Samui Girl Wins 1st Overall at Sattahip Royal Thai Navy
Sailing Course
By J.B. Holden
It was a great homecoming for Amanda Lennartsson in bringing
home to Samui the outstanding ‘First Overall’ winning award
from her recent participation of the Sattahip Royal Thai
Navy course.
Amanda's
course was an 18 day ‘advanced intensive sailing course’
with 65 kids in attendance at the Sattahip Royal Thai Navy’s
(RTN) Lam Tien Naval Base over a recent two week period. The
course was at a cost of B1800 and the kids were teamed with
advanced experience sailors.
John Stall, founder of Samui’s first ‘Youth Sailing
Squadron’, said, “Amanda's group was led by Noppakow, the 12
year old girl currently the ‘Thai National champion’. And,
in fact, Amanda stayed with this family.” Stall continued,
“Seven year old Mai De Ridder also completed the course and
complained to me, “John, the Navy treated us like kids.
First we had to swim 100 m. without a lifejacket, if we were
late for class we had to do twenty pushups and if we talked
in class we had to hold a mouthful of seawater until the
class finished!”
In addition to the advanced course Amanda recently
completed, the Thailand Sailing Association has offered
programs at Sattahip, such as the Youth Sailing Basic
Training Project at the Samut Sport Centre. The association,
under the patronage of HM the King, began organizing basic
sailing training for students in the Sattahip area. The idea
was and is - to publicize, support and develop sailing and
encourage young people in Thailand to take up the sport. The
Navy programs have grown to include advanced sailing course
programs with students from outside the Sattahip area, like
the one recently completed by Amanda.
The free weekend sailing lessons are taught and organised by
John and volunteers. John’s dedicated guidance and the help
of sponsors and volunteers like Amanda’s dad, Tony
Lennartsson; Martin Zach’s dad’ Christian from Lamai; and
‘Jersey Mike’ - have made the youth sailing program on Samui
a big success! Samui kids will show off their sailing skills
during the June 1 - 7 annual Koh Samui International Regatta
at the inaugural ‘Kids Mini-Regatta’ Thursday, June 5 (lay
day), starting midmorning at Tradewinds beach.
John and the Samui Yacht Club Regatta (SYCR) launched the
‘Youth Sailing Squadron’ free sailing lessons program in
September of 2007 with 4 Optimist Sailing Dinghies. The
group has now acquired of 8 Dinghies thanks to sponsors like
Santiburi, Bangkok Air, Bluewater, The Gardens Phuket and
Hans Schultz and other supportive and generous individuals
and businesses.
However, 3 more dinghies are needed now in order to
accommodate all the island kids anxious to participate in
the free program. And, new sails are really needed - the
sails would help students when competing. Against the odds,
the Samui kids won the first ‘Phuket-Samui Championship
Trophy’ in March!
Come out and cheer Amanda and her fellow sailing enthusiasts
at the inaugural ‘Kid’s Min-Regatta’ Thursday, June 5th. The
‘sail kids’ have done the island proud. Recently the Samui
kids left Phuket a bit stunned at the Phuket-Samui Island
Challenge Trophy regatta on Phuket. Samui kids placed 1st
(Nakarin Gaopradit -Bier), 2nd (Martin Zach), 3rd (Amanda
Lennartsson) and 4th (Sky Yudi Samarchi) and Overall Winners
of Phuket-Samui Island Challenge Trophy Winners Team Event
and Samui girls sweeping the competition -1st (Amanda
Lennsartsson), 2nd (Yanisa Cheeppensuk), and 3rd (Mai
Deridder).
Training of future generations of sailors on Koh Samui will
help to ensure the future growth of the sailing and marine
industry of the island. This in turn will lead to more youth
enjoying water sports and consequently will lead to more of
Samui’s youth learning of related-career and educational
opportunities. A big win for everyone!
Check out the SYCR website for further details and
information on the monthly regatta and ‘youth sailing
squadron’ at
http://www.samuiyachtclubregatta.com
For information on helping with SYCR funding for needed
Optimist Sailing Dinghies and urgently needed new ‘sails’
and equipment, stop by Tradewinds at Chaweng Beach and talk
with John Stall or email
squall@samart.co.th
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