Sawadee.com Regatta Opening Press Conference - 31st May, 6pm, Koh Samui

The opening Press Conference of the Sawadee.com Regatta featured a panel with Kipsan Beck (from Pornstar), Matt Allen (from Ichi Ban), Neil Pryde (Hi-Fi) and Ray Roberts (Quantum Racing).

Attended by international media, the panel answered questions on boat set up and sailing conditions, Samui as a sailing destination, along with summarizing their 2008/2009 sailing campaign and thoughts about their chances in this regatta.

Press Release extracts:

Matt Allen (Ichi Ban) on the racing ahead "The wind, like always, is going to play a big part in this race. We're expecting an interesting race and in different conditions, different boats will have their day. We've sailed our boat (Ichi Ban) quite a bit now and we're very happy with the sail set-up. The Sawadee.com Regatta is a bit like going back in time - and I mean that in a very positive way - where the racing is very competitive, but once you're off the water it's very relaxed and good to meet with old friends. We really enjoy it here.

Kipsan Beck (from Pornstar) on the regatta: "We're expecting a tough and competitive regatta again here in Samui. There has been some movement in the boat classes which is going to making the racing very interesting indeed. We're looking for a top three win in all of the races and especially looking forward to the downwind. Having the 12ft Skiffs racing here in the regatta run-up has been a definite bonus, as it allows competing Sportsboat owners to tap into the skiff sailors - guys who are extremely talented and who have an understanding of how to make the boats go faster. We hope this opportunity will support the continued development of Sportsboat racing at this regatta".

Neil Pryde (Hi-Fi) on Hi-Fi's season: "It's been a long and a good season for Hi-Fi with a lot of miles covered. It's great to be here in Samui - which is a tough regatta to win. This is my third time here and the closest we've got is 2nd place - so we're really hoping that we can go one better this time and tick this one off as another win - but we know it's going to be very hard and we have some tough competition ahead. One thing for sure is that is we will certainly enjoy ourselves - win, lose or draw"

Ray Roberts (Quantum Racing) on Quantum Racing's season "We've now had three wins out of five regattas - which is pretty consistent sailing. The joy of this regatta for me is not just the sailing - I love Asia and I love coming to Asia - the friendliness of the competitors and the people that you meet make it as much fun 'off' the water as it is 'on' - so if we sail well it's an extra bonus! The skippers on the panel with me here are friendly right now (!) - but come tomorrow they'll glare at me and I'll glare at them and we'll be tough competitors trying to out-maneuver each other"

Ends/