Marco Reinard’s Round Trip

Marco Reinard getting ready

Marco Reinard completed a local odyssey on July 19, kayaking around Phuket Island as a way of calling attention to the environment. Marco, from landlocked Luxembourg, has undertaken similar feats of seafaring in the past, with the same propose in mind, but this was the first time he had done it in Phuket.

He told Phuket.com before taking off, “I’m not doing this to point the finger at anyone. My focus is on the pollution issue worldwide, not just in Phuket. Pollution is a big problem everywhere. I’m doing this to try to help find solutions, not to find people to blame. Everyone can help. When you see garbage on the beach, just pick it up and throw it in the bin,” he said.

Environmentally friendly odyssey

The 200-kilometre trip, traveling anticlockwise, took him 19½ hours. He left Rawai Beach at 5 am on the morning of July 18, traveling in an 18-foot kayak. The worst part, he said, was rounding the north of the island, under the Sarasin Bridge; on that stretch he was hit twice by 30-minute thunderstorms. But, he added, “even with the currents against me for the last three hours I managed an average speed of 10 kilometres an hour.” He paddled on until 8 pm, when he stopped for the night in a small bay north of Surin Beach. By that time, he said, there were heavy swells and it was too dark to see where the waves were coming from.

The next day started calm, but when he got to Kamala, the sea began to get up again. The stretch from Patong, round the south of the island and back up to Rawai was rough. “With the wind and tide running against me, and waves coming from the side, the last long stretch between Patong and Rawai was like riding a mad horse,” he said. He completed his mission about 5 pm the next day, arriving safely back at Rawai Pier, where friends, locals and members of the media were waiting to congratulate him.

Marco says that his next trip will be more arduous. He is training with sailing coach David Iszatt in preparation for a 5,000 mile journey from Myanmar to Taiwan in a 16 ft Hobie cat, a sailing catamaran. The trip, which he estimates will take 100 days, is planned for November. Keeping him company will be a Sea Gypsy friend from the Phi Phi islands. Again, the aim will be to draw attention to broad environmental issues. To learn more about Marco and his seafaring adventures, visit www.gipseacat.org

Climate change ‘may affect Phuket tourism’

TAT Seminar

Global warming may result in fewer tourists coming to Thailand, an expert warned a seminar on climate change on July 23.

At the seminar – which was organised by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) – Wilai Noypayak from the TAT in Bangkok warned the local tourism industry about possible changes in the behavior patterns of some tourists. For example, she said, among Phuket’s strongest markets are European countries whose citizens escape from winter at home by heading for Phuket.

Now, however, winters in Europe seem to be getting shorter and milder. “This is because the world climate is changing. And some [Europeans] don’t see the need to come to this island anymore.”

TAT youth camp 2007

TAT youth camp

The Tourism Authority of Thailand also took 21 youngsters on a three-day, two-night camping trip to Khao Pra Teaw Park, from July 28 to 30.

The children, selected from schools around the island, learned, among other things, how to be a mini-tour guide – they were taught by an award-winning professional guide – and about the importance of nature to people. They also had a lot of fun camping in real jungle and creating a meal using only ingredients found in the forest.

Next year, said Rattinan Chantanakoseth of the TAT office in Phuket, “We are thinking about doing a youth diving camp. We hope to bring local kids closer to the world underwater.”

Tasar World Championships 2007, Phuket, Thailand

Tasar 2007 competitors

As the 2007 Tasar World Championships drew to a close, Jonathan Ross, chairman of the organising committee and committee members Paul Ridgeway and Alistair Murray were, “Ecstatic at the end of the Regatta by the way it all came together.” The decision to hold the 2007 Tasar World Championships in Phuket without the support of a local yacht club was a considered as somewhat of a gamble. That gamble has paid off handsomely as the event proved to be an outstanding success. Competitors readily enjoyed the increased sense of camaraderie brought about by staying at Cape Panwa Hotel, which also doubled as event headquarters.

Runjuan Tongrut, Assistant Director TAT Phuket summarised “As Phuket is a perfect venue for international water sports, we are working hard to have similar events held in Phuket more often, the result is very positive as the number of events held in Phuket is increasing. Most of the participants extend their stay in Phuket for at least one week after the event has finished”

Tasars on the beach

Conditions were challenging at times for the 59 competing boats, with winds averaging from 15 to 25 knots and monsoon downpours thrown in for good measure. The competition got underway with West Coast Sailing, skippered by former World Champion and Olympian Jonathan McKee with his wife Libby winning the first two races in spite of steep waves and strong winds. Hot on their heels in second place was Chukkel, sailed by reigning world champions, father-and-daughter team Rob and Nicole Douglass.

The next heats saw Chukkel fighting back to win three with West Coast Sailing in two second-place positions and a disqualification for a premature start. Code Flag Z, sailed by former World Champion Brett Young and partner Kevin Kellow, won the sixth completed race making it only the third boat to win a race in the entire event. Chukkel came in second while West Coast Sailing suffered a second disastrous disqualification and subsequently dropped to thirteenth place.

Heats were abandoned when conditions became too much with winds in excess of 30 knots, causing a few bent top sections and damaged rudders.

Last nights presentation dinner

The final day’s racing offered mouth-watering prospects as each of the top three boats stood to take the title. Chukkel and West Coast Sailing were even on points with seven apiece. Winds were looking light before the start of heat eight but picked up to a respectable 15 to 18 knots as racing commenced. Code Z enjoyed a second win, but with
West Coast Sailing coming in second and Chukkel third, Code Z’s title chances were looking more remote.

The final race was won by the McKees, confirming them as 2007 Tasar World Champions. This was an amazing comeback, taking into consideration their two disqualifications. Second in the last race was Code Z with Chukkel crossing the line in fourth place to confirm overall second place for the outgoing champions Rob and Nicole Douglass.

Tight racing throughout the week was enjoyed by all with many expressing an interest in returning to Phuket in the future to see more of its beautiful tropical scenery. To sum up the event Jonathan Ross said it was, “A raging success. We were fortunate to have a combination of terrific breezes, quality race management topped by a beautiful location which was a delight to run the Regatta from.”