Shaking up the winds

Whitcraft, 49, who was born to American parents in Bangkok and has spent his entire life in Thailand – he’s a Thai citizen – is chief executive officer of the RMA Group, a provider of automotive and infrastructure solutions to emerging markets.

RMA leads in automotive fleets and fleet management, vehicle conversions, heavy equipment and power generation products and services. It has strong market presence and distribution in the segments it serves in Asia, Africa and the Middle East and employs more than 4,000 people around the world.

“Everyone in business is a salesman, in my opinion,” says Whitcraft bluntly. “You’re selling to your staff, telling them they’re in the right boat; you’re selling to the bank to finance your business; you’re selling to your customers.”

But while he takes his responsibilities seriously, Whitcraft would rather be out on the water. He’s been president of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organising Committee since 2008 and made his debut in the annual sailing event in the very first year of the regatta, 26 years ago in the laser class.

“Out there on the water, I don’t even think much about my responsibilities as the president of the organising committee. In fact, I don’t really think about the committee, the organisation, the structure or the sponsorships,” says Whitcraft, who is comfortable in several languages including Thai, English and Mandarin.

“I’m just focused on being on the water and having fun competing and challenging, pushing as hard as we can and being successful. And the jury, the organisation and structure all help me in my capacity as president [of the Organising Committee].

“We have an excellent PR team with Vivaldi and the organisational teams do a great job with the course and in providing international standard race management. So I can be certain that the parties are well-organised as well,” he adds.

In the early years, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta sailed off Nai Harn Bay but later shifted to Kata Beach. Whitcraft explains the reason for move.

“Kata Beach Resort, presently the home of the Regatta, is a strong supporter of the Regatta and a great host sponsor. It offers a perfect location for sailing. Sailors are also pleased with the beautiful location. After races, we can sail back home fast because it’s close to the shore. At Nai Harn Bay, we have to think about the availability of rooms, facilities and accommodation. They are not sufficient to meet the demands of the growing number of sailors.”

Whitcraft says Phuket is well suited to all kinds of sports – diving, windsurfing, surfing as well as running along the coast roads. “Phuket is such a beautiful area. You can play outdoors and live life to the full. This is a major reason why so many people and foreign tourists in particular come to Phuket and return time and time again.

“The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta showcases Phuket’s natural beauty in terms of a yachting and tourism destination. Holding the event at the start of the high season not only attracts yachting enthusiasts who come to witness the race, but it encourages them to stay in the country longer and boosts the local economy,” he adds.

Asked if he has any advice for those who want to take up sailing, Whitcraft says, “It’s all about getting started. So, follow the advice of Nike and ‘Just do it’. Get licensed, get your basic training down and most importantly, have enough time on the water.”

In this year’s King’s Cup, Whitcraft skippered the Thai-registered “Wan Ma Rang”, a modified GP42, pitting his sailing expertise against others in the IRC Zero Class. His boat is from Croatia and has been raced throughout the Mediterranean for about 18 months. 

“It’s very light – 4.5 tonnes – and they’ve worked on it over the years. Downwind they are pretty fast – it’s the crew’s fourth year on board so they’re pretty used to it. They’ve had a few practice weekends, which have helped them achieve a strong finish in the 2012 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta.

“And in a panic, I speak Thai to my crew on board,” Whitcraft says with a laugh. “In fact, we have an almost entirely Thai crew this year, so when things get intense the language is usually Thai because it’s faster. But we have to remember to speak English, as we also have an American and a couple of Kiwis among the crew and they need to understand too.

“Finding skilled Thai sailors is not that difficult. As you know, Thailand has a lot of sailing history and most of our crew, myself included, has been competing internationally on and off for much of the last two decades. Furthermore, many of the crew have been racing together for a long time. The Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya has been instrumental in developing experienced Thai sailors.

“The level of improvement in experienced and new Thai sailors is getting broader. The Optimist programme has been strong since the late 1970s, and of course Thailand has maintained a strong reputation in sailing thanks to His Majesty the King. Thai sailors in the Optimist and Laser classes have won world championships. This will be a stepping stone for the success of Thai sailors for years to come.”