2016 Top of the Gulf Regatta – Strong turnout expected

by Event Media on 17 Feb 2016 The 12th Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina will showcase the Gulf of Thailand's world-class sailing credentials when sailors from around the world descend on Ocean Marina Yacht Club from 30th April to 4th May, 2016 for the penultimate regatta in the AsianYachting Grand Prix series of championship events.

Asia's largest multi-class regatta brings the region's top racing boats and sailors to South East Asia's largest marina, Ocean Marina, to compete across 12 classes ranging from keelboats to multihulls, dinghies, optimists and windsurfs.

With entries being received almost daily, the fleet is expected to be large. Leading the IRC boats is the TP52 'Tha 52', which having arrived in Thailand at the end of 2015 and being raced by the locally-based Whitcraft sailing family, is based at Ocean Marina where they are preparing for a tough challenge against other TP52s in the region which are heading to the Gulf of Thailand to compete.

Joining the five keelboat and multihull classes is Asia's largest one-design competition, the Platu Coronation Cup, which currently sees entries from Russia, United Kingdom, Holland, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.

Having been the first ever to defend his title, Australian Scott Duncanson returns in 2016 aiming for the three-peat while both 2012 winner, Team Easy Tiger lead by Chris Way, and 2004 and 2007 winner, Wiwat Poonpat, are looking to break Duncanson's dominance.

A stand out feature of the Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina is the large dinghy fleet. International and local rivalries are renewed each year in the Laser, 420 and 470 divisions while the Thailand Optimist National Championships – incorporated in the Top of the Gulf Regatta – has been the training ground for many Thai sailors and in co-operation with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand will see more than 100 young sailors taking part.

Returning to the regatta for the fourth year is the RS:One Class of windsurfs. In co-operation with the Windsurfing Association of Thailand and sanctioned by the International Windsurfing Association, the RS:One Asian Championship will be held as part of the regatta and attract the region's best windsurfers to compete for the Asian crown in what will be the final regional showdown before the Rio Olympics in August 2016.

The region's largest and most diverse regatta of its kind, over 200 boats and more than 600 sailors are expected at the Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina this year, with the keelboats and multihull classes racing over four days (1st to 4th May) and the dinghies, Thailand Optimist National Championships and RS:One Asian Championship racing over three days (30th April to 2nd May).