King&’s Cup Regatta fast approaching

PHUKET: The 16th Phuket King’s Regatta begins two weeks from today, returning to Phi Phi for the first couple of days’ racing, before moving to the west coast of Phuket. This year’s fleet, at 70 boats registered by this morning (November 16) and with more expected to tumble in at the last minute, will be bigger than last year’s, offering some highly competitive sailing. The program is as follows: Saturday, November 30: Registration at Phi Phi Island. Sunday, December 1: Registration continues; practice race and skippers’ briefing, opening ceremony and party at the Phi Phi Cabana Resort. Monday, December 2: Racing around Phi Phi, sponsored by Nautica. Party at Phi Phi Cabana. Tuesday, December 3: Binatone & Royal Phuket Marina Andaman Sea Race, finishing in the bay in front of the Evason Resort and Spa. Wednesday, December 4: Lay day. Sika Boatbuilding Competition (in which small teams of competitors must first assemble and then race a boat, points being awarded for assembly speed and skills as well as racing results). Party at Kata Beach Resort. Thursday, December 5: Racing off Phuket, sponsored by Mom Tri’s Boathouse & Land-Rover Thailand. Party at The Boathouse. Friday, December 6: Racing off Phuket, sponsored by the Evason Resort & Spa and QBE Insurance. Party at the Evason. Saturday, December 7: Olympic Course racing off Phuket, sponsored by the Kata Group. Awards ceremony and closing party at the Kata Beach Resort. Tickets for individual parties, at 1,000 baht a person, are available before the regatta from the Regatta Office in Boat Lagoon. During the regatta they will be available either on the door, or from the regatta office (which will be first at the Phi Phi Cabana Resort, and then at the Kata Beach Resort). Tickets giving entry to all parties will also be available from the regatta office, at a price to be advised. Yachts registered so far (with skipper’s and/or owner’s name in brackets) are: Racing: Hi-Fidelity (Neil Pryde – winner last year); DK42 (Hannes Waimer); Foxy Lady (Bill Bremner); Jelik (Frank Pong); Linklaters (Robert Elliot); Pasaya (Cheerut Sudasna); Pla Loma 3 (Keith Moore); Stella (Nick Burns); Yo (Peter Ahern). Premier Cruising (sponsored by Amex): Australian Maid (John Wardill); Big Buzzard (George Olivet); Elektra (Marcel Liedts). IRC 1: Big A (Horst Lakits); Di Hard (Rob Williams); Emerald Blue (Robert England); Hocux Pocux (David Bailey); Jigonda (Stuart Anderson); Octopussy (Viroj Nualkhair); Pytheus Aura (Reinhard Haiber); Stormvogel (Ermano Traverso). IRC 2: Amadeus (TML); Fi Tuen (Jock Cromie); Royal Thai Navy 1 (Lt Pornphom Sakultem); Royal Thai Navy 2 (S/Lt Veerasith Puangnak); Gotcha Lagi! (Gerry Daughton); La Samudra (David Lindhal); Melissa (Scott Jacobsen); Missy (Ian Galbraith); Simpatico (Marcus de Maria); Thirty Something (Frans); Wake Tere (Kurt Metzger). IRC 3: Free Wind (George Foose – winner of Cruising Class 3 last year); Amanda; Destiny (TML); El Sea (TML); Homya (TML); Kylie (TML); La Pinelle (Matthew Rothchild); Liscia (Robert Bailey); Loreto (Darren Shipard); Maddalena (Michael White); Marigold F1 (Clive Richardson); Olmeto (Matthew Rothchild); Olmi (Allen Bollinger); Patrice III (TML); Robin (R Jeltes); Rosie (Richard Vine); Salamander 3 (Alan Nichol); Southern Light (Mongkol); Thasos (Greg Brennan); Bourgeois Tag (Mike Downard). Ocean Rover: Good Hope (Geoff Horn). Classic: Sanook (Julian Hill); Xyphias (Christopher Edwards). Multihulls: Cedar Swan (Rabad Kanjanavit – winner last year); Ceberus (Mark Horwood); Chimera (TML); Dreamcatcher (Ted Grinstead); Nixie (Leo Wienands); Securicor Fine Pitch (Tony Lough); Summersalt (Mark Prescott) Sportsboats: The Dogs (Mark Jewell); Mumm 30. Hobie cats (sponsored by Bangkok Airways): Seven boats/crews.