Asia Superyacht Rendezvous – Different Day, Different Boat

by Guy Nowell, Asia Editor on 21 Dec 2015 The Tom Yum Eggs Benedict beside the pool at Kata Rocks were the perfect start to the day. And as there was time for just one more round of toast, we watched while the breeze filled in and turned Kata Bay from glossy satin to ruched silk in a matter of minutes. Sadly, Bliss departed the Rendezvous early this morning with prior commitments on the agenda, so in the best marine journalistic tradition of impartiality, we have changed shirt and prepare to join a different crew.

L’Aventure is a 29m ketch built on 2011 at the Patrick Balta yard along fine and proper lines. The boat is a true testament to an owner’s desire to create a true classic: the hull is all mahogany, she carries wooden spars, and the general ventilation is so efficient that there’s no air conditioning built into the boat. Superyachting au naturel. “Magnifique,” as Capt Michele would say. “This is a boat that is built to be beautiful, and built to bring beautiful adventures to the right people. She is truly L’Aventure.” This is not a marina boat afraid of some salt spray across the bow. This is a boat conceived for circumnavigation, and steeped in soul.

The breeze is up. By the time we leave the mooring there is a solid 20kts across the deck. As they say in Australia, “the sheep are in the paddock,” although the only mutton we are aware of is the massaman curry simmering on the galley stove. Arabella has declined the invitation to race (but we are not going into the thing about cruising cats, blocks of flats, marinas and 3 knots of breeze right now). Lamima has been unavoidably detained by a conversation with a fishing boat, so at 1059h Lady Thuraya is reaching for the line and L’Aventure is running under reefed sails and heading for a handbrake turn to port at the pin end. Can we make the gap? Or do we have to take her transom? “We turn for the gap,” says Capt Michele with supreme confidence. Moments later we are reaching side-by-side, with L’Aventure starting to inch ahead. All of a sudden it is feet not inches, and then we are away – 10kts of boat speed on a beam reach, and every moment pulling away from Lady Thuraya.

Pause. Lady Thuraya is a schooner (schooners are sexy) built by Lubbe Voss NL in 1982, and originally named Borkumrif II. She has been refitted and renamed, and recently sailed from Greece to Phuket. Capt Roel said, “Going straight into the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous after our passage from Greece was wonderful. We have arrived in Asia, and it is great to meet a lot of people in the industry in the first days after our arrival.” Lady Thuraya has arrived in Asian waters for the purpose of chartering. She has an experienced crew on board, and onboard guests are guaranteed the holiday that they dream of. “We are looking forward to sharing our exploration of Asian waters with our guests,” says Capt Roel, “and we are very much looking forward to visiting wonderful places such as Thailand, Myanmar, Langkawi (Malaysia), Sri Lanka, the Maldives – in fact, anywhere that our guests would like to go.”

Back to the racing: it’s a two-boat affair, literally. Once again, a port reach down to Koh Kaeo Noi, and back to the start/finish line on starboard. We notice that L’Aventure needs a little more room to tack than a TP52, but we are still comfortably in the lead when we settle down on starboard, roll up the staysail and break out the jib. The breeze is a little down now, and we are closer inshore, so the 25kts steady has been reduced to bullets coming out of Nai Harn and Nui Beach. L’Aventure loves it, heeling to the breeze as if setting out from Christian Island. At the finish line it is L’Aventure by a nautical mile, and a very happy Capt Michele, but the real point is that we have all been out for the day on a glorious boat for a wonderful sail. Anyone with a little imagination and just a small inclination towards adventure would be well advised to pack a sea bag and sign on – today – aboard Lady Thuraya or L’Aventure. Move along the queue, mate, after me you’re first.

After sailing it is necessary to tell stories. This we did around the Captain’s Table under the canvas awning on the main deck. The beer was cold and the massaman curry was hot, and that’s just the way it should be. Later, much later, there was the closing Gala Dinner, but we’ll talk about that another time.

Year after year the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous brings together an extraordinary assemblage of vessels and characters, and anyone who is interested in superyachts – either sail or motor – should be looking here for an indication as to where business is going in this part of the world. A superyacht rendezvous is an opportunity (or an excuse) for putting the toes in the water, for meeting and greeting, informal networking, and for introducing and being introduced.

This the longest-running event of its nature in the region, and continues to be the superyacht draw card for Asia. Phuket is a fabulous destination and a starting point – especially given the new Thai Govt Charter Regulations, and is an event that should be on the radar of everyone on the superyacht industry in Asia.

Tomorrow: another breakfast, a wedding anniversary, and a few closing thoughts.