Sailing Off Samui
Once regarded as a side trip from the more established Asian sailing routes, Samui has now burst onto the international yachting scene.
The annual Koh Samui Regatta, held each year at the end of May, has become one of the "must do" events on the Asian sailing calendar and regularly attracts yachts from as far afield as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Prior to the Regatta's inauguration in 2002 the island was home to just a few "privileged" local sailors who had made Samui their home. But Samui's first international yacht racing event spread the word throughout the region and beyond. This meant the great sailing conditions in this part of the Gulf of Thailand were no longer a secret and international publicity has led to a boom in the local sailing business.
Samui now has a burgeoning charter fleet with a range of boats available. There's everything from beach-launched catamarans to mid-sized cruising yachts, not to mention large day-sail vessels. Chaweng Beach is the main location for most of the beach sail boats, from Nacras and Hobie Cats to Lasers and Windrider trimarans. Head north to Bang Rak (Big Buddha Beach) and Bophut, there you will find the larger cruising boats such as the Coco Sailing twin-masted catamarans, the Polynesian style "Nok Talay", the 50 ft. day-sail cat "Kia Ora" and the "Easy Charters" 63 ft. Pinisi. If you would like to cruise in company or try your hand at flotilla sailing, the largest sail charter company in the world, Sunsail, base their fleet out of Bophut bay for the May to August summer season.
The increased number of boats resident around the island and the excitement of the annual Regatta has also led to the birth of monthly club racing. Conceived as an enjoyable way for local sailors and charter visitors to get together, this regular monthly weekend event is characterized by its attitude, where protests are not allowed and racing disputes are settled over a beer at the BBQ. With a healthy number of boats available for charter these events are proving very popular. especially with many sailors who fly in for the weekend, step onto a fully prepared boat, race the event and fly out when the racing and party is over. The Tradewinds Resort on Chaweng beach has become the meeting point for these get-togethers, which are generally held at different venues around the island, depending on the weather and the season.
Of course, with an expanding number of yachts resident on and around the islands, back-up services are needed. These include repairs, chandlery, supplies and a place to keep the boats safe and secure. There has been much talk of a marina project on Samui, and the island is certainly ready for one. The construction of a floating pontoon at Petcharat Marine in Bang Rak (Big Buddha) Bay will certainly be a welcome addition to their present fuelling, water and supply services. Renowned for their yacht-friendly services, Petcharat are also installing fixed moorings and with several other projects being mooted it wont be long before international class marinas and waterside developments provide the missing piece of the puzzle to make Samui's sailing scene complete.
