Photo Batch from Phang Nga Bay

from phang nga bay race committee
Day One, after the start

Nice Place for a sailing regatta, right?

This low resolution photo from the race committee shows Wings to windward right after the start of the first day of Phang Nga Bay regatta. We started back a little to play it safe in the light air with the strong tide tending to push the boats over the line. We didn't want to be over early. But right after the start we were sailing well, pointing high and moving fast.

In this shot you can see the Farr 40 Yo!2 out ahead (the dark boat in the middle of the photo) and you can see that we were pointing higher and moving well). Somewhere to leeward is Katsu, the Swan 42, who were, right about this time, wondering who were were. They had not expected any other boat besides Yo!2 to be moving like this in this fleet.

We maintained excellent position for half the race and were ahead on corrected time at the first two marks. When the wind died however the whole fleet slowed down. The leaders had less distance to sail in the drifting conditions and they saved their time on us. Third Place.

Chong Lat Dawn
wingssail images-fredrick roswold
Dawn in the most beautiful anchorage in Phang Nga Bay. The fleet lies at anchor awaiting the new day.


Sighting the Lay Line
wingssail image-fredrick roswold

Champagne sailing on Day Three. We made it through the light air inside the islands and once we broke free of the drifting conditions we enjoyed wonderful sailing for the second half of the race. A long beat to Koh Ngang and a reach to Koh Samet in flat water gave us a chance to make up a lot of time. Here Andy calls the layline to the island. One last tack onto starboard and then the reach and a smooth rounding, set the kite, and downwind to the finish. Yo!2 and Katsu were already finished and Lawanna, the big x-yacht, passed us at the last moment and finished just ahead of us. But when we heard the final results at Railay Beach that night we found that we won by 16 seconds. It was great.

Crew Work
wingssail image-fredrick roswold

In the hot sun and light air it was a lot of work for the crew to try to keep Wings moving. In the whole week they made no mistakes, no errors, and we had perfect crew work. We could ask for no more.


Raew Raew
wingssail image-fredrick roswold

This is the "mother ship" we chartered for the regatta. Captain Kee piloted Raew Raew around Phang Nga Bay and anchored at each harbor so that when we arrived after the day's racing the crew had a cool (air conditioned) haven to run to for showers and a cold beer. Each morning, after breakfast aboard Raew Raew, they returned to Wings for the day's racing.