Corsairs heading to Phuket for Phuket King's Cup Regatta

by Event Media on 3 Nov 2010 There has been a boom in the number of Corsairs in Thailand in the last few years driven in large part by the Thailand dealership Sail In Siam, and the nearby production factory in Vietnam. The factory was moved from California to Vietnam and with it the senior management and supervisory staff and all their experience.

Multihulls are considered ideal for Southeast Asian waters with their shallow drafts and easy access to the multitude of islands. Corsairs produce a range of trimarans and while not designed as racers, a number have performed well recently on the Thailand regatta circuit.

Duncan Worthington, Media and Communications Director of the Phuket King's Cup Regatta meets Robert Garner, General Manager of Sail In Siam, to find out more about their plans and their participation in the King's Cup.

How many Corsairs are there based in Thailand?
RG: There are currently 18 Corsair boats in Thailand, 15 of which were made at the Vietnam factory, all sold in the last 3-4 years. And there are two more on order which are due for delivery October – one will head to Phuket and the other be based at Ocean Marina near Pattaya, Thailand. The original three boats are all still in regular use - a 24-foot boat in Koh Lanta, Krabi, and two 27-footers at Ocean Marina near Pattaya. The two 27-footers are 19 years old and are not only sailing in regattas but are winning them.

How many Corsairs do you expect to take part in the 2010 Phuket King's Cup Regatta?
RG: I think we can expect more or less the same as in the last two years, in that Corsairs will make up 50% or more of the entire OMR multihull fleet (noting that the Fireflys race as one design and not in the OMR division). I would think we can expect two C37's, three C28's, one C31 and a Sprint 750. Probably, Miss Saigon (C37), Zhuka (C37), Pimalai Charm (C31), Shanghai Baby (C28), Fong Chin (C28), Free Wheeler (C28), No Limit and/ or STING (Sprint 750's).

Do any of the new Corsairs have notable regatta wins?
RG: Sad question! These days we only really compete for second place - we view second place as 'first place for merely mortal boats', that is for normal cruising boats that people race for fun, as compared to 'full on' race boats like the Sea Cart 30. With OMR ratings being what they are it is impossible for any Corsair to ever beat the Sea Cart 30 unless the wind is super light and with a situation where the boats all drift around together for a while. It's worth noting that Corsairs have cookers and toilets and bunks etc. Some have gen sets and flat screen TV's.

Miss Saigon (C37) ran second at the 2009 Phuket King's Cup Regatta and Blade Runner (C28) took second at the 2010 Top of the Gulf Regatta. Corsairs usually occupy at least one podium spot at almost every regatta in Thailand - Phang Nga Bay Regatta, Multihull Regatta, Phuket Raceweek, Top of the Gulf Regatta.

Note that Corsairs are not sold or even promoted as 'race boats' in any way at all.

How do you see the Corsair fleet developing in Thailand?
RG: Slowly and steadily at about two to three new boats a year. New boat sales slowed in 2009/2010 but used boats still turned over quickly - average time to sell a used boat has been about 8-10 weeks. I feel many people put off buying new boats and looked at second-hand ones more closely due to the recent economic situation. We receive about one genuine enquiry per month about owning a Corsair in Thailand, which leads to about four potential owners turning up for a test sail. We have about an 80% rate then of converting 'triers' into 'buyers', since once they have sailed one of these boats it is almost a foregone conclusion they will buy one.

Is there any model proving to be more popular? If so, which one and why?
RG: The single most popular model by far is the Corsair C28RS. We have seven of these all identical now in Thailand, affordable and with enough room for four adults or a family for local cruising. It can be sailed by one or two persons easily, can be raced with a crew of three or four also, is big enough to go coastal cruising for a week or so at a time, and small enough to trailer about with an ordinary car. After all the Corsair are sold as 'coastal cruising boats' and not race boats.

More information on the Phuket King's Cup Regatta, www.kingscup.com