First time guide

This guide includes some helpful hints for first time visitors to our regatta. Please contact us if you have any additional questions.

Entries

Entry to the Samui Regatta can be completed online or manually via fax. The Provisional Notice of Regatta was published in December. It should be noted that we give an early bird discounted entry fee to those who enter and pay prior to the 14th April. For payment received after this date a late entry fee is applied.

Any updates to the NOR will be published in the Race documents Section

Rating systems

If you are entering one of the handicap classes (IRC for monohulls - including bareboats and sportsboats, OMR for multihulls or NHC for cruising boats) then you will need to obtain an up-to-date rating. However, you can enter the Samui Regatta before you have your rating - please just make sure you allow enough time for the administration to go through.

The Samui Regatta uses three different rating systems, IRC and NHC for monohulls and OMR for multihulls. These give good racing within the handicap classes to boat types where there are not enough of them to have their own one-design class. Details of the systems are provided below:

The OMR rating system is used by offshore multihulls and is administered in Thailand by Mark Pescott who can be contacted at HERE. Typically about a dozen of these fast and exciting boats take part in the Samui Regatta.

IRC is a fully international rating system that is used by many thousands of boats worldwide. The Samui Regatta has up to 5 IRC classes plus the Bareboat class racing under this system depending on entries. This ensures tight rating bands and close racing in fleets of between 10 - 15 boats. Ratings can be obtained from: http://www.irc-sea.com

The National Handicap for Cruisers replaces the ThaiCap systems for Cruisers.

The NHC has been designed to promote a single National Handicap scheme for Cruisers, giving regattas a uniform scheme that can be easily adopted for racing.

NHC uses known concepts used internationally in many other countries to analyse and adjust handicap numbers. NHC is also designed to promote participation in the sport and works alongside IRC.

NHC handicaps individual boats as no two cruisers are the same through elements such as sail size and configuration, number of crew, weight of the boat, equipment on board, engine type, number of berths, etc etc.
All boats taking part in a NHC race for the first time will need a starting handicap. The Base list will be created from a rating formula using “boat show” data such as sail area, hull length, beam, weight etc.

Handicaps will be adjusted during the regatta. The adjustments to handicap numbers in a regatta series will be relatively quick so as to get handicap numbers relatively accurate after the first couple of races.

At the Samui Regatta, we offer cruisers that do not normally race the chance to take part in the regatta using the NHC system. This is especially aimed at cruising boats taking part in the regatta for the first time. If you do not already have an NHC rating and wish to enter this class then please contact us. Click Here to request Handicap

Berthing and accommodation

There are no marinas on Koh Samui, so yachts are anchored off Chaweng Beach. In the event of exceptional weather conditions, some boat may seek additional shelter at Bo Phut Beach on the north of the Island. Complementary "longtail" transfers at available before and after racing from the beach infront of "Tradewinds by Lawana" beach resort. Please arrive early as the number of longtails available in Koh Samui is limited and it can take some time to deliver crew to all the yachts.

If you need assistance with accommodation, please take a look at our list of Hotel Partners on the accommodation page.

Class flags

Boats racing at the Samui Regatta do not need to display a class flag.

You will need to have your sail number displayed on your mainsail, overlapping headsails and your downwind sails. In exceptional circumstances (i.e. if you are forced to borrow a sail from another boat) it may be possible to display a different number on that sail - so long as it does not conflict with the number carried by any other Samui Regatta competitor. Dispensation for these exceptional circumstances must be applied for as early as possible.

Event branding

As allowed under the Racing Rules of Sailing, the regatta reserves the forward 20% of the hull for our title sponsor decals which each boat is required to carry (there are a number of exceptions to this). Those boats not carrying decals will be required to fly a sponsor pennant from the backstay. Details of these requirements are in the Notice of Regatta.

Regatta information

Registrations must be completed before racing at the start of the week. Registration will be held at the Regatta Headquarters. . This acts as the central hub of information for all registration related queries during the opening weekend. Once registration is completed, the regatta office will relocate to the “Regatta Tavern” situated on the beachfront.

Protest information will be posted on the notice board at the "Regatta Tavern". Protests will be heard in the Jury room, which is located at the front of the main hotel building after racing each day - you can check the notice board at the “Regatta Tavern” for details of when your protest will be heard, or if you have been protested.

All boats have to comply with the specific Samui Regatta safety equipment regulations for inshore races - found on the World Sailing website at http://www.sailing.org. However, if your boat cannot fully comply for some reason then you can apply in writing for dispensation. Common examples include boats that do not have guardrails, or boats that cannot comply with the required size of cockpit drains.

The Sailing Instructions and Course Diagrams for the Samui Regatta will be available for download prior to the event. Printed versions will be available at registration.

They are generally similar to other regattas in Asia. However, the first and most important piece of advice is to read the Sailing Instructions (SI's) thoroughly, read them again, and then get someone else on the boat to read them too! There will often be amendments as changes are made or errors are picked up after the SIs have been printed. It is vital that these are read and ideally integrated into the body of the SIs.

Don't get caught out! Every year, boats are penalised unnecessarily. Read the SI's. It's just as important for regular Koh Samui Regatta competitors as it is for newcomers to read the SI's thoroughly as changes are made each year.

Start lines

All starts happen from a committee boat line off Chaweng Beach off shore, so please bear in mind that it may take considerable time to get to your start, depending on where the line is positioned, and allow plenty of time.

When you are starting from the committee boat line, make sure you listen to the VHF from 09:00 to ascertain where the line is likely to be The start sequence are normally every 5 minutes, so make sure you understand how the sequence is signalled by reading the SI's.

Courses

Course Diagrams for the Samui Regatta will be available for download prior to the event.

A laminated set of coures diagrams will be issued at registration.

Courses are designed each day taking into account the weather forecast, tidal streams, and speed of each class of boat.

Courses are broadcast prior to the warning signal via VHF and displayed on course boards during your sequence.

If you have registered your mobile phone details with us, your course details may also be sent via text to mobile phones. Registration of your mobile phone must be done in advance via the entry form or let us know by the Thursday prior to the start of the week. If you lose your phone or need to change numbers for any reason then you will need to let us know the evening before a new number is to be used

Retirement

If you retire from a race for any reason, please let us know by coming along side, calling on VHF 77 or by phoning the Regatta Centre on 081 8940 280.

Results

Results will be published on the official notice board at the "Regatta Tavern" and here on the official website. See you on the water!