Photo Provided By Yacht Exports

Yacht enthusiasts from all over are discovering the beauty of boating in Phuket.  The weather is divine, the scenery is beyond breathtaking, and the Andaman Sea, with its amazing deep-blue waters, is scattered with tropical islands and deserted beaches, and is undeniably one of the most amazing places for cruising on Earth.  And Phuket, which is now known as the sailing capital of Asia, has certainly stepped up to its growing popularity among boaters.  Today, the island nation has already established four major marinas for local mooring and is also home to some of the best annual yachting events around.

This increasing interest has also stimulated growth in various marine services and suppliers, such as the international boat transport industry, where companies have been busy shipping boats and yachts at record rates year-round to the island from every corner of the globe.  People are excited about boating in Phuket and once you experience it for yourself, it’s easy to see why.

Phuket is an ultimate sailing location and allows easy passage to extraordinary nearby places such as Phang-Nga bay, with its stunning limestone karst scenery, the Phi Phi Islands (Leh and Don), and the relatively unexplored and pristine Andaman Islands that lie between Thailand and India.  Phuket is also very conveniently placed as a base from which to explore further south, down the Malacca Strait towards Singapore, with the chance to stop at other worthwhile locations on the way past Malaysia.

Without a doubt, Phuket is truly making a big splash when it comes the leisure boating world, not only for its noteworthy cruising conditions and beautiful scenery, but also for hosting some great boating events.  There are three annual sailing regattas: The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta (in December), The Bay Regatta (in February), and the Six Senses Phuket Race Week (in July).  Although the King’s Cup is by far the most popular, each of these regattas attracts many local and visiting participants and onlookers alike, all seeking a taste of some of the world’s finest sailing.

Another happening is the annual SEA Property International Phuket Multihull Championship, which is the biggest firefly race in Asia, and takes place during monsoon season when unpredictable weather makes for extra added excitement and suspense as well as inconsistent race results year after year.  There is also the Asia Super Yacht Rendezvous, which is an exclusive international event for motor and sailing super yachts.  This three day event is the longest running of its kind in Asia and brings together the largest gathering of super yachts in the region.  And lastly, the PIMEX Phuket International Boat Show is yet another major boating event that highlights up to 40 yachts and super yachts from all over the world, and even if you’re not buying a boat you can surely appreciate this events luxurious ambiance combined with the spectacular backdrop.

Many yachters are even opting to moor their boats in Phuket year-round, rather than places like the Med.  Apparently, it is much more affordable and just as appealing, if not more appealing than other popular year-round mooring destinations.  In fact, in 2007, the Thai government dropped the boat import tax altogether, from 200 percent to 0 percent, which contributed to this increase.  “The sailing in Phuket in incredible,” commented Bo Brighton, a yacht owner from Australia.  “It is by far our favorite boating destination, and we’ve been all over the world.  We actually dock there year-round.”

In recent times, Phuket has certainly shaped itself as one of the top international yachting and sailing hubs of the world.  Boat transport companies, such as Yacht Exports of South Florida, have been tracking this growth through the high volume of shipping requests to the island, and are doing all they can to accommodate their clients.  “We have recently expanded our boat transport services to the Far East,” said Alon Ezra of Yacht Exports.  “Phuket is definitely one of the hottest destinations in the East right now, and we are always adapting to give our clients exactly what they want.”

YACHT EXPORTS

[Source: knowphuket.com]

Photo By: Yann Riou of Team Groupama

The Volvo Ocean Race 2011-2012, which is held every three years, is a nine-legged race around the globe.  This year, for the first time in 38 years, the Volvo Ocean Race suspended the third leg of the race, which was supposed to be from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Sanya, China, due to the recent heightened threat of piracy along the east coast of Africa.  The high-valued sailboats transport was organized  DHL, the Volvo Ocean  race’s official logistics partner.  It is likely that the boat shipping company that transported the boats was equipped with armed detail and security protecting the carrier and it’s contents as it travelled the dangerous stretch of ocean.  After the boats were shipped to a safe haven in the Maldives, the third leg was eventually completed.

The 2011-2012 race schedule was: leg 1 from Alicante to Cape Town; leg 2 from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi; leg 3 from Abu Dhabi to Sanya; leg 4 from Sanya to Aukland; leg 5 from Auckland to Itajai; leg 6 from Itajai to Miami; leg 7 from Miami to Lisbon; leg 8 from Lisbon to Lorient; and leg 9 from Lorient to Galway.  But unfortunately, the third leg had to be suspended this time around, and for good reason.  According to the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) global piracy report released in January of this year, pirate attacks against vessels in East and West Africa accounted for the majority of world attacks in 2011, signaling a rising trend.

The extreme race, which is often referred to as the ‘Everest’ of sailing, kicked off in November of 2011 in Alicante and is set to culminate in Galway in July of 2012.  It covers over 39,000 nautical miles of ocean and some of the legs can take up to 20 days.  Faced with adventure and great physical challenge, the six professional crews competing (team Telefonica of Spain, Groupama of France, Camper of New Zealand and Spain, Puma of the United States, Abu Dhabi of United Arab Emirates, and team Sanya of China), set off on the race around the world, sailing day and night, ready to take on whatever obstacles they may face along the way.  And the threat of piracy was just one of the challenges that have arisen so far for the participating racers.

Each competing crew is made up of 11 men, including a medic, a sail maker, an engineer and a media person.  A large part of the challenge of this sailboat race is the team’s ability to collectively and swiftly repair their craft and do whatever else needs to be done to get back into the competition as quickly as possible. “If anyone can get these boats back racing, it is these sailors,” said Knut Frostad, the chief executive of the Volvo Ocean Race.  “If you told these guys this race was going to be easy, they wouldn’t do it,” he commented.  He himself has done the race several times.  “If you told them they wouldn’t be able to handle it, they would do it. These crews are challenged by the impossible.”

Photo By: Yann Riou of Team Groupama

This ingenuity was put to the test almost immediately for three out of the six competing teams, as the gusty northerly winds became a factor during leg 1.  Team Puma and team Abu Dhabi had to pull out due to a broken mast and team Sanya was also forced to pick things up on the second leg to a damaged bow.  Team Puma had to have their spare rig shipped to Cape Town by air freight from Rhode Island and both the Abu Dhabi and Sanya teams used boat shipping companies under the direction of DHL to transport their vessels in order to make it there for the start of the second leg of the race.

Yacht Exports is a well-known international yacht shipping company operating out of Southeastern United States that specializes in these types of essential transports and logistics.  “We understand the urgency that is involved when it comes to races such as the Volvo Ocean Race, and we are more than capable of moving these boats quickly and efficiently to their next starting line,” said Alon Ezra of Yacht Exports.

Currently, the racers are on their way up from Itajai, Brazil en route to the only North American stopover, in Miami.  From there, the next stop is Lisbon, Portugal.  For the both the racers and spectators, there is no other sailing competition quite like it.  But some would say that the real race is the global coordination of boat builders, shore teams and boat shipping companies that come together when something goes wrong with a sailboat, and are determined to get the repaired or back up vessel to the starting line for the next leg.

YACHT EXPORTS

[Source: The New York Times]