King's Cup Regatta hands windsurfers a big break
The Phuket King's Cup Regatta is set to introduce windsurfing as one of its competitive classes this year with races taking place over four days from December 2 to 5.
In the early years of the Phuket King’s Cup, the Regatta included a broad range of watercraft, yet over time it has developed into the foremost bigboat race in Asia. In 2009, the organisers reintroduced dinghy sailing to the event, and last year saw kitesurfing added to a diversified roster.
About 14 sailors from the Thai national team will participate in the windsurfing competition, including Ek Boonsawad, and Siriporn “Dao” Kaewduanggam. Ek recently represented Thailand at the Olympics in London, while Dao won gold at the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore. There will also be six Thai sailors from the Royal Thai Navy Base in Satthip participating in the event, in addition to 20 sailors from abroad. “The decision is great for the sport of windsurfing in Thailand, a country in which it enjoys strong levels of participation from Thai nationals,” said Ittipol Kunplume, Windsurfing Association of Thailand president. “Surfers take advantage of Phuket’s superb condi
