A Royal Invitation - Kiteracing at Phuket King's Cup Regatta

by Markus Schwendtner on 19 Oct 2011 Kiteboarding has been given a unique opportunity to take part in one of Asia’s oldest sailing regatta’s, the world renowned Phuket King’s Cup. The KTA and IKA have received an invitation from the Regatta to join the 25th anniversary year of the event so that it can include the world’s newest sailing sport into the competition.

Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event has been held every year since during the first week of December. The Regatta began with a mixture of keelboats, catamarans, Lasers and even windsurfers, but more recently the Regatta has become a big boat event, attracting keelboats and ocean-going catamaran teams from around the world. As a principal fixture on the Asian Yachting Circuit, the Regatta annually features upwards of 100 boats and 2,000 sailors, ranging from the High Tech ‘Grand Prix’ racing yachts in the Racing Class, to live-aboard ocean cruisers, multihulls and classics. And now they want to include kiteboarders!

With Royal Patronage, the Regatta is organised by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is an ISAF internationally sanctioned event and as such kiteboard will operate under its IKA Kiteboard Class rules. The kiteboard course racing will be managed by the KTA’s Competition Director in conjunction with the IKA’s representative Race Office, under the overall control of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Race Director Simon James. The kiteboard course racing will be run with the on-water support of Phuket King’s Cup Regatta’s race team, but it will officiate from its own start boat and support the kite racers further with kiteboard safety boat, crewed by an experienced kite rescue team.

Kiteboarding is a demonstration class at this year’s Regatta and entry registration will be limited to a maximum of 20 racers as a mixed class event. The King’s Cup Regatta is run as a prestige event and as such no class is raced for prize money, however trophies will be awarded to the top competitors. All racers will be supported by the Regatta for their hotel accommodation and event food, along with guest entry to all the parties and prize giving dinners.

As a world class event the Regatta receives a high level of international media coverage that this year includes ESPN, Star Sports and Fox Sports amongst its TV partners, along with a full range of print and online media also reaching tens of thousands of press points worldwide.

For further information or to join the event (but please remember places are very limited) click here

Kings Cup Regatta website