Phuket King's Cup, 1st to 8th December 2012

This fantastic event is becoming a popular destination for multihulls from across Australasia to go and try their luck the event is raced under the OMR rule for mixed multihull and the Mark Pescott designed Firefly catamarans race as a one design style fleet.

article from sail-world

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/Phuket-Kings-Cup-Regatta-leads-Phukets-sports-tourism-drive/103580

Recognised throughout the eastern hemisphere as the premier sailing event of its kind, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta will once more put on a spectacular display of the finest sailing talent from around the world, competing on the Andaman Sea to win the ‘must-have’ racing trophy in all of Asia from 1 to 8 December, 2012. In addition to the Regatta’s gravitas in attracting sailors from over 35 countries and some of the fastest racing vessels in the region, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is also an important event for the island in terms of development and commerce.

One of the longest running international sporting events in Phuket, the Regatta generates a great deal of revenue for the local economy, bringing with it sports tourists with disposable income and around 40 million Baht in tourism receipts, according to a survey by the organisers. It serves to the great benefit of Phuket’s hotels and restaurants which enjoy a surge of custom before, during and after Regatta Week.

When travel, excursions and repeat visits during the year are factored in, the economic contribution of the event is likely to be in the region of 300 million Baht. The event is strongly supported by local authorities and Phuket Province, who work together with event organisers to make the Regatta an annual success for everyone on the Island.

The full complement of classes for the 2012 race year include IRC Zero (international 'Grand Prix' boats), the highly competitive IRC1, IRC2, IRC3, Premier, Sport Boats, Modern Classic, Bareboat Charter, Multihull, Firefly 850 Sports, Classic and Cruising classes.

2012’s Regatta will also see Windsurfing reintroduced as a competitive class, and will feature some of Thailand’s most famous windsurfing stars, including Ek Boonsawad, and Siriporn 'Dao' Kaewduanggam. Ek recently represented Thailand at the 2012 London Olympics, while Dao won the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore. Up to 40 will compete including the Ladies 2012 Olympic Gold Medallist Marina Alabau Neira from Spain.

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2012 will also feature Dinghy racing as part of its roster of international events. Its inclusion has played a part in the development of youth sailing in Thailand, encouraging more young sailors to take up the sport, and empowering the development of talented and aspiring skippers. The reputation of Thailand as a sailing nation continues to grow strongly, with the Phuket Dinghy Series functioning as an essential proving ground for competitors wishing to progress to full-scale cruisers and racing boats. Windsurfers and dinghies compete for four days (2nd - 5th December) while keelboats and multihulls compete over five days (3rd – 8th December, with the 6th December a rest day).

read more here

and a video from Day 2 of the Kings Cup 2011