Cap'n Squall and his crew from the Lamai Chamber of Commerce waited until 11 am for the kids to show and then headed for Koh Som off Bo Phud.

 This is a very pretty islet with a good restaurant and facilities and host Khun Wisa is always keen to welcome guests. Moorings are free to use off the reef.

JUNE 2008

On the way to the Samui Villa & Homes party, Peter Grimes (Grimsey) decided to caterpillar across the main road while Cap'n Squall's truck waited to pick up a repaired Optimist at Keat's Boatyard. Both lanes of traffic was brought to a halt until he had crawled to the other side. Not a trick to be recommended knowing the reputation of Samui's drivers.

May 21 2008

Koh Samui's sailing scene is entering its most exciting phase ever. With the oncoming biggest ever Samui Regatta in June, the Junior Sailors ever more active and besides having their own mini regatta during the big June event, they will also crew and race on the Sunsail sponsored Beneteau 35 with four adult crew. The SYCR monthly regatta, which helps fund the juniors, also hopes to attract the five new yachts arriving this month. They are the 47 foot catamaran going into charter with Sa ard Watersports, Alex's recently purchased 53 foot Wharram catamaran, David's recently built 50 foot Schionning catamaran, Michels's 50 foot charter catamaran, Gerry's 37 foot sloop "Smooth" and the 33 foot X99 racing yacht "Hi Jinx". When these six boats join Crazy Horse, the Radical Bay 8000 catamaran, the three Macgregors, Siam Sailing's two yachts and the numerous beach catamarans and the Windrider tri's, it is not inconcievable to expect some 20 boats at next July's monthly regatta.This will be held at Tradewinds July 26/27, where for an entry fee of Baht 500 per head, there will be two days racing and a BBQ with a keg of beer. All proceeds go to the Junior Sailing.

Soon to join the Samui fleet is Hi Jinx, a one design X99 racing yacht and is a familiar sight on the regional racing circuit.

Available for day charter, bookings can be placed through B1 Villas and Spa, Bo Phud or Tradewinds Resort Chaweng.

Hi Jinx will be a welcome addition to the monthly regatta and will be a boon for Samui's juniors to experience a higher level of sailing.

March 2008: The second mega yacht in as many weeks was seen anchored in Bo Phut Bay. La Masquarade is doing a world cruise and her home is normally in the Caribbean but unlike the vessel before her, she did not carry a helicopter.

Thursday 6 December saw a mini regatta race between six yachts staged off Ban Rak. Organised by Siam Sail and Kunta (Sailing-in-Samui.com), American Airlines (Singapore) sponsored the event and a number of Koh Samui's known sailors were invited to helm some of the boats. Making up the fleet were the 52 foot catamaran Siam Lady (Michel), Stressbuster a Jeanneau 42 (John Stall), Huriri a classic 42 foot sloop (Arn), Crazy Horse a 24 foot catamaran Radical Bay 8000 (Martin Peters) and two Macgregor 26's Viva (Kunta) and Windfinder (Gery).

Siam Lady approaches the start

With a stiff 22 knots North Easterly, the course was set with the start line off Ban Rak to a buoy off Koh Som to be completed two times With the strong conditions, the Macgregors elected to reef both main and headsails as did Siam Lady and Crazy Horse. Stressbuster set a full main and reefed headsail while Huriri set full sails with the boat standing up up fine with her heavy keel. The two Mikes in Siam Sail's speedboat set the start line, using an inner distance buoy one end and the large steel barge at the outer end.

Siam Lady reefed down

Siam Lady came to grief at the start, getting caught in the barge's anchor line but soon untangled themselves and set out to chase down the three leaders Crazy Horse, Huriri and Stressbuster. Crazy Horse revelled in the conditions and soon opened a commanding lead, followed by Stressbuster who slipped inside Huriri at the buoy.

Huriri at the start

As some 60 American Airlines staff were spread around the boats in the fleet, many began to succumb to sea sickness and Siam Lady and Windfinder retired after the first leg, leaving Crazy Horse to win the race followed by Stressbuster, Huriri and Viva to finish in that order with Viva beating Huriri on handicap. Returning to their moorings off Mermaid Resort, Stressbuster's engine caught fire but was soon under control with the battery leads disconnected, leaving the crew to rehoist their sails and sail back to the mooring.

Stressbuster starts with reef

24 November 2007

Last Saturday, while Kunta and his 8m. catamaran Crazy Horse, were out on charter, they saw what they thought was a coconut or somebody's head floating some three miles offshore.

On further investigation it proved to be a lone female swimmer who declined any assistance and kept stroking towards Vietnam. Kunta returned and insisted she come aboard otherwise he would call the Marine Police who would certainly return her to shore.

Showing anger she boarded Crazy Horse and then sat down and wept as they returned to the beach. She told Kunta her name was Linda and that she was Irish.

Last Monday the body of a young woman was found out to sea off Chong Mon beach and the police report noted that her name was Linda Crossan an Irish nurse from Dublin. Very sad but obviously the same person .

Friday 14 Sept.

The 65 foot cruising yacht Lionheart, anchored in Chaweng off Tradewinds. The all Thai crew are familiar faces on the Platu class racing scene and skipper, Lieutenant Commander Vorasat Saard Eam had last visited Samui in August to attend the opening of the Samui Junior sailing program. Lionheart is on her way to Phuket and is in a hurry as they have to make the high tide on 26th Sept. to enter The Lagoon Marina.

Sistership to Lionheart, a Macgregor 65

Guess where this pic was taken of Cap'n Squall and his son?

Visiting 30 m. yacht M/Y Camy dropped into Tradewinds on her way from Singapore to Pattaya.

Originally built in Turkey 30 years ago, she is lovingly maintained as her teak superstructure shows.

Skippered by David Pollard who owns the 42 ft. X boat Foreign Exchange, she fueled up taking on 3,000 liters, much to the delight of the Chaweng PTT gas station.