A landmark of the last ten years

Samui Regatta 2018 (17th edition)

The 2018 Samui Regatta ran from 26 May to 2 June, and THA72 won eight of nine races in IRC Zero.

When
26 May - 2 June 2018
Where
Chaweng, Koh Samui
A group enjoying a sunny day sailing on a sleek sailboat under a clear blue sky.
A general photo of this kind of event, not a photo of this event. Photo: Tolga Aslantürk, Pexels License

About this event

The 17th Samui Regatta, announced by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as the annual regatta returning, ran from late May into early June 2018 off Chaweng Beach. The week traces back to 2002, when 11 boats, mostly beach catamarans, sailed the first edition. Regattas Asia organises it with the Samui Yacht Club Regatta and the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand.

By 2018 the event was a fixture of the Asian yachting calendar, and Sails magazine titled its report 'Samui Slam'. Racing is split by class, including IRC Zero and a separate TP52 division, so a result in one class does not compare directly with another. The regatta is sailed in the Gulf of Thailand, and the sailing area off Chaweng Beach stayed the same even when the host venue changed in 2019.

The facts

  1. 1 Kevin and Tom Whitcraft's TP52 THA72 won eight of nine races and kept the IRC Zero title by 17 points.
  2. 2 In the TP52 division Sam Chan's Freefire edged Ark 323 by a single point for second place going into the final day.

Why it matters

THA72's near-perfect series became a benchmark result in the regatta's history.

Muay Thai and sport on Koh Samui

Sport on Samui means three things. Muay Thai fights run most nights in Chaweng: Samui International Stadium on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, Phetchbuncha on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, with six bouts from about 21:00. The Samui Regatta, the island's longest-running sporting event, brings sailing fleets to Chaweng in late May. Running events add a half marathon starting in Chaweng, which has been held in June, and the Samui Trail in November, with distances from 7 to 55 km starting in Na Mueang. Start times are early, to beat the heat.

Around Chaweng

Chaweng is the main resort town on Samui's east coast, with the longest beach on the island, roughly 7 km of sand. Soi Green Mango, just back from the beach, is the nightlife alley, and Central Festival Samui sits between the beach road and Chaweng Lake. Chaweng Beach Road is one-way northbound and slows to a crawl between 17:00 and 20:00 with taxis, scooters and pedestrians. Most club nights, pool parties and Muay Thai bouts are here, and Pru Chaweng Park hosts public festivals and races.

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