Tasar dinghies set to do battle at Phuket King’s Cup Regatta
Andrew de Bruin and Donna Stephans (sail 1914) in the thick of the action during the 2007 Tasar Worlds in Phuket - Photo by Duncan Worthington.
Eight of the internationally popular, fast, Tasar dinghies will appear for the first time at this year’s Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, battling for honours in their own special event, which will take place on November 28 and 29, just before the main regatta.
The battle of the Tasars is the brainchild of Andrew de Bruin and Donna Stephens, last seen in competition in Phuket during the Tasar Worlds in 2007. They placed 53 out of a fleet of 59, but despite getting nowhere near the silverware, were plainly bitten by the bug.
After the Worlds in 2007, a fleet of four Tasars raced regularly at the Phuket Yacht Club in Ao Yon. The owners continued to learn more each time they raced and, with conditions usually 10-12 knots and temperatures around 32ºC, there’s little to complain about even when capsized, as the water is a welcoming 28ºC.
Since then, de Bruin and friends have been actively seeking Phuket buyers and have now confirmed that four more Tasars are on the way from Australia. This will bring the local fleet to eight crews, all of which intend to enter the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta event.
King’s Cup Race Director, Simon James, said, “It’s great to see more smaller boats and new classes adding to the already diverse fleet the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta attracts each year.”
For de Bruin, eight is not enough. “We’d like to get a bit of growth happening here and, who knows, we might be able to field a more competitive group when we host the 2015 Worlds again in Phuket.”
The Tasar fleet will be joined by an Optimist fleet which will also compete on the weekend before the main regatta.
