Koh Samui Day Two. More photo opps...

Downwind trimming is soooo dehydrating.  TC enjoying a can, au naturel

More photos below the fold

Koh Samui, Day One

Photo of our crew, cast of thousands, on Xena before going out to the racecourse today, just off Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui.

I’ll post a bit more a few more photos the below, remaining broadband time allowing.   Mostly people piccies.

Front Row, L to R: Richard, TC, Cess, Iris, Digger.
Back Row: Tony, Judy, Cameron, Jing, Grant, Peter, Simon, Michael, Noel, Stevo.

Cess: for whom also thanks for the photo-taking.

More photos below the fold.

Spotted at Zico's party: Koh Samui Regatta, June 2011

Woopsie!  Does "she" need the Crocodile Dundee test?

"Jamaican" Thai She-boy shakes his/her booty...

Jing with "Digger"

Practice day..

Some photos on my camera, kindly taken by Cess, for which many thanks, Cess!
Breezes shifty in 5-10 knot range, holes in places (TIA*, says Stevo).  At one stage on a beat we were on starboard tack and went to port tack without changing direction or doing anything... the breeze just shifted 90 degrees.
There's no Premier Class this year, as too few boats, so we're in IRC 1, which really doesn't suit Xena and the job is ahead of us, as there are a number of racers in the division, as opposed to we cruiser-racers.  Not to mention our new, increased, handicap, but don't get me started on that....

Les belles du mere,  Amanda, Cess, Judy, Iris

More photos below the fold

In beautiful Samui

Xena at anchor.  Showing the overhangs very clearly...

Jing and I arrived here in Samui at the lovely Centara Grand Resort Hotel, HQ of the Regatta.  The boats are out off the beach and we get ready for on-board by 10:00, couple of hours practice and practice race at 1:00.
Bumped into TC on the plane, just back from his stint of training in the US, and now back living in Hong Kong.  And Neil Pryde and Barry Hayes and number of other sailors on the flight.  It's always a pleasure to arrive back Samui and even its airport, charming, open-to-the-air little place, with electric golf-cart type buses that pick you up and then the quick drive to hotel through streets redolent of Asia.
Race-wise: we've got a tough job ahead of us with our new -- and *not* improved -- handicap.  So the decision is to sail well, sail fast and simply enjoy the FUN regatta.... 

Winds forecast

WindGuru shows a reasonably breezy week, mainly W/SW, 8-15knts, gusting 20.  Lighter Thursday (rest day) and Friday, 5-10knts, gusting 14.
Note: if looking at this times are UTC. Samui is UTC + 7.

Blogging from Samui

This blog started at last year's King's Cup (hence the URL name).  I did a daily post from there, but was constrained by having only my iPad, which I didn't realise is not really optimised for blogging -- you have to do it in HTML, which is a bit of a hassle, and I couldn't upload photos.
This time, I'm bringing my MacBook Pro, so it should be rather easier.
SO, CREW.... bring your cameras along and click away!  I'll chose a couple each day to post.  People piccies tend to be the most popular.
Cheers
Peter.

Our 2011 IRC TCC...

We got our new Certificate yesterday: 1.228. [*]
13 pips up from last year.  Yikes!
I was pretty grumpy about this, and there've been emails flying around the place, XY in Denmark, the IRC reps here, IRC in UK, etc... Net result is that we have to live with it, with the only option to challenge it being to have re-measurement when we return to Hong Kong.
On a slightly more positive note: it seems as though many boats will be going up, as the IRC has implemented some changes, which are here.
For info, the only other X-55s we know with IRC TCC are Echo in Europe, with 1.216 and Audeamus in Perth with 1.180, but she has smaller sails for heavier wind and is "loaded with gear" (then again, so are we...).
In sum, there it is.  We have the dubious distinction of being the highest-rated X-55 in the world.  And, we have to give about another 50 seconds/hour...
Update: Tonga has gone down 2 pips to 1.162...

Meantime, back to the races:
Course notes: Stevo/TC/Richard: if you're reading this, I've got them all laminated for you.

********

[*] Note for our NSR's (non-sailing readers): this is the number by which we have to multiply our Elapsed Time (time "on the water") to get our Corrected Time, which is the time used to calculate final positions.  i.e. the lower the better, the higher the worse.  The IRC certificate, with the Time Correction Coefficient, is issued by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. Our TCC went up from 1.215 to 1.228, hence my "grumpiness"....

Email to crew...

Three cheers to Grant the “the Boyz” (Noel and Mike), who delivered Xena safely, and have been race-prepping her.  And for Grant’s great struggle -- finally successful -- to fix the Genset and the Engine, both of which have been acting up of late  -- yesterday both kaput, today both working, after epic struggles and hours in dingy Samui workshops. Great job, Grant, Noel, Mike, and esp Grant!

Photo from Regatta website, Xena in 2010 Samui.  Click to enlarge.
I rather like this one...

In touch with an old School Chum

The Nicholas' First 40.7 at "the Rock", 2007 Fastnet Race

Through our Canberra Grammar "Class of '67" Blog, I've been put back in touch with my old schoolmate, John Nicholas, from whom I haven't heard for these last 44 years.... They now live in London.
Turns out his family are sailors, and that's their First 40.7 in the 2007 Fastnet Race.  "Nick's" son, Ben, is a four time class National Champion (doesn't say which Class..) and once World Champion.

Xena at anchor, Chaweng cove, Koh Samui

Commodore of Discovery Bay Yacht Club and members
celebrate arrival of Xena at Koh Samui.   Hah! [*]

Xena at anchor 10:00 or before.  Now Grant and the Boyz are off to do Customs, Immigration, etc. Then Grant will rejoin battle with Mr F. Panda, our genset.  He thinks it's the O-Ring.

Happily at anchor (this in San Fernando, '09)

[*] Actually the '09 DBYC race to Gold Coast.  Some of the shenanigans....  Front and centre: Jim Fernie, owner Harlequin

Xena heads South...

.... but with not quite so many people on board!
Xena in June '10 Koh Samui Regatta which we won. (click to enlarge)

As I write this Xena is on her way to Koh Samui, Thailand, and is west of the Paracel Islands, at 16.23N 110.43E, doing 6.6 knots, beating into Force 3-4 breezes, heading 230T.  In the care of Grant, Noel and Mike. (see piccies in previous post).
Track Xena: go the the Tab above, "Track Xena" and follow the instructions.  It's easy and they don't spam you!
I put a couple of recent emails from Grant in the comments section of the post immediately before this one, and will add emails to/from Xena to the comments section of this post.  Latest comments at bottom.
Update (17th May): she's just south of Ho Chi Minh City (old Saigon).  More updates, see comments section.

Xena and the Boyz, just ready to head off

Mike, Grant, Noel, and 600L of diesel....

Xena at the RHKYC temporary pontoon.  Grant, Mike and Noel

Xena at pontoon, RHKYC, afternoon, 11th May 2011

They're all provisioned, diesel total 1,240 litres, the engine alternator voltage regulator is fixed, the new starboard electric winch is installed, AIS working, radar removed, racing sails on, new racing jib sheets aboard, new headboard car installed... all in all, they're ready for the trip to Koh Samui (about 1,300 NM) and are leaving on the tide tonight Hong Kong time.
And... the laptop's working and the tracker too.  You can email Xena at sea: here. (NO attachments, please)
Follow them on the tracker: see above tab "Track Xena".  It's fine, easy and they don't spam you!

Modelling the new hats

First Mate, Marcus William Forsythe, our Weimaraner,
models our new crew hat

Crew list for Samui finalised

Stevo, Richard, Michael, Cess, Peter, TC, Bicky, Olaf, Rick, Jing, Ross, Klaus, Petra

Well, almost... just the Bow to go, which Bicky is helping us sort out -- many thanks Bick, if you're reading this!
Oh.... and the above is NOT the crew for this year's regatta; it's the jolly lot at last year's. Quite a few making the return trip to defend the title we won last time: from left to right, those returning are: Stevo, Richard, Michael, Cess, Peter, TC and Jing.
Full crew list for this year here.  If I've got any contact detail wrong, please let me know here.

Tying up at Royal Hong Kong dock

Jing just sent me this. It's actually last Thursday (28th April) around 09:30 after we'd just tied up at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, after delivery back from San Fernando.  (Click to enlarge)

Mike at front and Noel behind.  Note new hight-cut foot of cruising jib

Well, well, lookee here!

Xena features front and centre of the website "Absolute Resorts and Hotels", under the headline, Koh Samui Regatta gearing up for tenth anniversary.  Thanks to Jing for the link.
Apparently this is the first link you get if you Google "Koh Samui Regatta".[*]

Way to go TC! Ready on spin trim, as the boys hoist the A2

[*] Postscript: just tried it now and it's fifth.  [just for the record, folks...]

Sawadee.com Regatta, Koh Samui. Here we come....

Regatta is 30 May to 4 June
Click image above to go to Regatta Website.

Prepping now for Xena to head down to Samui, in the kind care of Grant and "the Boyz" (Noel and Mike).  Xena's ETD Hong Kong is 12th May, with Grant arriving from Kiwiland and staying with us on the nite of the 8th.  Meantime, we're planning an overnight trip with Rick and Inge to Mirs Bay this coming weekend, so if we're not home by the time Grant arrives on our doorstep, I've left him a briefing note: on the dogs (full c.v. on Nikki, Marcus and Basil) and how to walk them in Siena Park....

There's already 25 boats entered, though my worry is whether our class, Premier, will have enough, as I know Moonblue 2, for one, is not coming. Pete Churchouse says that she's been out of Hong Kong for so much of the year, they want to have her back here for a bit of Po-Toi-ing... We will have Baby Tonga, though, a good competitor and we have to get revenge for the last race in King's Cup...  Apart from the renowned Pete Sorenson ("Soro") as Skipper, they have our San Fernando crewmate Gordon ("Gordie") Ketelby on board and he's a demon in the light airs, which we'll have at Samui.

Crew-wise we have 14 confirmed, with Ben ("TC") having just confirmed -- he's coming back to Hong Kong, by the way, after a stint in the US.  One concern: who to have on bow....

After the Regatta, we plan a several days cruising with Grant and Iris, thinking about going to the Marine National Park.   This is some of it below: