All competitors in the 36th Phuket King’s Cup were invited to participate in a non-scoring practice session today conducted in the area off Kata Beach, the day before racing officially started. The Race Committee, led by Principal Race Officer Simon James, set a start line, and windward and leeward marks approximately one mile west of Kata Beach. The Committee then ran a series of non-class specific start sequences on a rolling basis with the warning signal displayed every 10 minutes between 13:00 and 14:00.
The practice day is extremely important to the sailors as they get to get the kinks out of both themselves and their boats, making sure that crews are working in unison as they prepare to compete in Asia’s most illustrious regatta.
Seven-hundred-and-twenty sailors will compete in this regatta, which will be graced by a visit by their majesties King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua and Queen Suthida Bajrasudhabimalalakshana. Her Majesty will sail on Vayu THA72 as she did last year in the prestigious IRC Zero Class.
Close to 119 sailboats will hit the water in the International Dinghy Series, as many of Thailand’s best young sailors will compete against other young stars from as far away as China, India, New Zealand. Australia, Taiwan, St Kitts & Nevis, South Africa, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, France, Poland, Spain and even Brazil.
Eight titles are up for grabs in dinghy racing including Boy’s and Girl’s Optimists, Open Skiff U17, ILCA4 U18 (both male & female), the ILCA6 Open Class, the ILCA 7/Ok Dinghy class & the International 420/470 class. Disabled Sailing Thailand (DAT) will have a strong presence in the regatta, entering boats from Phuket and Pattaya in the S/V14 class.
Forty-four keelboats and multihulls are spread across eight classes (IRC Zero, IRC 1, IRC 2, Premier, Bareboat, Monohull Cruising, Spirit of Classic and Multihulls) again with a range of nationalities competing, including crews from Japan, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, China, Estonia, Belgium, Taiwan, the UK, and of course, Thailand.
Racing starts tomorrow for all classes. Watch for Kevin Whitcraft’s Vayu and Ray Roberts Team Hollywood to resume the rivalry they have created the last few years in the high-profile IRC Zero class. While in IRC 1, Rolf Heemskerk’s Next Factor will pit its crew’s wits against that of Nick Burns’s Blitz, which it narrowly beat in last week’s Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta in Malaysia.
In the Premier Class, keep your eyes peeled for Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda and Peter Cremers Shatoosh to carry on the aquatic jousting they have displayed in numerous previous competitions. They will be joined by Ithinai Yingsiri’s Pine Pacific, who always performs well at the King’s Cup.
Cariad, the largest and oldest gaff ketch in the world, will also be making an appearance in the regatta. Built in 1896 by Summers & Payne of Southampton, England, for Lord Dunraven, she won the 1898 Lisbon to Bombay Vasco Da Gama Cup and is now sailing in the Phuket King’s Cup 126 years later.
The Regatta’s sponsors, including Host Sponsor Kata Group, Amazing Thailand, Centara Hotel & Resorts, Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul, RMA Group, Coca Cola Haad Thip PCL, Garmin Thailand, Ford Thailand, RICOH (Thailand), and National Telecom Public Company Limited.
For more information and result, please visit www.kingscup.com.
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About the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta – Asia’s legendary yacht race under Royal Patronage
Under Royal Patronage, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta was founded in 1987, organized by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.
For more information and result, please visit www.kingscup.com
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For further information, please contact the Phuket King’s Cup Committee: i[email protected]