The 2004 Phuket King's Cup Regatta attracted some 900 participants representing 96 teams. In 2005, the organizers are expecting the participation of representatives from at least 15 countries from around the world namely -- from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia as well as teams from Europe. Travel to Thailand is being sponsored by Thai Airways International, the national carrier. Approximately 1,000 visitors, including some highly experienced crews, are expected to travel to the tropical resort island of Phuket.
2005 PROGRAMME
The 2005 programme includes 5 days of racing, from December 5-8.
Seven classes of yacht are eligible.
Preliminary Programme of Events
Official Venue: Kata Beach Resort
December 3, Saturday
Registration at Kata Beach Resort
December 4, Sunday
Registration and Skipper briefing at Kata Beach Resort
Practice race off Kata Beach
Opening Party
December 5, Monday
RACE DAY 1
Evening
Candle ceremony at Mom Tri’s Boathouse to celebrate H.M the King of Thailand’s 79th birthday anniversary
Prize giving at Momtri's Boathouse
December 6, Tuesday
RACE DAY 2
Evening: Prize giving - venue TBA
December 7, Wednesday
RACE DAY 3
Evening: Prize giving - venue TBA
December 8, Thursday
Reserve day
Opening day of the Phuket Boatshow
(www.phuketboatshow.com)
December 9, Friday
RACE DAY 4
Evening: Prize giving - venue TBA
December 10, Saturday
RACE DAY 5
Evening: Royal Awards Ceremony at Kata Beach Resort
Closing Party and days prize givings at Kata Beach Resort
Contact information:
Web site: www.kingscup.com
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta was inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King and has been held annually every year since in honour of His Majesty who graciously agreed to be patron of the event.
The regatta has progressed from modest beginnings into an event that is now widely recognised as the largest regatta in Asia. The Phuket King's Cup Regatta has a unique combination of top standard racing, spectacular scenery and sailing conditions and outstanding social events. Each year, His Majesty the King sends a personal representative to present the King's Cup trophies on his behalf. This special Royal awards ceremony is the highlight of the event.
Racing takes place over a 6-day period in several classes of yacht, namely racing, cruising, ocean cruising, multi-hull, classic keel boats and Farr Platus. Competitors and their yachts come from all over the world, including strong contingents from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, America and Europe.
The 2000 event saw almost 100 boats entering over the 6 classes - a record. These ranged from some of the world's top racing yachts (with a fair number of world class sailors onboard) through to amateur racing, cruising and classic sailing yachts. Around 1,000 participants and partygoers enjoyed the splendid sailing and memorable social events. This year, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta will proceed as planned without changes to the programme or the level of participation. The island paradise is preparing to welcome a large fleet close to the 2000 record. The organizing committee expects that these figures will steadily increase as Phuket gains an ever-stronger reputation as a premier sailing destination in Asia.
Media interest in the event has grown alongside, and the 2000 event saw media representation, both print and broadcast, from Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, as well as America, Belgium, Holland Italy, Germany and Britain. And, for the first time, a half-hour show was broadcast on television around the world, bringing the Phuket King's Cup Regatta into more than 250 million homes. This year, with a new involvement with CNN, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta will be seen in 450,000 million households.
Since its outset, the regatta has consisted of a number of organizations and people, public and private, commercial and volunteer. These include the organizing yacht clubs, the Royal Thai Navy, the Sports authority of Thailand, the Office of the Governor of Phuket, the Tourist Authority of Thailand, police, customs and immigration departments and sponsors, without whom the event would not be possible. This year, for added peace of mind, visible added security courtesy of the navy and police has been put into place for further reassurance.
For more information, please visit
www.kingscup.com
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Photo © Phuket King's Cup Regatta |
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The Phuket King's Cup Regatta has an impressive pedigree. It was Prince Bhisadej Rajani - a member of the Thai royal family who started sailing as a student at Cambridge University in England in the mid-1940s - who was the 'godfather' of yachting in Thailand and who introduced the patron of the Phuket King's Cup Regatta, His Majesty the King of Thailand, to sailing.
In the succeeding years things have moved a long way from those early 'do-it-yourself' days of dinghy sailing and wooden boats.
With its benevolent climate and generally calm seas, and the spectacular scenery of Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea, it is easy to see why sailing has become a major presence in Thailand - and obvious why Phuket has become the country's - even the region's - yachting 'capital'. Phuket is, for many cruisers, their final destination - often permanently as many, seduced by the region's attractions, never quite get round to leaving.
But going back to those early days, it was when international corporations started opening offices in Bangkok, bringing with them expatriates keen to be involved in outdoor activities, that sailing really took off. Nearby Pattaya offered beaches, idyllic islands and the tranquil waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Joining together with a large number of Thai nationals also keen on sailing, they formed a sailing club in Pattaya, now named the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. One inspiring sailor was Dr Rachot Kanjana-Vanit, 1993 King's Cup winner. Having studied overseas, he came back to Thailand hooked on sailing. His house looked over one of the klongs (canals) in Bangkok. Eager to sail, but with no boat, he built his own. His budget was minimal, so cardboard sheets were stuck together to form his first hull, a wooden pole used as a mast and a bed sheet for a sail.
As his budget increased he went on to build more boats, including Cedar Swan, the fast catamaran that came second in the 1998 King's Cup Regatta, captained by the late Dr Rachot's son, Khun Radab Kanjana-Vanit.
Dr. Rachot, an architect, was a good friend of another sailing enthusiast, ML Tridhosyuth Devakul, architect for the Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club Hotel. Dr Rachot and ML Tridhosyuth Devakul worked on the Yacht Club Hotel together, where the setting set them thinking about a sailing event off the beautiful west coast of Phuket.
They took their idea to Bangkok where, together with then President of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club - Christopher J. King - they formulated plans for the 1st Phuket King's Cup Regatta, celebrating his Majesty the King's 60th birthday. It was 1987.
Bangkok and Pattaya were not the only focal points of organised sailing activities in Thailand. A large expatriate community formed in Phuket, as the tin mining industry boomed and, as in Bangkok, both expatriates and Thai Nationals were drawn to sailing. Phuket had its fair share of enthusiasts and formed its own club in the late 1960s: The Phuket Yacht Club. With the enthusiasm for sailing in Thailand, it is not surprising the Phuket King's Cup Regatta has become so successful over its 14-year history. It has changed considerably over the years, not least in terms of the organisation, but also in terms of location, classes of boats, sponsors and numbers of entrants.
But one thing has remained constant: the King's Cup Regatta has always been one of the most popular sailing events in Asia.
For more information, please visit
www.kingscup.com
The King's Cup website, started in 1997, has undergone a complete redesign this year, giving it a new, fresh look - as well as much simpler navigation. Interested parties can still register, book accommodation, find crew and keep up-to-date with events and information past and present. A permanent Phuket King's Cup Regatta office has been established whose main role is to ensure smooth and successful organization of the event.
All images featured courtesy of IMAGE asia/Denis Magerman
Contact information:
Phuket King's Cup Regatta
E-mail: info@kingscup.com
Tel: +66 (0) 7627 3380
Fax: +66 (0) 7627 3389
Web site: www.kingscup.com |
