Phuket youth sailing center officially open

PHUKET: The President of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, Admiral Kamthorn Poomhiran, was in Phuket today to officially open the youth sailing center at the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Naval Area Command at Cape Panwa.

The sailing center is the brainchild of Vice Admiral Tarathorn Kajitsuwan, the incumbent Commander in Chief of the Third Area Command, to provide an opportunity for local youth to learn how to sail from qualified sailing instructors, most of whom are ex-Thai national team members serving as officers in the area.

The sailing courses for local youth started some four years ago when a group of Royal Thai Navy (RTN) officers, with a background in sailing on the national team, put together an incentive course in conjunction with a race series at the annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. Some of those original youths were in the mid-fleet position at national level races held earlier this year in Pattaya.

“Some of the young sailors out in the Optimist dinghies today also aspire to fill those positions as they move up in rank, and the sailing center will play an important role in motivating local children to take up sailing to compete in the international fleet of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta,” said Santi Kanchanabandhu of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee, who was at today’s opening ceremony.

The new center is well equipped with rescue ‘ribs’ (rigid inflatable boats), sailing instructors and a fleet of over40 Optimist dinghies in racing condition. The sailing courses are now open most weekends to children aged between eight and15, while sailing courses for those over 15 years are in the pipeline pending the availability of larger boats.

For more information on available courses and activities at the sailing center please contact the Public Affairs Division, Third Naval Area Command, RTN on 076-391598.

— Marc Mulloy