21st PHUKET KING'S CUP REGATTA

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta held in honour of His Majesty the King of Thailand to commemorate His Majesty's birthday on December 5th has become the biggest sailing event in Asia. With participants from all over the world converging on Phuket to race in Asia's most prestigious regatta, the event offers five days of great sailing off Phuket's West Coast.

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta, Asia's biggest and most popular regatta, is the jewel in the crown of the Asian Yachting Circuit, a circuit of the leading regattas in Asia including the Raja Muda International Regatta, the Singapore Straits Regatta and the China Sea Race. More than a regatta, the week long event consists of great parties, great sailing and lots of fun.

Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of His Majesty the King of Thailand, the event has been held during the first week of December every year since. With the Royal Patronage of His Majesty the King, the Regatta is organized by the Phuket King's Cup Regatta Organizing Committee under the auspices of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, the Royal Thai Navy and the Province of Phuket.

The 2004 Phuket King's Cup Regatta attracted some 900 participants representing 96 teams. In 2006, the organizers are expecting the participation of representatives from at least 15 countries from around the world namely - from Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Russia as well as teams from Europe. Travel to Thailand is being sponsored by Thai Airways International, the national carrier. Approximately 1,000 visitors, including some highly experienced crews, are expected to travel to the tropical resort island of Phuket.

The Phuket King's Cup Regatta was inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of His Majesty the King and has been held annually every year since in honour of His Majesty who graciously agreed to be patron of the event.

The regatta has progressed from modest beginnings into an event that is now widely recognised as the largest regatta in Asia. The Phuket King's Cup Regatta has a unique combination of top standard racing, spectacular scenery and sailing conditions and outstanding social events. Each year, His Majesty the King sends a personal representative to present the King's Cup trophies on his behalf. This special Royal awards ceremony is the highlight of the event.

Racing takes place over a 6-day period in several classes of yacht, namely racing, cruising, ocean cruising, multi-hull, classic keel boats and Farr Platus. Competitors and their yachts come from all over the world, including strong contingents from Asia, Australia, New Zealand, America and Europe.

The 2000 event saw almost 100 boats entering over the 6 classes - a record. These ranged from some of the world's top racing yachts (with a fair number of world class sailors onboard) through to amateur racing, cruising and classic sailing yachts. Around 1,000 participants and partygoers enjoyed the splendid sailing and memorable social events. This year, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta will proceed as planned without changes to the programme or the level of participation. The island paradise is preparing to welcome a large fleet close to the 2000 record. The organizing committee expects that these figures will steadily increase as Phuket gains an ever-stronger reputation as a premier sailing destination in Asia.

Media interest in the event has grown alongside, and the 2000 event saw media representation, both print and broadcast, from Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, as well as America, Belgium, Holland Italy, Germany and Britain. And, for the first time, a half-hour show was broadcast on television around the world, bringing the Phuket King's Cup Regatta into more than 250 million homes. This year, with a new involvement with CNN, the Phuket King's Cup Regatta will be seen in 450,000 million households.

Since its outset, the regatta has consisted of a number of organizations and people, public and private, commercial and volunteer. These include the organizing yacht clubs, the Royal Thai Navy, the Sports authority of Thailand, the Office of the Governor of Phuket, the Tourist Authority of Thailand, police, customs and immigration departments and sponsors, without whom the event would not be possible. This year, for added peace of mind, visible added security courtesy of the navy and police has been put into place for further reassurance.

For more information, please visit www.kingscup.com

RIVER KWAI BRIDGE WEEK

Each year in late November to early December, the world famous River Kwae Bridge built by Allied prisoners-of-war during World War II , becomes the focal point of celebrations. Event highlights include historical and archaeological exhibits, a carnival, folk and cultural performances, rides on World War II vintage trains, and a spectacular light and sound presentation re-enacting the bridge's World War II legacy.