The King's Cup rules the waves

The 23rd Phuket King's Cup Regatta, Asia's biggest and most popular sailing event, turned the waters off the island into sea-borne heaven earlier this month.

 With 20-knot winds, sunny skies and a calm surface, the regatta attracted 1,000 sailors from 33 countries and a staggering army of patrons, spectators, journalists and other observers.

The multitudes based on land followed the race's progress from start to finish by any means they could muster, including hiring yachts for a closer look.

That was the option pursued by a squad of reporters who were new to the regatta but keen to learn how things are done out on the waves.

The regatta once again affirmed Phuket's potential to be Asia's top sailing event, while at the same time giving local tourism a fresh lease on life.

The King's Cup had 111 boats, approximately 1,000 registered sailors and 2,000 high-spending visitors, generating Bt40 million for the island's economy.

"It was another high mark for regattas in Asia," declared Kevin Whitcraft, who heads the organising committee.

"We're fast becoming known not only as the most loved regatta in Asia, but also as a very competitive regatta where sailors can test their mettle against some of the world's best.

"At the King's Cup, sailors compete not for money but for love of sailing in one of the world's most beautiful areas, and for the camaraderie of the sailing fraternity."

There were 11 divisions in the competition, from racing and cruising to modern classics to multi-hull cruising and Firefly 850 Sport.

With a race zone marked out off the south coast, the starting point was by Nai Harn Beach. From there the course wound southwards past Koh Kaeo Yai and Koh Kaeo Noi, then rounded Koh Bon, Koh Hi and Koh Aeo.

The sailors next made a U-turn near the Deep Sea Port and then headed back to finish further along from Nai Harn, west of Kata Beach.

The crews included weekend warriors as well as hardened professionals from the Olympics, the America's Cup and other world championships.

Ten big guns in the Thai business world hired a yacht for about Bt100,000 and entered the draw. All told, they paid Bt20,000 each for the thrill of sailing the deep blue in the regatta.

"Today there was no question - we killed them," Neil Pryde chortled as he celebrated victory in the hard-fought racing division.

"This is a great result. We won by a pretty good margin in the end. It wasn't as hard as we expected, although it was a tough regatta from a nerves point of view. It was a tough regatta with difficult conditions."

The journalists watching from on board their vessel, Escape Artist, knew he wasn't exaggerating. Certainly the weather refused to be trusted.

The first three days were sunny and benign, with the sailors handling the tossing waves with little effort. But the wind picked up on Days 4 and 5, resulting in ripped sails, broken deck gear, dropped masts and injured crew.

Wind breezing at 17 knots one minute roared to 21 knots the next, snapping masts and nearly capsizing some of the entrants.

But all that was forgotten amid the post-race cheer back on land. The sailors gathered at the Kata Beach Resort and Spa to swap stories and celebrate what many agreed was a "brilliant" regatta.

Food and drinks flowed freely, with Siam Winery joining in as a sponsor for the first time and popping open bottles of Mont Clair. The imported South African sparkling wine made its Thai debut at the race's final evening event.

"The wine comes from grapes grown on the South African coast, where cool winds and greater day-to-night temperature fluctuations allow the grapes to ripen fully and develop balanced flavours," said Siam Winery's Nathasit Wajasittisilp

"Mont Clair Brut is a dry sparking wine with a fine mousse. The palate is densely fruity and refreshes with good acidity. It's perfect for any celebration."

The writer travelled to Phuket as a guest of Siam Winery and Sri Panwa Phuket.

  CLOSE HAULERS

After five days, the winners of the 23rd Phuket King's Cup Regatta were crowned:

- Neil Pryde's H-Fi (Racing)

- Anthony Hastings' Baby Tonga Hideaways Club (Premier)

- Matt Allen's Ichi Ban (IRC1)

- CPO Wiwat Poonpat's Royal Thai Navy 1 (IRC2)

- Anthony Hastings' Princess Sharda (Bareboat Charter)

- Peter Wood's Windstar (Modern Classic)

- Rod Heikell's Skylax (Cruising)

-  Brent Gribble's Twin Sharks (Firefly 850)

- Henry Kaye and Fergus Wilmer's Thor (Multihull Racing)

- Timothy Robins' Nipper (Multihull Cruising)

- Rene Tiemessen's Alondra (Classic)