Koh Samui Regatta to Feature all Major Players

All major players in Asia’s racing class circuit are headed to the Gulf of Thailand for Koh Samui’s seventh annual regatta, in a last-ditch effort to win a major event before the end of the 2007-2008 season.

After his convincing win last year, Bill Bremner decided to get a bigger boat and is returning this year with the TP52 Foxy Lady IV. He’s expecting to be raising the Waterford Crystal KSR perpetual bowl after this year’s race, as he did after he won last year. Since his impressing showing in the final race of the 2006-07 season, Frank Pong with his 75ft R/P Jelik reign as the AsianYachting Champions. He’s also determined to add another trophy to his ever-expanding display cabinet. Another major competitor, Ray Roberts and Quantum Racing, has already won the AY Skipper and Boat of the Year for 2007-2008, but says that there’s still the ‘KSR bragging rights’ to compete for.

There are others out there with their eyes on the trophy. Chris Mead’s Corby 43 Full Metal Jacket, the Kinmonth / Burns Mills 51 Mandrake, Neil Pryde's Welbourne 52 Hi-Fi and Sam Chan's Ffreefire 52 will all be pushing their way to trophies as well. Competition from newcomers will include Ben Copley's Club Swan 42 Katsu, which debuted Langkawi Regatta’s earlier this year, and Matt Allen’s Beneteau 44.7 Ichi Ban, coming to Koh Samui from a recent victory in the Maktoum Cup in Dubai.

The Samui Regatta is about more than the Grand Prix yachts – there are loads of Racer-Cruisers, Multi-hulls and Sportsboats already anchored off the beach at Chaweng. Regatta organisers are grateful for those who travel thousands of miles to watch or compete, and contribute to this being such a friendly and relaxed event. Falling in late June, the Koh Samui Regatta marks the end of the annual sailing calendar, but south-east Asia is fortunate in having a sailing season that continues throughout the year. July bring Phuket’s Race Week and the start of the next season.