Phuket to launch a world-first

PHUKET: The Phuket yachting community stands to make history later this year with the launch of the Phuket Sports 8 racing/recreational yacht designed especially for local conditions. Mark Horwood of Phuket-based yacht builder Latitude 8 Yachting told the Gazette the first models ever built would be assembled in Phuket. “We expect the parts to arrive in about five weeks and it takes about five weeks to build one. We’re aiming to launch in time for the King’s Cup later this year,” he said. Latitude 8 Yachting has secured exclusive building rights to the Sports 8 in Southeast Asia. “We’re aiming to sell them for about 1.2 million baht, but definitely not more than 1.5 million. It depends on the import duties,” Mr Horwood explained. The brainchild of members of the Ao Chalong Yacht Club, the Sports 8 was born out of problems with the Platu boats. “Platus have a big keel, thus they have a big draft, which makes them pretty easy to knock over and makes them hard to store. Also, you cannot sleep on board a Platu,” explained Mr Horwood. Designed by John Duncanson, winner of the prestigious Prince Phillip and the Australian Design awards, the Sports 8 features a shallow draft and has been designed with easy road-and-container transportation in mind. In addition, the yacht can be sailed by a crew of four or five rather than six or seven, as is required on modern sports yachts. Although targeted at yacht racing, the Sports 8 design also allows for light traveling with sleeping quarters for four adults and an onboard toilet and a small galley.