With just a few weeks to go, and over 50 yachts already registered on-line, record entries are anticipated for the Six Senses Phuket Raceweek 2008. “Never before have we had so many confirmed registrations this far ahead,” commented Grenville Fordham, MD of organizers IMAGE Asia.

In November 2007, Fordham announced that Six Senses Resorts and Spas had signed up as title sponsor, and both organizers and competitions foresee that 2008 will be the best year yet. Following a five-year tradition, regatta headquarters will be based at Into the Beach, the Evason Six Senses Resort and Spa’s tropical beachside bar and restaurant terrace. Fordham also confirmed that this year’s co-sponsor is Rodenstock, the German eyewear manufacturer.

Since its first year, the regatta has been held at the Evason Six Senses Spa and Resort; Grenville feels this makes an ideal location, one that lends itself to IMAGE Asia’s unique one-regatta-one-venue policy. Registration, post-race regatta bar, prize-givings and parties are all staged at the same waterside location. “After a hard day on the water, the last thing most competitors want is to scramble aboard buses to regatta parties an hour or so away,” said Fordham.

Registration day and the opening-night party will be on the 23rd, followed by four days of racing and concluding with final overall results announced at the closing party on the 27th.

A quick glance at the entry list promises exciting competition, especially if the wind blows the way it should at this time of the year. The fleet will be divided into IRC 1 & 2, Club Class, Racing Multihull, Ocean Multihull, Firefly and Classic classes and races will be held in and around the waters and islands lying just a few miles off the resort.

Phuket-based Race Officer Andy Dowden will chair the Race Committee, with Sunsail’s Simon James running things out on the water as Principal Race Officer. Jury Chairman will be Australian Mark Pryke, assisted by Thailand’s Admiral Prasart Sribhadung and Khun Rut Subniran. Fordham announced last week that both the jury and race committee were looking for volunteers, and any interested sailors should contact James on 081 894-0280.
Many of the yachts registered have been competing against each other all season in regattas around the region, and Raceweek is seen as the last chance for adversaries to even the score before next season’s race circuit fires up again. Captains of the five one-design class Firefly sports catamarans have been battling it out all year, and are said to be particularly looking forward to this final regatta.

The IRC class looks to provide exciting competition, with veteran regatta crew flying in from Australia and neighbouring countries. Peter Ahern, Rear Commodore of Perth’s Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, will arrive from Perth to race Yo!2, and Stuart Williams has entered his Malaysia-based Beneteau Endeavour of Whitby. Peter Jones’s former King’s Cup winner Moya Hin and Antony Hastings’s Baby Tonga 99 Degrees East are also on the list of favourites.

In the Sports class, much-lauded, Phuket-based sailor Scott Duncanson will enter on Somtam Express, competing against Bangkok-based Kipsan Beck on Pornstar and Koh Samui’s Mick Grover on Moonshadow.

The classic boats will be vying for places both in their own class and for the Seraph Perpetual Trophy, sponsored by Phuket Yacht Charters. Gunter Nutt’s Kerida is defending the title.

This year will also see the presentation of the inaugural NRG Cup, exclusively for companies and individuals in the oil and gas industries. The Thai government is also showing its eagerness to promote sailing, with the Tourist Authority of Thailand (TAT) lending their support this year by coming on board as sponsors.

In another first, regatta snippets will be broadcast internationally in a programme produced by UK-based ProActive TV. Highlights will be shown on Watersports World throughout Asia on ESPN Star, on the European Sailing Channel and in news features through Eurosport, CNN, and Transworld Sport. Fordham reported that, based on ProActive TV’s current distribution channels, the Raceweek features will attract a potential audience of 140 million homes. ProActive TV is a specialist sports TV production and distribution company that has been covering the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta for many years.

Knowing that the parties are just as important to the regatta’s overall success as the racing, organizers have signed up Unicorn, Thailand’s top all-girl rock ’n’ roll band, who will fly in from Bangkok to entertain party guests. Family, friends and visitors to the island are welcome to attend parties, and tickets will be on sale at the door.

Those who register and pay online before 9 July will qualify for a discounted entry fee of 7,000 baht (which includes entry for boat and skipper) and 3,000 baht per crew ticket. After 9 July, the entry fee is 8,000 baht and the crew tickets are 3,750 baht each. Tickets include race entry and entrance to all of the nightly parties.

Several boats are registered as available for charter on the regatta website, offering everything from bareboat to join-in. Sailors looking for crew positions can post details online, and race programme and updates can also be found at www.phuketraceweek.com.