Ichi Ban and Jelik secure titles a day early

Frank Pong and his Asian crew on Jelik (HKG) landed another double in the IRC Zero with Line Honours and the handicap win in Race 1. Freefire (HKG), skippered by Sam Chan, returned to form with a second place, followed by the improving Royal Malaysian Navy team, skippered by Mohamad Razali Mansor, on Uranus (MAS).

Race 2 switched to the Samui Course and the change had a dramatic impact. Pong and crew slipped to fifth with the glory going to Antipodes (HKG), the 72-footer currently being helmed by five-time round-the-world veteran Matt Humphries, who displayed great skill to beat Katsu (AUS), skippered by Ben Copley by just over 30 seconds. The smallest in the class at 45 feet, the Aquila Reichel Pugh has delivered a few surprises so far this week with three second places in the Series and remains a threat, sitting third overall. Third place in Race 2 went to Freefire (HKG).

Despite a disappointing fifth in the second race, Jelik sewed up the IRC Zero title a day early and can no longer be caught in the 2012/13 Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championship.

In IRC One, the lighter winds in Race 1 shook up the scoreboard. Foxy Lady 6 (SIN) suffered most, placing fifth, with Windsikher (SIN), skippered by Sarab Singh, showing superior sailing skills to top the class on corrected time, ahead of defending champion EFG Bank Mandrake (HKG), skippered by Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth.

Race 2 saw Marcel Liedts’ Elektra (HKG) come out top and move up to third in the overall rankings. A second for Walawala 2 and third for Foxy Lady 6 saw them tied on 16 points each going into the final day.

Matt Allen consolidated his command of the IRC Two Class, even though he was absent. Matt turned over the reigns of Ichi Ban (AUS) to fellow Australian Scott Duncanson. But it was close racing against another Aussie, Ocean Marina skipper Gary Baguley’s El Coyote (THA), the other IRC Two front-runner. Close behind, also in fierce competition, are three Thai entries: Mick Grover’s Moon Shadow (THA), Nicholas Smith’s Free Wind (THA) and Bryan Coianiz’s Siren (ITA). The consolation for these skippers and Patinyakorn Buranrom’s Sansiri (THA), right behind them, is that all these will be also rated separately as the top skippers in the Bareboat/Cruising class, to be announced at the Gala Awards Dinner tonight.