Queen leads team "Vayu" to victory in Race 2 at the 37th Phuket King's Cup Regatta
Her Majesty Queen Suthida leads Team Vayu to 1st place in Race 2 at the 37th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. A historic victory at Thailand's premier sailing event.
On December 3, 2025, at 09:03 AM, Her Majesty Queen Suthida, accompanied by officials, participated in the 37th Phuket King's Cup Regatta at Beyond Kata, Karon Subdistrict, Muang District, Phuket. The event was organized by Mr. Kevin Robert Whitcraft, Chairman of the Race Organizing Committee, and Admiral Somprasong Nilsamai, President of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand under Royal Patronage, along with the organizing committee, athletes, and executives, who welcomed Her Majesty.
Her Majesty the Queen then boarded the Iguana X100 boat and proceeded to THA 72, the yacht representing Team "Vayu," to participate in the IRC Zero class competition. On this day, Her Majesty took on the role of navigator, a position where Her skills in aviation helped her accurately predict the changing winds at sea. Last year, Her Majesty studied the Electronic Navigation for Racing Yachts course, which included wind and weather forecasting, the use of navigation tools, the role of a navigator in Grand Prix racing, and wind direction data analysis. These skills enabled Her Majesty to predict the wind direction with greater accuracy, helping guide the yacht in the right direction toward the set goal quickly and safely.
Today’s IRC Zero race, which was part of Race 2, had three yachts from two countries — Thailand and Australia — competing. This class of yacht is the largest used in international competitions and requires the advanced skills of the crew to maneuver the yacht according to constantly changing winds and waves.
As for the results of Race 2, Team Vayu, which Her Majesty participated in, finished first, emphasizing the strong competitive spirit and Her Majesty’s royal determination to continue promoting the sport of sailing in Thailand, inspiring a new generation of sailors.
The 37th Phuket King's Cup Regatta in 2025, which competes for the King's Trophy, features a total of 120 yachts, including 76 Dinghy (small boats), 14 S/V (sailing vessels), 6 disabled boats, and 38 Keelboats (large yachts). A total of 365 participants from over 10 countries, including Australia, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, China, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia, and France, are competing. The event is held from November 29 to December 6 at Kata Beach, Karon Subdistrict, Muang District, Phuket.
