The biggest fleet of sailing boats ever assembled in Thai waters will take part in this week's Top of the Gulf International Regatta off the Ocean Marina Yacht Club near Pattaya.

The international regatta will feature 400-500 Thai and foreign sailors on about 250 boats from countries in the Asia Pacific region such as Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and the host country, Thailand. The teams will be trying to win a number of trophies that will be presented at the end of the event.

This year's Top of The Gulf International Regatta will feature nine racing classes of boats ranging from dinghies to large keelboats.

In the past few years Thailand has become the headquarters for sailing in Asia, with no fewer than six big regattas being held in various parts of the Kingdom every year, and this year promises to be bigger and better than last year.

The Top of the Gulf International Regatta runs from May 3-7.

The Gulf of Thailand offers a great "race track" right outside the Ocean Marina Yacht Club. Most starts are only half a mile from the marina entrance in clear water. Unlike many other Asian regattas, yachts competing in the Top of the Gulf series will probably not be plagued by light and variable winds.

At 13 degrees latitude, there are always good breezes. During May, winds are normally in the 15- to 20-knot range from the south-west, providing great racing in sparkling conditions.

Apart from the stimulating racing with the large fleet, the entertainment aspects at the Top of the Gulf Regatta have already become well known among sailors from all over the world, who competed in the first event last year.

Raimon Land, the main sponsor of many of Thailand's regattas, is already known for its terrific entertainment from last year as well as the last two Phuket Kings Cup Regattas.

Last year, the big contingent of foreign sailors discovered that for nightlife, nearby Pattaya just about has it all.

For those with quieter tastes, close to the Ocean Marina is the rustic fishing village of Bang Saray, where some of the best seafood in the country is available -authentic Thai-style cooking at local prices.

A huge fleet is being assembled for this year's Top of the Gulf Regatta and an armada of about 200 sailboats from windsurfers to keelboats will compete, making it one of the biggest regattas in terms of boat entries in Southeast Asia.

There will also be more types of sailing vessels than has been seen before in a regatta in Southeast Asia. Boat varieties will range from the

tiny Optimist training sailboats,

sailing in the Thailand National championships, right up to international maxi racing yachts.

Also included will be 50 to 60 windsurfers, dinghies, beach catamarans, sports boats, cruising keel yachts, ocean catamarans and the Platu, or Beneteau 25, which was originally designed by New Zealander Bruce Farr specifically for the Gulf of Thailand. The small Platus will also be competing for the Coronation Cup.

A very encouraging aspect of last year's Top of the Gulf Regatta was the number of children taking up sailing in Thailand and competing in the International Optimist Class.

A large number of Optimists are expected this year. A special spectator shelter will be rigged on the Ocean Marina breakwater, and the boats will have a marker buoy of the course set very close in so that all the action can be seen up close from dry land.

To show that sailing is not just a rich kid's sport, and thanks to efforts by the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Ocean Marina, the majority of children racing this year and last are from ordinary Thai families.

The action on the water starts on Thursday and this year's Top of the Gulf International Regatta will be divided into nine classes: keelboats, cruising keelboats, sports boats, Platus, ocean multihulls, beach catamarans, dinghies and Optimists, and formula windsurfers.

The Thailand Optimist National Championship Cup will be one of many awards handed out to the winners of the various classes this year.

Spectators are welcome and there will be shaded areas to watch the action as the smaller boats will be racing just off the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, which is not far from Jomtien Beach.

Alan Parkhouse

The Nation