Quantum Racing Drumstick wins Phuket Kings Cup Regatta
by Di Pearson 11 Dec 2005 17:59 GMT
A provisional win in the final race of the Raimon Land Phuket Kings Cup Regatta in Thailand today has given Sydney yachtsman Ray Roberts and his crew on the DK 46 Quantum Racing Drumstick victory.
Roberts and crew, representing the CYCA in Australia, beat their nearest IRC Racing rival, Neil Pryde’s Farr 52 Hi Fi, to win the major trophy by five points after dropping their worst race, a fourth. Pryde finished the final race in second place, but needed to beat the Quantum crew by three places to win the series.
Third place overall has gone to British entry, Mandrake, skippered by Nick Burns, who finished a disappointing sixth in race eight today, while Frank Pong’s Boracay scored a third place; not enough to give the Hong Kong businessman the desired top three finish. He missed fourth place by just one point after a mixed regatta.
Following their win of the five race series in which 86 boats took part, the Quantum Racing team headed to the airport, expecting to arrive back in Sydney early tomorrow morning when they will head straight Roberts’ home club, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia to contest the Rolex Trophy Series in the Farr 40 One Design class which started today.
“We probably won’t even get time to have a shower – it will be straight to the boat, but we are obviously pleased with our win here,” Roberts’ tactician, Steve McConaghy, commented this afternoon.
Justin Lambeth took the helm of Quantum Racing in the absence of Roberts’ today. With former Olympian Matt Hayes in the afterguard, the pair has managed to sail the yacht into third place overall following three races.
However, Roberts and his crew will have their work cut out to catch the leader, Vincenzo Onorato and his crew on the Italian entry, Mascalzone Latino. The crew scored three straight wins in the opening races for three points, with current Farr 40 world champion, Richard Perini and his Aussie crew on Evolution in second place with a second and two third places.
Lambeth sailed Quantum Racing to a fourth, fifth and fourth today, leaving them 10 points behind the leader. As per the class rules, no race drops will come into play, making it difficult for any of the 10 other entries to make inroads into the Mascalzone Latino America’s Cup head’s score.
For full results on the Kings Cup go to www.kingscup.com/todaysresults.html