PRESS ARTICLES - ShowBoats International Vol XIX No 2

Phuket Hosts Asian Region's First Superyacht Rendezvous

Addressing an intimate crowd of superyacht crews, photographers and journalists in the Chart Room of Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club, race officer Andy Dowden added a few last instructions for the first Phuket Invitational superyacht meet.

"And one last thing mates; this little 'x' over here is Montigne. Martyn, you'll be the windward mark. And this 'x' is you, Dudley. Dreamseeker will be the leeward mark, about two miles off that headland over there. And Craig, you just sit tight with Aphrodite 2 in the bay. We'll use you as one of the markers for the finish." And so the course was set with a pair of large Feadships and a 43-meter Vitters sloop employed as the marks for the following day's first-ever gathering of superyachts in Asia.

A great yachting base, Phuket is easily accessible to the rest of Asia, North America and particularly Europe, with direct 10-hour flights from many major European cities. To the immediate east lies Phang Nga Bay, where 500-foot limestone monoliths tower above the green depths. To the immediate south lie the islands of northern Malaysia, with Langkawi having become a very popular duty-free destination. Singapore, a few hundred miles to the south, offers a bevy of modern shipyards, yacht support companies, marinas and the infrastructure required for large yachts.

Phuket is a small island, suspended from Southern Thailand and the Isthmus of Kra, surrounded by the Andaman Sea. The de-facto yachting capital of Asia, Phuket offers some of the most stunning land and seascapes of any equatorial region. "We've been around the world," says Charlie Dwyer, veteran America's Cup sailor, skipper of Yanneke Too, and vocal participant in this year's invitational. "Everywhere we go the owner says, 'This is beautiful. It's almost as beautiful as Phuket.'"

Beyond these attractions is an island group to Phuket's north that is really beginning to raise eyebrows. The Mergui Archipelago, stretching a few hundred miles, is perhaps Myanmar's (Burma) most valuable asset, and totals over 800 largely uninhabited islands. Courtesy of Burma's closed-door policy of the past half century, this remote island group can still be honestly described as pristine. In the past few years it has begun to open itself up to a very select group of explorers, divers and recreational boaters. The red tape surrounding entry permits is enough to put most people off. But not Graham Frost, Thailand's premier yacht agent.

"There's really nothing else like it; not in Thailand, not in Indonesia, not anywhere I know of," said Frost, director of Phuket-based South East Asia Liveaboards (SEAL) and the organizer of the first Phuket Invitational superyacht meet.

"Superyacht cruising is still in its infancy here," said Simon Clarke, skipper of Liberty. "There aren't so many big boats passing through." Adds Martyn Walker, captain of Montigne, "It's what the Caribbean was 20 years ago."

"The idea," says Frost, "was to bring together the yachts that are here paving the way in the region, and to give their owners and crews the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and have an absolute ball in a magical setting."

With Phuket attracting more than two dozen large yachts each winter cruising season, it seemed to Frost that a gathering was overdue. By early December word had spread through much of the superyacht fraternity. ShowBoats International, the International SeaKeepers Society and Singapore's Raffles Marina - Asia's premier superyacht center - joined as co-sponsors. The organizers quickly landed Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club as the host sponsor in Nai Harn Bay. A past host of the famous King's Cup Regatta, the club offers the ultimate anchorage for superyachts. Phuket's own Yacht Haven marina and Singha Beer quickly threw in their support.

For Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club, the Phuket Invitational was a great way for the prestigious resort to re-associate its name with yachting, said general manager Olivier Gibaud. The King's cup Regatta became so popular, he says, "that eventually it all got just too big for the hotel. Our association with the Phuket Invitation is now a return to the original days of the regatta, when only twenty or thirty boats competed."

At dawn on December 20, Nai Harn Bay was shrouded in a windless blanket of drizzle and mist. But as often happens in this land of smiles, optimism prevailed and as morning gave way to afternoon, the showers gave way to brilliant sunshine. "I was only a few minutes from calling it," confided Dowden, referring to the 11th-hour entry of the strong north-easterlies that typify Phuket's weather this time of year. For the next three hours the breeze swept across the Andaman's blue surface at a steady 16-18 knots. In short, perfect champagne sailing conditions. "I would've loved to have sailed in the race," said a visibly jealous Craig Ogier, skipper of Aphrodite 2, the 43-meter Vitters.

Conditions were ideal for Liberty, Seljm and Yanneke Too. With gusts topping 20 knots the 600-ton Perini Navi Liberty was heeled right over, giving her the best sailing she'd seen in months. Neck and neck with Liberty was Seljm, a 112-foot classic teak-hulled schooner built by Sangermani. Neither yacht had a prayer of staying with the Camper & Nicholsons-built Yanneke Too. Nor did Dreamseeker, a largish Feadship skippered by the affable Dudley Stafford. "We couldn't keep up with her, it drove the photographer nuts," he joked. "What an absolutely beautiful sight."

"It's a whole new part of the world that's opened up," says Dwyer, echoing the general sentiment of participants. "The Phuket Invitational might be the one event that shows other boats that this is the place to come. For us," he added "this was the high point of the season."

After the race the good times continued with Dreamseeker and Montigne both hosting cocktail parties for the owners and crews prior to the alfresco dinner dance hosted by Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club. While Yanneke Too took line honors, there was actually no prize for coming in first other than the same bottle of champagne received by each yacht. After dinner, traditional Thai dancing on the terraced decks gave way to live jazz and funk that carried on well past midnight. "This event is one more attraction," says Dwyer. "It makes a great way to kick off the Christmas charter season, or just fine cruising for the owners themselves." And that is precisely why Graham Frost is anticipating an increase in the number of yachts this coming December for the second annual Phuket Invitational.

Jonathan Webster