7:20 AM Thu 12 Nov 2009 GMT
It has taken 20 years for champion Australian sailor Peter Sorensen to pack his bags and head to Thailand for his first taste of the Phuket King's Cup.
Distracted by his many sailing projects including his successful 18 Foot sailing days and then again by another successful campaign this time with his Sydney 36CR Philosopher's Club, 2008 Audi IRC Australian Champion Sorensen, will finally fulfil his dream and head to Phuket at the end of this month to contest the cup in the IRC division.
Sorensen and a team of 10 friends from Middle Harbour Yacht Club have chartered the Beneteau 47.7 yacht Sailplane. 'We are going off to do battle. In the crew are Gordon Ketelbey who owns the Sydney 38 Zen, some my crew from Philosopher's Club including Mark Hendry and Ian Green, Peter McIntyre from northern Queensland who raced with me in the 2008 IRC Australian Championship and three ladies - Joy Halstead, who was a half-owner of my first Adams 10, Helen Davies who I sail with on Wednesday's and Karen Cox a lady from Manly who also sails with us on Wednesday's.'
This combination of crew the 67-year-old Sorensen cheerfully explains should be able to get the big Sailplane around the track without capsizing or sinking. 'They do all the work and I just sit back and steer.'
On a more serious note he said the crew are all competent. 'They are not the Australian Championship crew I had in the IRC, but it (the crew) is pretty good for Thailand and the King's Cup. We are going over there to be competitive.'
While sitting at the upper end of the large boats in the 19-yacht IRC fleet, the Sailplane team will have to contend with fierce competition from last year's commanding division winner, Matt Allen's Ichi Ban (AUS) and second placegetter, Ben Copley's Katsu (AUS), Under a different skipper's control last year, Sailplane finished third in the division.
Sorensen's team know they have some work to do before the start of the first race on Monday 30 November. Firstly he has already done his homework on the likely wind conditions spending time picking the brains of perennial Phuket King's Cup competitor, Fraser Johnson. 'I understand the prevailing winds are windy over-night and still going in the morning which is why a lot of our starts are at 8 or 9am and then it drops out in the afternoon.' The next step to send three of the crew over early to Phuket. 'They will check out the boat. We are getting the bottom cleaned and a whole lot of other things to make sure it's up to scratch. They will take off a lot of junk.'
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Sydney 36CR The Philosopher’s Club - Hamilton Island Race Week -
Andrea Francolini
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As the Philosopher's Club crew members are already heavily involved in preparing for the 2010 Audi IRC Australian Championship they will not arrive in Phuket until two days before. The team will then spend at least one day on the water training on Sailplane.
While Sorensen is very excited about competing in the King's Cup he still has his focus firmly set on a division prize. He hasn't even looked at his competition as yet. 'I don't think it would mean a lot to me (looking at the other entrants). We will just go out and thrash them all.'
by Tracey Johnstone
Click on thumbnails to enlarge and find more photos:
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Double Is Pt, QLD
