A Right Royal Pedigree

by Alan Parkhouse, The Nation on 25 Jul 2006 The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta has an impressive pedigree. Prince Bhisadej
Rajani – a member of the Thai Royal family who started sailing as a student at
Cambridge University in England in the mid-1940s – is the godfather of yachting in Thailand and introduced the patron of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, His majesty the King of Thailand, to sailing.

In the succeeding years things have moved a long way from those early 'do it
yourself' days of dinghy sailing and wooden boats. With its benevolent climate and generally calm seas, plus the spectacular scenery of Phang Nga Bay and the Andaman Sea region with its many tropical islands and outcrops, it is easy to see why sailing has established a major presence in Thailand.

Phuket has become the country’s yachting capital and the resort island is often the 'last destination' for many live-aboard cruisers, with many seduced by the region’s attractions, and never quite getting around to leaving.

Sailing in Thailand really took off half a century ago when international
corporations started opening offices in Bangkok, bringing with them expatriates who were keen to be involved in outdoor activities. Nearby Pattaya offered beaches, idyllic islands and the tranquil waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

Joining together with a large group of Thai nationals who were also keen on
sailing, they formed a sailing club in Pattaya, now named the Royal Varuna
Yacht Club, in late 1950.

One aspiring Thai sailor, renowned civil engineer Dr Rachot Kanjanavanit, had
studied overseas and picked up a taste for boats powered only by the wind.

He returned to Thailand from his studies abroad hooked on sailing, but with no
boat, he decided to build his own. His house in Bangkok overlooked one of the
many canals, or klongs, and eager to sail but with hardly any budget, his first creation featured cardboard sheets stuck together to form the hull, a wooden pole used as a mast and a bed sheet for a sail.

As his budget increased he went on to build more boats, including the fast
catamaran Cedar Swan, which still races in every Phuket King’s Cup Regatta,
but now with the late Dr Rachot’s son Radab, himself a very competitive sailor, at the helm.

In 1993 Dr Rachot saw a dream come true when he won King’s Cup in Phuket.
In the early 1980s Dr Rachot was good friends with Thai architect ML
Tridhosyuth Devakul, who owned the Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club Hotel.

The two had worked on the yacht club in Nai Harn Bay together, where the setting started them thinking about holding a sailing event off the beautiful west coast of Phuket.

They took their idea to Bangkok where, together with Chris King, then Flag Commodore of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, they formulated plans for the first Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which celebrated His Majesty the King’s 60th birthday. It was 1987.

Bangkok and Pattaya were not the only focal points of organised sailing
activities in Thailand at the time. A large expatriate community formed in
Phuket, as the tin mining industry boomed and, as in Bangkok, both expatriates
and Thai nationals were drawn to sailing. Phuket had its own fair share of sailors and they formed their own club in the late 1960s – the Phuket Yacht Club.

With all this enthusiasm for sailing in Thailand over a long period of time, it is not surprising that the annual Phuket King’s Cup Regatta has become such a huge success over the past 19 years. It has changed considerably over the years, not least in terms of the organization, but also in terms of location, classes of boats, sponsors and the number of entrants.

However, one thing has remained constant – the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta has always been one of the most popular sailing events in Asia. And this year it promises to be even more special, as the regatta celebrates its 20th anniversary and the regatta’s patron, His Majesty the King, celebrates his
Diamond Jubilee.