Samui Regatta to Take Place from 31 May to 5th June 2010

Neil Pryde’s ‘Hi-Fi’, that won top honours at the 2009 Sawadee.com Regatta, is expected to be one of the many competitors at the 9th Samui International Yacht Regatta in 2010. The Sawadee.com Regatta will take place on the sun-drenched island of Koh Samui from 31st May to 5th June 2010.

For the 9th consecutive year, the event will attract competitive and social sailors from around the world. The five-day regatta is one of Asia’s most glamorous sailing events and is also part of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championships. Fabulous sailing conditions prevailed at the 2009 regatta – so much so that a round-the-island race was attempted for the first time in the event’s history.

In addition to the competitive sailing, the regatta is about fun parties and is regarded by many as a ‘must attend’ event on the international sailing circuit. The 2010 regatta welcomes new event partners ‘Prana Resort’ and ‘Beach Republic’, as well as the debut of a golf tournament that will tee off at the island’s premier ‘Santiburi Samui Country Club’. ‘B1 Villas & Spa’, ‘Dhevatara Properties’ and ‘Samui Villas & Homes’, all return to the regatta as event partners. Headquarters for the event for the 9th time will again be the ‘Centara Grand Beach Resort’, which has been the home of the regatta since its conception and that welcomes crews from far and wide year after year.

Spectator boats will provide a unique opportunity for members of the public to get ‘up close and personal’ with all of the ‘on-water’ sailing action. Public tickets will also be available for the‘off-water’ parties that occur most evenings during the regatta and that feature renowned bands and fabulous entertainment. An added bonus in 2010 is that the regatta has teamed up with the Samui Jazz Festival, ensuring great entertainment for spectators who fly in from all corners of the world.

The 2010 event will likely feature six sailing classes – Racing, Premier, IRC, IRC 2/Sportboats, Bareboat Charter and Multihulls. In 2009, bright sunshine, blue skies and strong winds provided for excellent competitive sailing conditions. ‘Hi-Fi’ came out on top in the Racing Class, following particularly impressive performances on the first few days of the regatta. Marcel Liedts Beneteau 50 ‘Blauwvoet’ took the honours in the Premier Class, while the IRC 2/Sportboats top award went to Jeff Davidson’s Mumm 30 ‘Panic’ that won its class for the second year running. ‘Constanza’ kept a clean sheet in the Bareboat Charter Class, with seven wins in a row, securing its class victory. Fergus Wilmer and Henry Kaye’s Seacart 30 ‘Thor’ took the honours in the Multihulls class – a new boat in 2009 that took the multihull field by storm. Andrew Short, skipper of Constanza in 2009, died tragically during a sailing accident in Australia in October of this year and will be dearly missed at the 2010 regatta.

The regatta will also see the third running of the ‘Samui Junior Sailing Squadron Challenge’ – giving local children from the island the opportunity to be out on the water experiencing the excitement of competitive yacht racing. This challenge will no doubt provide competitors for future regattas to be contested on the pristine waters off Chaweng Beach. As an on-going commitment, the regatta’s organizing committee provides support to youth sailing on Koh Samui by contributing for sailing equipment.

On the water, the skipper receiving the most top placings on the eight regatta Asian circuit will also be crowned Asian Yachting Champion Skipper. In 2009, it was Hi-Fi’s Neil Pryde that lifted the trophy and wore the coveted ‘Armani Blue Blazer’ that was presented at the gala prize giving dinner on the lawns of the ‘Centara Grand Beach Resort’ on Chaweng Beach.

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