From left: Bill Gasson, co-chairman of the Top of the Gulf Regatta; Surapol Utintu, vice president external affairs, Thai Beverage PCL; Kirati Assakul, co-chairman of the Top of the Gulf Regatta; Scott Finsten, harbour master, Ocean Marina Yacht Club. Photo by Guy Nowell.

The 2018 edition of the Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina was officially opened at Ocean Marina Yacht Club today. Over the four day regatta more than 200 boats will compete in 15 classes with sailors coming from as far as the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand to compete. For the first time the regatta welcomes an all-Chinese team who have sailed from Hong Kong to participate.

Racing begins tomorrow (Saturday, 28 April) for the keelboat and multihull classes, as well as kiteboards and radio-controlled yachts. Dinghy classes and the Optimist fleet will start racing on Sunday, 29 April.

The penultimate event in the 2017/18 AsianYachting Grand Prix, the Top of the Gulf Regatta Presented by Ocean Marina concludes on Tuesday, 1 May with a fabulous gala dinner and prize-giving on the marina front, presided over by Ittipol Khunpluem, assistant to the Minister of Tourism and Sports, and Admiral Naris Pratumsuwan, president of the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand.