Phuket King’s Cup Regatta will be hosted at Beyond Resort Kata from December 2-9

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is back this year at the Beyond Resort Kata with a particular focus on growing the sport of youth sailing in Thailand.

The Opening Ceremony will be held on December 3, 2017 at Beyond Resort Kata. The Prize Giving Ceremony will be held on December 9, also at Beyond Resort Kata, part of Kata Group (rebranded from Kata Beach Resort and Spa) the longstanding spiritual home of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

The regatta also encompasses an International Dinghy fleet, a fast-growing racing program designed to promote and encourage youth sailing in Thailand. Many of the young sailors attending will hopefully go on to join the crews of full-size keelboat racing teams and compete in the larger Phuket King’s Cup Regatta in future years.

Fleets this year feature the full-sized Keelboat & Multihull classes (4,5,6,8 and 9 Dec), and International Dinghy racing (4,5,6 and 8 Dec) sponsored by the Government Lottery Office, divided into the following events: Optimist Boy & Girl, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, Laser Standard and Topper.

Kevin Whitcraft, President of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee, says, “We would like to thank Kata Group and the Government Lottery Office for their kind and enduring sponsorship of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, now in its 31^st year. Following last year’s 30^th Anniversary landmark race and event series, this year’s regatta already has over 75 keelboats confirmed to participate, so the regatta endures as a big attraction for sailing teams from around the world”.

“For 2017, we also have a special focus this year on growing the dinghy components of our overall regatta, as we in the sailing community in Thailand can feel the positive effect this is having over years and years as the sport of sailing continues to grow in popularity here”, says Kevin.

“We will host our Race Management and opening and closing events at Beyond Resort Kata this year, reflecting the more modern, agile and accessible changing face of this legendary race”, he concluded.

The Phuket King’s Cup recently won the prestigious 2016 Asia Boating Awards – Best Asian Regatta. The award recognises the extraordinary efforts of the organizers of Asia’s premier regatta this past year, in terms of its exceptional organization, promotion, course quality, entry size, competitiveness and social aspects.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is organised 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.