knots and PRO James held two more windward-leeward races, the first being three laps, the second two, which was shortened shortly before 5pm, when racing was scheduled to end for the day.

There was a minor battle within a major battle in the Racing Multihull Class –the battle of the Fugazis; Dan Fidock’s new customized catamaran vs. the old Fugazi (a Moore 37), now Bonza. It was the first race for Bonza with its new crew and the first race for the new Fugazi (a Bakewell-White 10.5).

Phantom V took the division on this day, with Warwick Downes’ Bonza second. Dirk Weiblen podiumed on No Fear finishing third on the day. This boat was previously known as Offline and This! Dan Fidock’s Fugazi was fourth and Twister 2 fifth.

The Firefly division was particularly competitive with multiple lead changes throughout the three races: Twin Sharks won the day, Blue Noze came second and Voodoo placed third overall, after being disqualified from the third race. Surf Patrol and Moto Inzi rounded out the class in that order.

ShoVel in the Cruising Multihull Class won the day with new sails and tactical skills capturing all three races though its only other competitor in the division unexpectedly had to undergo minor repairs before race one, so had to sit that one out but joined in for the latter two races.

There were two protests on the day: the first in race two saw a port-starboard dispute between Twin Sharks vs Moto Inzi resolved when Moto Inzi retired gracefully. In race three, Surf Patrol and Voodoo touched near the shortened finish line, and the protest committee decided in Surf Patrol’s favour handing Voodoo a DSQ.

The regatta’s on-water team deserved a lot of credit for pulling off three races in challenging weather and wind conditions that changed dramatically throughout the day