By Scott Murray. SEA Yachting Magazine.

Thirty-four sailboats registered and spread over six classes (IRC Premier Monohull, IRC Racing, IRC Cruising, Cruising Monohull, OMR Multihull & Cruising Multihull) headed out this morning on the Bay Regatta through some of the world’s most stunning karst topography on their four-day nautical journey.

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 30-mile course, sponsored by Really Good Deli. It all started at 9am with an eight-horn sail salute to the late great Andy Dowden, who participated in and officiated many Bay Regattas. PRO and regatta organizer Simon James had two starts for the competitors: first off were all the multihulls (14 boats) followed by all the multihulls (20 boats).

The fleet set off from Koh Naka Yai, then passed Koh Sup, Koh Kai Nai and Shark Point to starboard, before finishing between the southern-most point of Koh Phi Phi Don and the northern tip of Koh Phi Phi Le. The fleet returns to Phi Phi for the first time in years and skirted the east coast of Koh Yao Yai in doing so.

The IRC Premier Monohull class saw the predominately Chinese crew on Aftershock, a Davidson 59, capture first overall followed by Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda, a JV Custom 70, and Craig Nicholls/James Bury’s Alright (formerly Emagine), a Sydney 40.

Then in the five-boat IRC Racing Class Aliaksandre Racheuski’s Uminoko, a Farr One Ton, took first overall followed by Andrey Novoderezhkin’s Madame Butterfly, a 3/4 Ton Modified, with Niels Degenkolw’s X ¾ Ton Phoenix placing third.

The eight-boat IRC Cruising Class saw Sergei Musikhin’s Wind of Change, a Beneteau Oceanis 43, take home top honours with Aleksejs Halavins’ Megan/Gloria, an Oceanis 45, in second and Paul Merry’s Night Train, a Hanse 415, in third.

Philippe Dallée’s Swan II (a Swan 43 - 1969) took the four-boat Cruising Monohull class followed by Steven Wong’s Snap Dragon, a Peterson 49 in second place.

The seven-boat OMR Multihull class saw Dan Fidock’s Parabellum, an Extreme 40, win & take line honours in the regatta. John Newnham’s Twin Sharks, a Firefly 850 Sportsboat, and George Eddings’ Blue Noze, another Firefly were second and third, respectively. Parabellum’s speed throughout the course even startled the local fishermen as she cruised by to line honours in 1:57:39. Twin Sharks was the next boat across the line in 2:47:07.

Grant Richardson’s Sea Mi Amore, a Catana 47 Ocean Class, won the seven-boat Cruising Multihull class with the Malaysian-based crew on Serendipity, a Whitehaven 11, placing second. Serendipity’s skipper Jeff Harris was the Chairman of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta for many years and his boat sailed very well with is brand new sails. Bob McIntyre’s Allegro, a Stealth 13, took third in the class.

Parabellum’s Dan Fidock, who owns the Really Good Deli is a regatta sponsor and presented the awards at the prize-giving ceremony held at the Ibiza Resort.

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 Bay Regatta was originally described thus: “The regatta allows participants to experience the best of southern Thai hospitality and the unrivaled sailing grounds in the area. Boats sail amongst 200-metre-high karsts and past hidden bays on their way to nights under-the-stars in idyllic anchorages.”

That description still rings true today.