Fair winds are virtually guaranteed as the south west monsoon season brings regular winds that the other regattas in Phuket can only dream of. The action will be taking place in waters to the south of Phuket, with the race committee tailoring the courses to the daily wind conditions.

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Rounding the mark

The star attraction will be the Firefly 850 catamarans which will be racing in a one-design class, they are causing a stir in SE Asia and beyond due to their breakneck speed combined with affordable price. “We’re anticipating the biggest Phuket-built Firefly one-design fleet ever to set sail,” said Grenville Fordham, managing director of organisers Image Asia. These speed machines reach speeds of around 15-18 knots, and even have a toilet (very civilised compared to similar boats).

Grenville added “The impressive classic boats are expected to be there in even greater numbers than last year, going all-out for the second ‘Seraph Perpetual Trophy’”. The Seraph Trophy was inaugurated in 2006 by Tom Howard, Seraph’s owner, to commemorate the Danish schooner’s 100th birthday.

Parties

Party time!

This regatta is considered to be one of the most fun in the region, thanks to the host. ‘Into the Beach’ seaview bar at Evason Phuket, which has beautiful views of Chalong Bay becomes a home-from-home for the duration. The bar is located right next to the Evason’s private pier in Rawai at the southern end of Phuket.

Those more interested in the parties than the sailing will be pleased to know that there will be six parties (yes that’s six in five days). Four of those taking place at the regatta bar featuring the daily prize giving making this a ‘one-regatta-one-venue’ event. The main event (party-wise) is taking place at Ratri Jazztaurant in Kata and will be sponsored by Raimon Land who have an excellent reputation for parties; theirs are always the best. This great location features spectacular views of Phuket’s west coast.