Have you heard of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta?

The first thought you may be having after reading the headline may be: “A Regatta in Phuket? Really?” The answer is: “Yes, absolutely!”
And why not? Considering that people living on an island are enthusiastic about sailing. Who could blame them? After all, sailing has been a fascinating hobby and pastime in our cultures since we’ve discovered that wood can float on water!
Since then ship manufacturing has been steadily improved and boats nowadays are as high-tech as some rockets we send to space.
It is in the human DNA to compete with one another, so if you would like to see a truly magnificent Regatta with only the best and fastest boats, you will be in for a treat at the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

Phuket’s first and biggest Regatta

Held from Saturday, November 30th to Saturday, December 7th, this not only is Phuket’s biggest Regatta, but simultaneously the biggest Regatta in all of Asia, too. Founded in 1986 by a number of Thailand’s yachting fraternity wanting to pay tribute to the King, it was decided to bring a Regatta to life in Phuket; the first to ever be held in the Andaman Sea. It was first launched for the occasion of His Majesty, the King’s forthcoming fifth cycle, or 60th birthday the following year, on December 5. 1987. Since then, it has been held annually every late November/early December and has become a fixed Happening in Phuket’s event calendar that should not be missed out. With more than 90 boats taking part in the Regatta every year, the popularity has risen very swiftly and has inspired many other Regattas in and around Phuket ever since.
Many local companies have chosen to back the event, furthermore making it a true highlight, and now visitors from near and far flock to join the event.
Will you be among the visitors this year?

What really is a Regatta, you ask yourself?

In layman’s terms, a boat Regatta simply put is a race between boats and/or ships. The word Regatta stems from the Venetian-Italian word “regata”, meaning “contest”, and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water crafts.
A Regatta is usually named after the town or venue where the event takes place, but some Regattas are also named after the boat class participating in it.

A big appeal about Regattas are the social and promotional activities, which typically surround the racing events.

Regattas are usually formally structured events with comprehensive rules describing the schedule and procedures of the event. They may be organized as Championships for a particular area or type of boat, but are often held just for the joy of competition, camaraderie, and general promotion of the sport.
Sailing race events are typically held for a single class and usually last more than one day. Regattas may be hosted by e.g. a Yacht Club, sailing association, towns or schools. A Regatta is usually held over the span of several days and attracts many food vendors and street performers alike, joining the festivities and offering delight entertainment and a nice change of atmosphere.

Bonus info: Currently, The Three Bridge Fiasco, conducted by the Single handed Sailing Society of San Francisco Bay with more than 350 competitors is the largest sailboat race in the United States, just for reference.

Phuket Holiday Services; your partner in paradise

The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is just one of the many events being held in Phuket each year. Over the past years, Phuket has become one of the top locations for tropical events such as this. For more information about events in Phuket, or how to acquire Real Estate in Phuket, feel free to explore our website.

If you have questions, you can send us an E-Mail to: info@phsproperty.com or give us a call at +66 (0) 95 03 744 14.

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