OMYC Thailand Platu Championship 2022
by Kev Scott, Ferret News 17 Apr 2022 04:23 BST
08-10 April 2022
OMYC Thai Platu Championship 2022 © K Tony Tanathorn
This year’s Championship will be held over five rounds, with a team’s best three scores to count. Happily, this first round was truly international, with Chris Way bringing his Easy Tiger team all the way from Australia, and having to negotiate their way through various covid regulations.
Day one was forecast light and shifty from offshore in the morning on account of all the high-rise buildings, creating big changes in wind direction and pressure. However, to make sure crews could settle into a new series without suffering from a bad race, the first race was a practice race and one drop score was taken into account for the rest of the day’s racing. As it turned out, the breeze shifted 180° just after the first race, and then settled into better winds from the northwest for the rest of the day.
Racing was close, with two distinct groups fighting for every metre within their pack. First blood went to K Ithinai’s Pine Pacific team, but Easy Tiger soon got up to speed and shared the day’s honours. Kevin Whitcraft was right there with them, while settling in a new crew on board Stingray. And so the pattern was set and these three fought extremely closely contested races throughout Saturday and Sunday. A similar pattern was seen with Platus 258, 122 and 124, with the the FLS-sponsored Platu showing off this worldwide logistics company’s sassy new branding.
Good winds and only minor shifts meant that the courses could be true w/l courses for day two and three, with pressure between 7-15 knots and a fairly flat sea state.
Four 30-min races on day one, six on day two, and five on day three gave the crews plenty of action. As usual the last race was a double points ‘medal’ race just to raise the blood pressure levels.
Eventual scores were:
1. 027 Easy Tiger 26 points
2. 257 Pine Pacific 31 points
3. 117 Stingray 34 points
4. 258 Pim 68 points
5. 122 Le Vent 72 points
6. 124 FLS 78 points.
Yet again, thanks to Ocean Marina Yacht Club for their much-valued support of this exciting Championship. We really do appreciate it, and K Scott Finsten does a great job handing out the chocolates. Next event, you’re going to be sailing in a Platu!
Also thanks to K Thammasak for his hard work on the Committee and mark laying boats, and more thanks to Doug Smith for his work behind the scenes.
www.yachtsinthailand.com see Championship 2022 section.
ADVANCE WARNING: ROUND 2, 30 April – 2 May 2022. Come and join us!
Just a reminder that the second round of the 2022 OMYC Platu Championship is only two weeks away, and will be held over the weekend 30 April – 02 May (which is a holiday in Thailand).
The last event provided some great competitive racing for everyone, and we intend to create the same for Round 2.
The international flavour of this Championship will be maintained, with crews flying in from Australia and England. Although Chris Way is racing in America, he is sending his Easy Tiger crew, and Colin Simmonds is a welcome returnee from England now that covid restrictions are easing.
Please be reminded that full details are on the website www.yachtsinthailand.com in the Championship 2022. There you can see reports, results and links to photos.
All our events also get reported on www.sail-world.com/asia. Go via Show Menu > Classes > Platu25, and check the small “go” link.