Fugazi, Voodoo & Sho, Vel won the OMR,
Firefly and Cruising Multi divisions
respectively at the Multihull Solutions
Regatta (MSR) 2020, but it was Sho,Vel who
took home the MSR trophy as they won the
division with the most boats, seven.

Fourteen boats and 75 sailors competed
in the event, which was remarkable as the Club
only received the green light to officially hold
the regatta on July 1st. Multihull Solutions
deserves tremendous credit for remaining as the
anchor sponsor throughout the whole COVID
crisis. As PYC Commodore Scott Duncanson
said, “They never backed down, never wavered
in their commitment to us. As long as the
government would allow us to stage the regatta,
they were going to be there for us.”

It had only been four months since the
Phuket Yacht Club staged the Sailor’s Regatta,
one of Thailand’s last regattas before strict
COVID-19 restrictions were implemented. Yet
it seems like years ago since yachts raced around
Phuket’s scenic shores and the sailors who have
been biding their time waiting to unfurl their jibs
and let out their mains are rarin’ to go.

Entries for the regatta were surprisingly
high given the pandemic says Phuket Yacht Club
Commodore, Scott Duncanson, “This is the
eleventh running of the event and on the back of
a surge in multihull popularity globally, the MSR
has grown to become Asia’s largest multihull-only
regatta,” Held in Chalong Bay on Phuket’s protected
east coast, this regatta has become many a
sailor’s “green season” favourite due to the more
consistent southwesterly monsoon winds and
rain, which make for cooler racing temperatures.

Phuket’s best sailors are known to participate
in this regatta and it’s their skill and tactical
sense that makes a difference in navigating the
short windward-leeward courses that tend to
make up most of the regatta’s races.

PRO Matt McGrath gave all three classes
two races each on the final day, and then wrapped
up the incredibly successful event as another
squall seemed ready to hit the course.

The OMR battle saw Dan Fidock’s Fugazi
take six of the eight races over Mark Thornburrow’s
Bonza, but it was Bonza, helmed by Warwick
Downes, who won the “awe factor” due to its
flying hull wizardry.

Hans Rahmann’s Voodoo won the
five-boat Firefly 850 Sports class by one
point over John Newnham’s Twin Sharks.
Oddsmakers had Twin Sharks winning the
division if a third race had taken place, but
it was an exceptional performance by Ian
Coulson and his Filipino crew on Voodoo,
absent owner Hans Rahmann (back in
Germany), who sailed very well in the rough
weather. Over the last five years, John
Newnham’s crew has consistently been on
the top of the podium in this class, but not
this time around as Voodoo beat its fierce
rival for the second time in seven months
having upstaged them at the last King’s Cup
as well.

Mamba, helmed by John Priestley,
finished third overall in the division with
Peter Taylor’s Ballerina in fourth-place and
Marc Chapus’ Moto Inzi brought up the rear.

Another close finish saw Zam Bevan’s
Sho,vel edge out Paul “Flatty” Baker’s
Blue Pulse (owned by John Coffin) by one
point for the Cruising Multi title. Peter
Dyer’s DaVinci was actually tied with the Blue Pulse but dropped to third on countback.
Regatta sponsor Andrew DeBruin’s MHS Neel
51came fourth, followed by The Sting, Klook
Star Trek and finally Rendezvous who had to exit
the regatta on the second day after hitting a
channel marker.

A number of couples are competing in
the regatta including Anthony and Ali Gates
racing on Ballerina; Bill Kane and Khun Toon
on The Sting; Andrew and Donna De Bruin on
the MHS Neel 51; Warwick (Bonza) and Suzanne
Downes (Ballerina); and Muzza (Bonza)
and Chantal (MHS Neel 51).

A huge round of applause must go out
to the PYC staff and kitchen crew led by Khun
Jib for keeping everyone fed. And not only did
Matt McGrath do a super job as PRO but it also
lent the committee the photography boat as
well, which Phil Bender did an exceptional job
of navigating throughout the regatta. Coach
Garfield deserves a lot of credit for helping with
the logistics of the regatta. And Chandran, that
super marksman, did a bang-up of laying and
collecting the marks throughout the event as he
always does.

The race-day sponsors were Phuket
Boat Lagoon, East Marine Asia, and Octopus
Electrical and SEA Yachting was the media
partner.