The Royal Thai Navy and the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand organized sailing championships in the Gulf of Thailand in honor of King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great (King Rama IX) who historically sailed across the gulf 56 years ago.
On April 19, 1966, the late king sailed “Vega”, the OK dinghy that he built, across the Gulf of Thailand for a distance of about 60 nautical miles from the Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin district of Prachuap Khiri Khan to the Toei Ngam Beach in the Marine Corps. The solo sailing took 17 hours.
In honor of the late king, the Royal Thai Navy, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand and PTT Exploration and Production PCL (PTTEP) organized Thailand Sailing Championships 2022 from April 18 to 24.
The event gathered the championships of all kinds of sailing in Thailand and importantly included the 60-nautical-mile-long Hua Hin-Toei Ngam Bay competition across the Gulf of Thailand.
The winner of the trans-gulf racing was Kevin Whitcraft of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. He received a model rudder of the Vega dinghy as his trophy. (TNA)