Stunning topography & great wind hi-lite day three of the Bay Regatta

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By Scott Murray. Sea Yachting Magazine.

Vacation Village sponsored day three of the 29th Bay Regatta and that’s where the evening’s party and prize-giving was held. PRO Simon James had participants sail the stunning Krabi Islands course today, where participants could enjoy the province’s stunning karst topography while sailing a challenging and breath-taking course.

The previous night’s party was held at Port Takola Marina & Boatyard, who was celebrating the opening of their new Capitainerie, marking the second-phase expansion of one of Krabi’s key marine facilities. The development reflects the growth of marine infrastructure in the region and Krabi’s rising profile as a hub for international sailing and yachting.

Today’s start sequence was the same as the first two days of racing as first off were the performance monohulls, followed by the multihulls (OMR & cruisers) and then the cruising monos.

The performance monos and the multihulls sailed a 28km course rounding Koh Ya Man, Koh Dam Khwan, Koh Khom (South), and Koh Ya Wa Sam all to starboard before rounding Koh Man to port and then Koh Ya Man and Koh Samet to starboard finishing with the committee boat, also to starboard. The cruising monos sailed a shortened version of the same course (22km).

The elite four-boat Performance Monohull class saw Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood win for the third straight day but this time Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda edged out Peter Cremers’ Shatoosh for second spot by just over nine minutes on corrected time with Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, a further five minutes behind. Yasooda, a Judel/Vrolijk 70 and Shatoosh, a Warwick 75, are both beautifully sleek boats and hold a friendly rivalry in many regattas.

The eight-boat IRC Racing Class saw the same three yachts continue to dominate and this class is going to come down to the wire. Today Matti Sep’s Gern Kard finished first a couple minutes ahead of Maksby Lisun’s Dynamite, who in turn finished a couple minutes ahead of Craig Nichols’ Alright. Venture who went walkabout, or should we say sailabout, on the first day has not returned to the regatta.

The ten-boat Monohull Cruising Class was also very close as Sergei Musikhin’s Wind of Change take top spot on the podium finishing a few minutes ahead of Oleksiy Borysov’s Ronin (formerly called Night Train and then owned by Bay Regatta committee member Paul Merry), who in turn finished a few minutes ahead of James Duke’s Kimikimi. Philippe Dallée’s slick Swan II did not race today in this class.

Dan Fidock’s Parabellum again took line honours once finishing in 02:08:15, winning the six-boat OMR Multihull class for the third straight day. David Liddell’s Stealth Wow was second once again, with Dougal Jackson’s Haruki placed third. There is a great battle going on in this division between the two competing Fireflys: Twin Sharks and Blue Noze, both designed by Mark Pescott and built by Mark Horwood in Phuket. Twin Sharks has the edge leading into the final day.

While in the Cruising Multi division, Vancouver 1 and Saalt did not race, still dealing with damage caused by the rough crossing on day two. So, this six-boat class was down to four boats and it was also very close as Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus beat Jeff Harris’ Serendipity, by a few minutes who in turn beat Michael Hähnel’s Liberty V by a few minutes.

Each evening, the regatta anchors at a different venue and the sailors go ashore. Those staying ashore –the majority of the fleet – book accommodation and either eat in the local restaurants or enjoy the official event functions, which engage with the local community. Most of the expenditure of the regatta goes directly into the local economies of the areas the regatta visits — this has been the case since the regatta was launched and it will remain so for the future — an excellent example of how sports tourism works to the benefit of communities and local economies.

The evening party was held at Vacation Village, Pra Nang Inn, where prizes were given out for day two’s racing by Khun Sam , representing Haadthip. Asia Catamarans’ Zam Bevan then handed out the prizes for day three. The final day will be an exciting race home to Ao Chalong tomorrow with many spots still up for grabs and the final awards party is set for Kan Eang II.

On your marks, let her rip.

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By Scott Murray, Sea Yachting Magazine.

With winds gusting up to 27 knots the Bay Regatta certainly didn’t disappoint today as participants revelled in the excellent sailing conditions. Dan Fidock’s Parabellum make great time taking line honours once again finishing in 02:02:10, winning the six-boat OMR Multihull class in the process (Dan himself suffered an arm injury but was able to tough it out until the finish where he was taken to hospital to be checked out). David Liddell’s Stealth Wow was second again, just over seven minutes behind Parabellum on corrected time. John Hearne’s Boreas was third in this class today.

After a buffet and awards presentation at the Blue Bay Beach Resort on Koh Yao Yai, the 29th Bay Regatta fleet was eager to let loose for day two, sponsored by Port Takola Marina & Boatyard. Beginning at 10am, PRO and race organizer Simon James again had three starts for the competitors: first off were the performance monohulls, followed by the multihulls (split into OMR & cruisers) and then the combined monohull classes.

Competitors sailed a 25-mile course starting off Koh Yao Yai to Krabi passing Koh Chong Lat Nai to port and then passing Leam Hua Lan to port before passing through a gate keeping Hin Mu Sang Neua to starboard, passing between Koh Samet and Koh Daeng, finishing off of Koh Ya Mann.

The biggest confusion of the day came when the crew from Venture, woke to find their boat had sailed itself to Koh Lipe (hint, next time, it might be a good idea to let out more anchor chain).

And although the weather was quite rough, the only boat not to make it was the start boat carrying PRO Simon James & his committee members. The skipper of the chartered start boat “Implication” decided to turn back halfway there and Simon and his crew had to then unload and hire a car and drive to Krabi from Phuket, while continuing to track the yachts. The gate boat was then relocated to the finish line, and as a backup, all boats were asked to record their own finishing time, the leaders were checked using their AIS tracking and once the rib arrived the remaining fleet were recorded by Chandran and his team. A bit of a logistical nightmare, but the on-water team prevailed.

The elite four-boat Performance Monohull class saw the same order of finish as yesterday with Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood beating Peter Cremers’ Shatoosh by just over seven minutes on corrected time. Next up was Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda who finished third, and then Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, was fourth, some distance behind Yasooda. It should be noted that in both races Yasooda had a quicker elapsed time than Shatoosh.

The eight-boat IRC Racing Class saw the same three yachts win, place and show as in day one but their order was a little different today as Craig Nichols’ Alright took first with Matti Sep’s Gern Kard coming second and Maksby Lisun’s Dynamite placing third.

The ten-boat Monohull Cruising Class saw James Duke’s Kimikimi gain the top spot on the podium today followed by Nikiforov Evgenii’s Ganett 2 with Sergei Musikhin’s Wind of Change placing third.

A lot of bits and bobs broke on many of the boats today because of the wind. Twisted 2 couldn’t even set off because of a broken steering column, which they were able to fix enabling them to make the evening’s festivities at Port Takola marina. Vancouver 1 and Saalt also did not start in the Cruising Multi division with sail damage, making the six-boat class a three-boat class with Jeff Harris’ Serendipity, formerly owned by Tim Milner, coming in first beating Michael Hähnel’s Liberty V by just over a minute on corrected time. Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus then finished 00:02:17 behind Liberty V.

Every regatta has its own unique selling point and for the Bay Regatta it’s the stunning karst topography that competitors sail through. Ao Nang in the Krabi area is a perfect example of this and that’s where Simon James plans to stage races on day three of the regatta as the wind is forecast to be quite strong again tomorrow.

A big thank you must go out to Martin Woolnough who graciously supplied the camera boat, an Axopar 28, named Freya, which is a perfect photography boat. And always a big thanks to Kae Wattana and her team of wonderful volunteers on shore who go out of their way to make sure everything goes smoothly off the water.

29th Bay Regatta sets off with a bang.

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By Scott Murray, Sea Yachting Magazine.

Great wind, stunning topography, and some of the best sailors and sleekest boats in the region marked the start of the 29th Bay Regatta today – what more could you ask for?

The 2026 regatta returned to its traditional start, with a northeasterly beat into Phang Nga Bay, before turning south to follow a slalom course around a series of islands, finishing at the Blue Bay Beach Resort on the sheltered west coast of Koh Yao Yai, where the evening’s awards presentation was staged.

Thirty-four sailboats registered for this year’s regatta, spread over five classes (Performance Monohulls, IRC Racing, Monohull Cruising, OMR Multihulls, & Cruising Multihulls) headed out this morning on the Bay Regatta through some of the world’s most stunning karst topography on their four-day nautical journey.

Simon James and Kae Wattana of Regattas Asia have done what no one else in this region were able to do: stage a regatta every year throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s right, the Bay Regatta didn’t miss a beat – this year’s version being the 29th straight.

Held from February 18-22, the Bay Regatta is a series of passage races – an event format that catches the attention of the region’s best sailors. This four-day sailing trek throughout Phang Nga Bay focuses on fun. Attracting the serious, the not-so-serious and the not-at-all-serious “racing” sailors, the regatta appeals to those who enjoy the stunning sailing grounds of the area and a different destination each evening.

Starting just off of Ao Po Grand Marina on Phuket's east coast, after registration and an opening party yesterday evening at the lovely Supalai Scenic Bay resort, the yachts sailed south.

Everyone sailed the same 25-mile course. It all started at 10am as PRO and regatta organizer Simon James had three starts for the competitors: first off were the performance monohulls (4 boats) followed by rest of the monos (18 boats) and then all the multihulls.

The fleet set off from Koh Naka Yai, then rounded mark one to port (approx. four miles to windward). Then the fleet rounded Koh Thanan to port, and then Koh Sup to starboard, and Koh Lipe to port before finishing off Ao Lo Paret with the committee boat to starboard.

The elite four-boat Performance Monohull class saw Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood beat Peter Cremers’ Shatoosh by just over six minutes on elapsed time, with Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda finishing third by just over 1 minute on corrected time and Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, coming in fourth.

The eight-boat IRC Racing Class saw Maksby Lisun’s Dynamite edge out Craig Nichols’ Alright by just over three minutes on corrected time with the Estonian team on Gern Kard, led by Matti Sep, finishing just 00.00.19 seconds behind Alright (how close was that?).

The ten-boat Monohull Cruising Class then saw Philippe Dallée’s Swan II (a Swan 43 - 1969) take top spot with Nikiforov Evgenii’s Ganett 2 eight-and-a-half minutes back in second place. James Duke’s Kimikimi took the bronze medal in this class today.

The six-boat OMR Multihull class witnessed Dan Fidock’s sleek Parabellum fly around the course as it is prone to do winning the class and taking line honours in the process with a time of 01:50:46. David Liddell’s Stealth Wow was second, edging out John Newnham’s Firefly Twin Sharks, by 53 seconds.

Finally, the six boat Cruising Multihull class was won by Welshman Glywn Rowlands’ Twister 2 who beat Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus by 52 seconds on corrected time., Michael Hähnel’s Liberty (formerly Phantom 5) came third in the class.

Tie-breaks and close racing hi-lite final day of Bay Regatta

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 By Scott Murray - Sea Yachting Magazine.

The fourth and final day of the 28th Bay Regatta saw PRO and race organizer Simon James start the multihulls first and then the monohulls second in the Coca Cola Race for a quick zip back from Railay to Ao Chalong in good, strong wind.

The competitors sailed the 26-mile course, which started using the downwind committee boat to port & preceded through the gate at Mu Sang Nua, to the finish at the entrance to Ao Chalong.

Ray Roberts’ TP52 Team Hollywood won the three-boat IRC Racing Class though the yacht did slip to third place on the final day as Craig Nicholls Alright, a Sydney 40, overcame a major setback on the start line when their main came down with 2 mins, but thanks to Chong Wei Yong mast climb,  they staged an upset and won the race on corrected time, edging out Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, a Davidson 59. So, it was Team Hollywood, followed by Alright, and then Aftershock in the final points standing. And Ray Roberts did promise to bring his boat back next year. 

The six-boat IRC Racing Class B saw the Estonian team on Gern Kard, led by Matti Sep, win comfortably. Andrey Novoderezhkin’s Madame Butterfly placed second and Niels Degenkolw’s Phoenix edged out Sergei Musikhin’s DSA Venture by one spot for third. DSA Venture then nipped Andrei Mororov’s Gateway Ichi by a point to secure fourth overall in the class.

The eleven-boat Monohull Cruising Class saw Philippe Dallée’s Swan II (a Swan 43 - 1969) also win comfortably with Polina Mikhailenko’s Ventura placing second and Boris Burmentev’s Winds of Change coming in third.

The three-boat Corinthian Class is Philippe Dallée’s Swan II win this new division, which was created to encourage more traditional boats to join the regatta.  Steven Wong’s Snap Dragon placed second and Mark Sennett’s Madam was third.    

Both Multihull Classes were decided on a tie-break. The methodology is the number of wins is the first tie-break, followed by the number of second and then third place finishes. If it’s still tied after all that the winner is the boat who had the best finish in the final race. 

So top spot in the five-boat OMR Multihull class went to Dougal Jackson’s Stealth Haruki as even though it sat tied in points with John Newnham’s Firefly Twin Sharks, it had more first-place finishes (two to one). David Liddell’s Stealth Wow placed third in the class. Haruki also won the three-boat OMR Stealth division over Wow as Bliss demasted the first day of racing. 

The four-boat Multihull Cruising Class saw three boats finish with eight points each. But when all was said and done, Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus took top honours, based on more wins in the class, followed by Tim Hawkins’ Quoll (better result on the final day) and Rob Azzopardi’s North Star.

The final party was once again held at Kan Eang 2 restaurant, overlooking Chalong Bay and a great time was had by all. Described as the “party that sails around” this regatta just keeps entertaining all those who participate and it certainly didn’t disappoint this year, many promising to be back again next year.

You have to excuse first-time competitors to the Bay Regatta if they appear gobsmacked when they first head out through the regatta’s cruising grounds on their four-day nautical journey – rarely have they seen such stunning and picturesque scenery. 

With over 30 boats on the water and terrific party venues the Bay Regatta certainly did not disappoint. Dates for the 2026 Bay Regatta have been announced for February 18-22.

Competition heats up in day three of The 28th Bay Regatta.

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By Scott Murray (Sea Yachting Magazine)

The third day of the 28th Bay Regatta saw PRO Simon James have participants sail the Krabi Islands course. With the results tabulated, many classes’ top spots are still undecided, so the sailors will have to prove their mettle in the race home to Phuket tomorrow to see what position they will earn on the podium.

Today, the multihulls were first off the start line followed by the multihulls. IRC Racing A and Multihull Racing sailed the same course today while IRC Racing B, Mono-and Multihull Cruising and OMR Multihulls sailed another course.

The routes saw the sailors round Koh Ya Man, Koh Dam Khwan, Koh Khom (South), and Koh Ya Wa Sam all to starboard before rounding Koh Man to starboard and finishing with the committee boat to starboard. Both courses were shortened as the wind did not hold.

Ray Roberts’ TP52 Team Hollywood won the IRC Racing Class A for the third straight day and they have this class wrapped up with a bow. But only a point separates Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, a Davidson 59, and Craig Nicholls/James Bury’s Alright, a Sydney 40, heading into the final day’s race.

There’s still all to play for in the six-boat IRC Racing Class B: the Estonian team on Gern Kard, led by Matti Sep, is in top spot with six points, followed by Andrey Novoderezhkin’s Madame Butterfly (8 pts) and Andrei Mororov’s Gateway Ichi (10 pts). Still in the mix are Sergei Musikhin’s DSA Venture (11pts) and Niels Degenkolw’s Phoenix (12 pts) - which has won its class in the Bay Regatta many times - heading into the race home to Phuket.

The eleven-boat Monohull Cruising Class sees Philippe Dallée’s Swan II (a Swan 43 - 1969) in a great spot going into the final day (4 pts) with Polina Mikhailenko’s Ventura in second (7 pts) and Boris Burmentev’s Winds of Change in third (10 pts). Aleksei Brunov’s Monnshine is hovering close behind with 12 points.

The three-boat Corinthian Class is Philippe Dallée’s Swan II’s race to win unless they don’t finish the race tomorrow. However, the other two boats in the class., Mark Sennett’s Madam and Steven Wong’s Snap Dragon are tied with seven points each and will battle it out for that second spot.

The five-boat OMR Multihull class is tight as can be with Dougal Jackson’s Stealth Haruki sitting at five points with John Newnham’s Twin Sharks, a Firefly 850 Sports multihull point behind, and David Liddell’s Stealth Wow is a point behind Twin Sharks heading into the final day.

There’s a similar grouping in the four-boat Cruising Multihull class with Rob Azzopardi’s North Star leading Tim Hawkins’ Quoll by a point and Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus, in turn, a point behind Quoll

Each evening, the regatta anchors at a different venue and the sailors go ashore. Those staying ashore –the majority of the fleet – book accommodation and either eat in the local restaurants or enjoy the official event functions, which engage with the local community. Most of the expenditure of the regatta goes directly into the local economies of the areas the regatta visits — this has been the case since the regatta was launched and it will remain so for the future — an excellent example of how sports tourism works to the benefit of communities and local economies.

The evening party was held at Vacation Village, Pra Nang Inn, where prizes were given out for day two’s racing by Preecha Poolphokphol, owner of Vacation Village. Octopus Electrical Services’ Mick Kealy then handed out the prizes for day three. The final day will be an exciting race home to Ao Chalong tomorrow with many spots still up for grabs and the final awards party is set for Kan Eang II.

Sunning karst topography highlights Bay Regatta course

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By Scott Murray, Editor - Sea Yachting Magazine.

Every regatta has its own unique selling point, and for the Bay Regatta, it’s the stunning karst topography competitors sail through. Many say, it’s is one of the world’s most beautiful regattas.

After a buffet and awards presentation at the Blue Bay Beach Resort on Koh Yao, the 28th Bay Regatta fleet was eager to let loose for day two of the 2025 Bay Regatta on Friday, February 21. Beginning at 10am, PRO and race organizer Simon James again had two starts for the competitors: first off were the multihulls followed by all the monohulls.

Competitors were set to sail a 25-mile course starting from Blue Bay Resort, which started off Koh Yao Yai to Krabi, passing Koh Chong Lat Nai to port and then Leam Hua Lan to port. The boats then passed through a gate, keeping Hin Mu Sang Neua reef to starboard, passing Koh Samet and Koh Daeng, and finishing at Koh Ya Mann.

The biggest issue today was the wind or at least the lack of it. Competitors had to battle through intermittent gusts all day. The quicker nimbler boats made good use of the early good winds while those unable to harness it struggled all day.

Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood beat Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, a Davidson 59, by seven minutes on corrected time to take first place in this three-boat class. Craig Nicholls/James Bury’s Alright (formerly Emagine), a Sydney 40, was five minutes behind Aftershock on corrected time.

In the six-boat IRC Racing Class B, the Estonian team on Gern Kard, led by Matti Sep, took first on elapsed and corrected time. Andrei Mororov’s Gateway Ichi placed second in the six-boat class, with Andrey Novoderezhkin’s Madame Butterfly, a 3/4 ton modified, coming in third.

The eleven-boat Monohull Cruising Class saw Philippe Dallée’s Swan II (a Swan 43 - 1969), cruising to first place with Boris Burmentev’s Winds of Change taking second and Polina Mikhailenko’s Ventura finishing third.

The three-boat Corinthian Class repeated yesterday’s results, with Swan II again winning this class (specific to traditionally designed boats), followed by Mark Sennett’s Madam and Steven Wong’s Snap Dragon. To see Madam, a stunning 70-ft cold-moulded wooden sailing boat set against the regatta’s stunning karst topography, is truly a sight to behold.

The five-boat OMR Multihull class saw David Liddell’s Stealth Wow sail to the top spot with John Newnham’s Twin Sharks, a Firefly 850 Sportsboat, placing second and Dougal Jackson’s Stealth Haruki in third.

Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus seized the day in the four-boat Cruising Multihull class with Rob Azzopardi’s North Star, placing second in the class and Tim Hawkins’ Quoll II third.

It was a free night in the Krabi area for all competitors, as the awards for today’s races will be handed out tomorrow at Vacation Village, the Phra Nang Inn in Ao Nang. Racing resumes tomorrow with the traditional Krabi Island races with the first warning signal at 10.00 am (wind providing).

A few thanks are in order: First, a big thank you to Premier Composite Technologies, which supplied the start boat, Atari VIII. Next, a big thank you to Martin Woolnough, who graciously supplied the camera boat, an Axopar, a perfect photography boat. And always, a big thanks to Kae Wattana and her team of wonderful shore volunteers, who go out of their way to ensure everything goes smoothly off the water.

Glorious start to 28th Bay Regatta

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In past years, the highlight of the Bay Regatta was sailing in the flat waters off the east coast of Phuket, towards Ko Phanak, the first island in Phang Nga Bay. And the 2025 regatta returns to that tradition start, with a northeasterly beat into Phang Nga Bay, before turning south to follow a slalom course around a series of islands, finishing at a new venue, The Blue Bay Beach Resort on the sheltered west coast of Koh Yao Yai.

Thirty-one sailboats registered and spread over five classes (IRC Racing A, IRC Racing B, Monohull Cruising ( including a new Corinthian Division), OMR Multihulls and Cruising Multihulls) headed out this morning on the Bay Regatta through some of the world’s most stunning karst topography on their four-day nautical journey.

Simon James and Kae Wattana of Regattas Asia have done what no one else in this region were able to do: stage a regatta every year throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s right, the Bay Regatta didn’t miss a beat – this year’s version being the 28th straight.

Held from February 19-24, the Bay Regatta is a series of passage races – an event format that catches the attention of the region’s best sailors. This four-day sailing trek throughout Phang Nga Bay focuses on fun. Attracting the serious, the not-so-serious and the not-at-all-serious “racing” sailors, the regatta appeals to those who enjoy the stunning sailing grounds of the area and a different destination each evening.

Starting just off of Ao Po Grand Marina on Phuket's east coast, after registration and an opening party yesterday evening at the lovely Supalai Scenic Bay resort, the yachts sailed south.

Everyone sailed the same 25-mile course. It all started at 10am as PRO and regatta organizer Simon James had two starts for the competitors: first off were all the monohulls (22 boats) followed by all the multihulls (9 boats).

The fleet set off from Koh Naka Yai, then rounded mark one to port (approx. four miles to windward). Then the fleet rounded Koh Thanan to port, Koh Sup to starboard, and Koh Lipe to port before finishing off Ao Lo Paret with the committee boat to starboard.

The three-boat IRC Racing A class was ever so close with Ray Roberts’ Team Hollywood beating Steve McConaghy’s Aftershock, a Davidson 59, by just over a minute on elapsed time (2:29:41) and just over three minutes on corrected time to take first place in the class. Craig Nicholls/James Bury’s Alright (formerly Emagine), a Sydney 40, finished a little under four minutes behind Aftershock.

And yes, we did say Ray Roberts, after 28 years, the sailing rockstar finally made it to the Bay Regatta and loved it, promising to come back again, while noting the high quality of the racing and the courses.

In the six-boat IRC Racing Class B the three boats that were worried about doing well in this class finished one, two, and three with Sergei Musikhin’s DSA Venture taking first on elapsed and corrected time. The Estonian team on Gern Kard, led by Matti Sep, placed second in the six-boat class with Andrey Novoderezhkin’s Madame Butterfly, a 3/4 ton modified, coming in third.

The eleven-boat Monohull Cruising Class saw Polina Mikhailenko’s Ventura take home top honours with Philippe Dallée’s Swan II (a Swan 43 - 1969) placing second and Aleksei Brunov’s Moonshine finishing third.

David Hery, who is on the foredeck for Phoenix in the regatta couldn’t say enough good things about the event, “The scenery, the around-the-islands racing, the wind, the number of boats – it was all great. Throw that in with good organization and it’s just a very positive experience.”

Swan II then won the new three-boat Corinthian Division for traditionally designed boats, followed by Mark Sennett’s Madam and Steven Wong’s Snap Dragon.

The five-boat OMR Multihull class saw Dougal Jackson’s Stealth Haruki, take the top spot with John Newnham’s Twin Sharks, a Firefly 850 Sportsboat, placing second and David Liddell’s Stealth Wow finishing third.

A third Stealth from Asia Catamarans, Mark Thornburrow’s Bliss started the race, but suffered mast damage on a downwind leg and had to retire. Luckily, no one was hurt except for some bruised egos and hopefully they’ll be back at it as soon as possible.

What was really great to see today was that Twin Sharks – a veritable jackrabbit across the water – was fastest on elapse time (2:24:11 elapsed), beating out the iRC BOATS. However, once handicaps were applied in the OMR Multihul class, Haruki (2:28:49) was the winner. Haruki’s co-owner Jen Jackson says the name means “clear weather, bright living” and that Japanese author Haruki Murakami inspired her and husband Dougal today.

Tim Hawkins’ Quoll II won the four-boat Cruising Multihull class with Lt Col Brigadier James Baxter (OBE)’s Zephyrus placing second and Rob Azzopardi’s North Star, coming in third in the class.

Khun Chosika “Rica” Kaewsiriwan, the Managing Director of the Blue Bay Beach Resort presented the awards at the prize-giving ceremony held at her resort.

Bay Regatta Course Diagrams now available for download.

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Course Diagrams for the 2025 Bay Regatta are now available for download in the documents section of www.bayregatta.com. https://www.bayregatta.com/regatta-documents
Courses can also be viewed in “The Route” section of the website. https://www.bayregatta.com/the-route

Laminated Course Books and the final sailing instructions will be available at Registration on the 19th February at Supalai Scenic Bay Resort & Spa.

New Route for 2025.

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In past years, the highlight of the Bay Regatta was sailing in the flat waters off the east coast of Phuket, towards Ko Phanak, the first island in Phang Nga Bay.

For 2025, the regatta will return to that tradition start, with a North Easterly beat into PhangNga Bay, before turning south to follow a slalom course around a series of islands, finishing at a new venue, The Blue Bay Beach Resort on the sheltered west coast of Ko Yao Yai. https://www.bluebaybeachresort.com/

On day 2, the regatta will then continue around the southern point of Ko Yao and continue to our Krabi host venue, Vacation Village in Ao Nang, Krabi.

Days 3 and 4 will continue with the sailor’s favourite, around Island Racing in Krabi before the traditional day 4 sprint back to Phuket.

Full details of special hotel rates will be published soon in venues section of the website.