Last weekend with the bay filling with many racing yachts for the upcoming Samui Regatta, the kids were given the light task of free sailing among the big boats in the fleet. It is hoped this will gently prepare them for their participation as crew on the Beneteau 35 next weekend

With difficult to read the shifty gusts, the juniors skills were tested to their fullest last weekend (17/18 May). New member, 6 year old Michael from Chumpon had his first sail with Poppee and now plans travelling each weekend to Samui to take up his new found sport. In the afternoon racing session, the kids experienced their first race scoring series where your worst race can be discarded. After five races, Amanda dominated with three firsts and two seconds for a total of 5 points.from Martin second on 8 points followed by Poppee and Nong Jam. Sunday, by popular vote the kids decided not to race and just enjoy the day sailing and capsize drills.

MAY 2008:

After nearly a week at the Top of the Gulf Regatta in Pattaya where John raced on the trimaran Voodoo Dolls and Franki on the big cat Sonic, Samui also had seven kids competing in the Thailand National Optimist Championships. With 126 kids racing, Samui's team did well to all finish in the top third and once again Thai girl from Sattahip, Noppakow, took the championships. It was back to training last weekend at Tradewinds, Chaweng, where the sailing was held in gusty 15 knot winds, where in the afternoon races, Amanda again showed her consistency but was always neck and neck with the rapidly improving Martin and tne new French lad Tanqui won his first race.

 
Heading back before the storm.

 
Martin leading Popee

It's fun

Samui Girl Wins 1st Overall at Sattahip Royal Thai Navy Sailing Course

By J.B. Holden

It was a great homecoming for Amanda Lennartsson in bringing home to Samui the outstanding ‘First Overall’ winning award from her recent participation of the Sattahip Royal Thai Navy course.

Amanda's course was an 18 day ‘advanced intensive sailing course’ with 65 kids in attendance at the Sattahip Royal Thai Navy’s (RTN) Lam Tien Naval Base over a recent two week period. The course was at a cost of B1800 and the kids were teamed with advanced experience sailors.

John Stall, founder of Samui’s first ‘Youth Sailing Squadron’, said, “Amanda's group was led by Noppakow, the 12 year old girl currently the ‘Thai National champion’. And, in fact, Amanda stayed with this family.” Stall continued, “Seven year old Mai De Ridder also completed the course and complained to me, “John, the Navy treated us like kids. First we had to swim 100 m. without a lifejacket, if we were late for class we had to do twenty pushups and if we talked in class we had to hold a mouthful of seawater until the class finished!” 

In addition to the advanced course Amanda recently completed, the Thailand Sailing Association has offered programs at Sattahip, such as the Youth Sailing Basic Training Project at the Samut Sport Centre. The association, under the patronage of HM the King, began organizing basic sailing training for students in the Sattahip area. The idea was and is - to publicize, support and develop sailing and encourage young people in Thailand to take up the sport. The Navy programs have grown to include advanced sailing course programs with students from outside the Sattahip area, like the one recently completed by Amanda.

The free weekend sailing lessons are taught and organised by John and volunteers. John’s dedicated guidance and the help of sponsors and volunteers like Amanda’s dad, Tony Lennartsson; Martin Zach’s dad’ Christian from Lamai; and ‘Jersey Mike’ - have made the youth sailing program on Samui a big success! Samui kids will show off their sailing skills during the June 1 - 7 annual Koh Samui International Regatta at the inaugural ‘Kids Mini-Regatta’ Thursday, June 5 (lay day), starting midmorning at Tradewinds beach.

John and the Samui Yacht Club Regatta (SYCR) launched the ‘Youth Sailing Squadron’ free sailing lessons program in September of 2007 with 4 Optimist Sailing Dinghies. The group has now acquired of 8 Dinghies thanks to sponsors like Santiburi, Bangkok Air, Bluewater, The Gardens Phuket and Hans Schultz and other supportive and generous individuals and businesses.

However, 3 more dinghies are needed now in order to accommodate all the island kids anxious to participate in the free program. And, new sails are really needed - the sails would help students when competing. Against the odds, the Samui kids won the first ‘Phuket-Samui Championship Trophy’ in March!

Come out and cheer Amanda and her fellow sailing enthusiasts at the inaugural ‘Kid’s Min-Regatta’ Thursday, June 5th. The ‘sail kids’ have done the island proud. Recently the Samui kids left Phuket a bit stunned at the Phuket-Samui Island Challenge Trophy regatta on Phuket. Samui kids placed 1st (Nakarin Gaopradit -Bier), 2nd (Martin Zach), 3rd (Amanda Lennartsson) and 4th (Sky Yudi Samarchi) and Overall Winners of Phuket-Samui Island Challenge Trophy Winners Team Event and Samui girls sweeping the competition -1st (Amanda Lennsartsson), 2nd (Yanisa Cheeppensuk), and 3rd (Mai Deridder).

Training of future generations of sailors on Koh Samui will help to ensure the future growth of the sailing and marine industry of the island. This in turn will lead to more youth enjoying water sports and consequently will lead to more of Samui’s youth learning of related-career and educational opportunities. A big win for everyone!

Check out the SYCR website for further details and information on the monthly regatta and ‘youth sailing squadron’ at http://www.samuiyachtclubregatta.com 

For information on helping with SYCR funding for needed Optimist Sailing Dinghies and urgently needed new ‘sails’ and equipment, stop by Tradewinds at Chaweng Beach and talk with John Stall or email squall@samart.co.th

Nong Mai who just returned from a two week intensive sailing course at the R.T.N. base at Sattahip remarked
"The first day they made us all swim 100 m. without lifejackets and then every time we were late for class,
they made us do twenty push ups!"

New Optimist Sailing Dinghy

Last weekend, before the sailing got under way, a presentaion was held at Tradewinds Resort where Graham Fordham, the Managing Director of IMAGE asia from Phuket, flew in to present the Samui Junior sailors with a B60K cheque to purchase another Optimist sailing dinghy 

Grenville Fordham centre back row with the new Optimist

Island Challenge Trophy 2008

The first Juniors regatta held between the clubs of Koh Samui and Phuket, was staged at the Phuket Yacht Club at Ao Yon last weekend 22/23 March.

This lovely little yacht club is set in its own private bay, which it shares with a pearl farm and is the home of all dinghy and small boat sailing in Phuket and is run by a willing group of keen sailors and volunteers.

The Samui convoy trucked their boats across the peninsular on the very scenic Highway 44 and set up camp in the Katina hotel not far from the racing venue.

Saturday, the first race got underway at 11am with a nice breeze of 7 to 9 knots and after a lunch-break on the water, five races of windward/leewards were completed by the two teams of seven sailors each.

Back on the beach the host Club and their ladies had prepared a superb barbeque and soon the kids were meeting their new friends while the parents got stuck into the beer.

Sunday, an early start with two long races planned, this time a similar course but twice around and the fleet got away at 11 am with the first boat home in just 35 minutes with the Samui team taking the first four places.

Halfway through the second race, the wind began to die and the race was shortened to finish at the top windward mark.

Once ashore, another BBQ  for the hungry sailors followed by the prize giving, saw the Koh Samui team winning the team trophy and Samui also taking out the first four places overall.

Results - Island Challenge Trophy - Koh Samui

Weekend Report March 15/16 2008

A weekend of steady 10 knot South Easterly winds and sunny skies was a welcome change and the kids showed what little difference there is between them now, with five sailors sharing the top 3 placings over a 6 race weekend.

Also the racing was a lot closer, some boats winning by half a length and all of them finishing within seconds of each other.

The Race Officers enjoyed some shade and cold beer this time as Mike offered his Macgregor as starting boat. On Saturday, Bier had 2 wins from Poppee two 2nds and Amanda a 3rd and 4th.Sky and Martin had an off day and Jam brought up the rear.

On Sunday from an eight race program, Sky was unbeatable with 4 straight wins followed by Poppee 2nd and Jam 3rd. The big surprise was the obvious improvement of Florian, who was always within boatlengths of the winner.

Once again Amanda capsized after a race but the other sailors swiftly went to her help and soon had the boat righted and bailed dry. Now, that's what friends are for !