Class changes

Plans to help develop youth sailing at this year's Phuket King's Cup Regatta

New classes are set to be introduced for the 23rd Phuket King's Cup Regatta, in response to demand and changes in Asia's fleet of yachts.

After contacting a number of yacht clubs and Optimist sailors in Thailand, the event's organisers plan to introduce an Optimist Class to the Phuket King's Cup Regatta this year. A surge in recent years of grass roots sailing around Thailand has seen a growth in juniors taking up sailing and in response to this, the organisers plan to add a competitive class for junior sailors to hone their skills further.

To date there has been a lot of interest from Thai and ex-patriate junior sailors in Samui (which has a growing youth sailing movement) and Hua Hin. Locally in Phuket there are two active sailing clubs with a number of youth sailors and Pattaya is home to the nation's largest Optimist fleets. With the support of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy, and initial feedback from yacht clubs around the country, the organisers hope to see a good turnout in the Optimist Class.

In a return to its roots, the organisers are working towards having a fleet of Hobies return to the waters off Phuket. Discussions are underway with a number of Phuket hotels and also the official Thailand Hobie representatives, Bluewater Sports, about starting an inter-hotel Hobie competition for Phuket hotels and resorts at the regatta.

"Over the past few years, we have taken a more 'Professional' approach to running the regatta on the water. We have established an infrastructure which will allow us to incorporate 'Class Championships' into the event – this is where an individual Class or association could join the regatta and hold their 'National or World Championships' at the same time,” said Simon James, Race Management Director.

Another new addition planned is the Modern Classic Class, which according to James, is “to encourage the less young yachts who have sailed in may of the past regattas to rejoin the regatta.”

Changes are planned for the Bareboat Class, possibly adding a number of divisions. With the large number of one-design, near one-design, and same manufacturer boats, organisers are considering to have a variety of divisions within the class, and at the same time remove the Sunsail One-Design Class and make it a division in the Bareboat Class.

Sponsors of the 2009 regatta include Raimon Land Plc, Kata Group, Thai Beverage Plc, Mom Tri's Boathouse, Sunsail, Mont Clair and Phuket Magazine. Media partners include Blue Wave 90.5FM, Ensign Media, Multihull World, The Nation, Phuket Gazette, Superyacht Asia magazine and Yacht Style.

The 23rd Phuket King's Cup Regatta will take place 28 November - 5 December, 2009, off Kata Beach, Phuket, Thailand. Under the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, the Regatta is organised by the Phuket King's Cup Regatta Organising 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.