Stories tagged with sailing
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Aussie Skipper Wins Six Senses Phuket Raceweek
Australian sailor Peter Ahern left the rest of the field behind as he skippered his new boat Yo!2 to victory at the Six Senses Phuket Raceweek. Perth-based Ahern took eight wins from eight races to win the top-flight IRC 1 class.
There was little competition for Ahern, who works as the Commodore of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth, Australia. His closest rival, fellow Aussie Ben Copely, was well-beaten in all eight races. This year’s event, which took place off the southeastern coast of Phuket, was blessed with strong winds on all four race days.
The most hotly contested races came from the Fire 850 class, whose boats are all designed and built in Phuket. Competitors came from as far as France, Russia, the UK, the USA and all across the southeast Asian region to vie for top honors.
The Six Senses Phuket Raceweek had 40 per cent more entries this year than last. It is now Asia’s fastest growing regatta, and event organisers predict it will emerge as one of the region’s most popular international yachting races before long.
Posted by: Andrew on 04 Aug 2008, 15:13 -
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.
Posted by: Andrew on 27 Jun 2008, 21:42 -
7th Annual Samui Regatta announced
For the seventh year in a row, the Samui Regatta will welcome sailors from all over the world to the tropical Thai resort island for a host of festivities aside form the boat race itself. Some of the top sailors in the world representing countries as varied as Singapore, Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong and of course Thailand will be in attendance and participate in the competition.
The regatta has collected a wide variety of international sponsors to make sure the event goes of without a hitch, with this year’s Samui Regatta committee boat being put up by Seatran. The Seatran Discovery measures in a 130 feet, making it one of the bigger examples of the committee boats featured at the Samui Regatta.
Samui Regatta General Manager Frankie Boom Boom , in a press statement released this week assured all participants that the show is a virtually guaranteed success, as he reports, “Thanks to the hard work of the team, we have secured very good off the water partner support as well meaning the parties will be up to the usual high standards.�
Posted by: DaveB on 05 May 2008, 11:39 -
Sailors preparing for Phuket’s King Cup Regatta
The sunny beach side resorts of Phuket are getting ready for the 2007 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which will be held from December 1st to the 8th. This year the regatta will be particularly special as it will help to celebrate the 80th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand.
Thai and expatriate sailors based in Phuket will participate in the event alongside sailors from the rest of Thailand and from around the world.
Last year more than 100 boats entered the regatta and were cheered on by over 200 members of the local and international media community.
"We’re happy to be kicking off another strong year for the Regatta. We see this not only as a great sporting event, but an event having a very positive impact on Phuket and Thailand as a whole. In addition to the strong international media attention, the event itself brings hundreds of people to Phuket – while involving a large part of the Thai sailing community and Royal Thai Navy as well," said Santi Kanchanabandhu, President of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee.
The event is organized every year by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee which works from the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. Together with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy, the Province of Phuket and the approval and Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King.
Logistics for the event as well as equipment, officers, boats, helicopters and a security and rescue SEAL unit are provided by the Third Naval Area Command of the Royal Thai Feet which is based in Phuket.
"We are seeing strong turnouts in all categories involving Thai and Thai-based sailors. There will also be a good spread of boats in both IRC and Multihull classes with leading charter companies Sunsail and Elite Yachting, both of Phuket, already full for this year’s event," said Simon James, Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Race Management Director.
Interested sailors can submit their entries until November 9th.
Posted by: Jen on 23 Oct 2007, 12:47 -
Ko Samui Regatta wraps successfully
Last month saw the successful completion of the 6th Ko Samui Regatta 2007. This was a weeklong event that combined boat racing with a large number of on-shore entertainment events. The various parties held at country clubs around the island assured it was on every socialites list as well.
Boats from all over Thailand and all over the world joined this annual race, making it a truly international event.
Pornsiri Manoahrn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand was quoted as saying, “In six successful years the Koh Samui Regatta has made incredible progress, and it is easy to see why it has become one of the highlights of the Asian sailing circuit.�
A lot of thought went into this year’s presentation and a number of firsts were seen throughout the week. Image Asia organized the event, and MD of organizers Grenville Fordham reported,
“This year’s Tropical Island Regatta – the sixth – achieved a number of firsts. This was the first time Image Asia Events has run the event, the first time Neil Pryde’s Hi Fi joined the racing Class competitors here…and the first time the Gala Dinner was forced inside due to a torrential ‘tropical’ rainstorm.�
Posted by: DaveB on 21 Jun 2007, 14:33 -
Phuket Kings Cup Regatta Wins Prestigious Award
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta was awarded the top honours at the Christofle Asia Boating Awards, being named Yachting Event of the Year. BYM Sailing & Sports News carries the story.
Posted by: Toony on 11 May 2007, 16:42