Welcome to the Phantom 295 official news desk. We are proud to be representing Windsurfing at the 2012 King's Cup Regatta being held in Phuket. Starboard developed the Phantom 295 for a fun, exciting board feel in all winds, on all courses and for a majority of windsurfers. That feeling creates a new buzz amongst young sailors and gets seasoned sailors back into the sport. We aspire to put on a great show that will bring a smile on everyone’s face. The King of Thailand inspires us to ensure that the World’s most popular windsurfing brand remains Thai, and we express our gratitude for being a part of the King's Cup. Let the games begin!

Video - Day 1:

Latest News:

And they're off...

Saturday delivered a nice constant breeze of about 15 knots which gave the Phantom 295 riders a chance to get out on the water all day with the occasional chance of planing. After registration and a quick gear presentation by Rémi Vila the guys and girls stickered up their sails and got familiar with the course, wind conditions and the location. Later in the day a skipper meeting held by the King's Cup Officials detailed the course layout to the riders. Everyone is now set for the days ahead and praying for wind.

The First Supper

As the day came to end the riders got together to enjoy some traditional Thai food in a local restaurant just off Kata Beach. There was a great atmosphere in the room as all the riders discussed their day on the Phantom 295's. The Starboard team and members of the Windsurfing Association of Thailand (WATH) were delighted to have representatives from the 20 countries around the table to enjoy the local Tom Gha Gai, Somtum, and delicious Yam Nuea. Luckily enough everyone made it home just in time before a typical Phuket tropical storm rained down.....phew!

Photo of the Day:

Marina Alabau and her sister Blanca having fun.

Preparation Day 2:

Getting familiar with the kit

Today saw many of the riders arriving early to test out the Phantom kit before the official race day tomorrow. Riders from Thailand, Burma, Spain, USA, Finland, and the UK all made an appearance. After receiving their race number everyone braved the scorching sun, rigged up and hit the water. Light winds prevented any serious action but it blew just enough for everyone to get familiar with their kit. Many kata beach goers stopped to take a look at the bright green sails cruising out on the ocean.

View from Kata Beach

So tomorrow marks the opening of the King's Cup Regatta 2012 and also the start to the Phantom 295 event. After registration in the morning, Remi Vila will give a short presentation of the equipment for the Phantom kit to all the riders. With the wind looking to gradually pick up, everyone is eager to get to the start line. All (windsurfing) eyes are on Phuket this weekend, stay tuned.

Daniel Blinnikka from Finland showing his multi-tasking skills

Preparation Day:

 

The trucks have arrived! After driving a staggering 12 hours from the Starboard headquarters in Bangkok, we were pleased to see our 2 trucks and the drivers make a safe journey to Kata Beach. I'm sure they were pleased to see us too. Later in the day we were warmly greeted by members of the Windsurfing Association of Thailand (WATH) who happily kept us up to date on the event. After lunch the team riders from Myanmar (Burma) arrived, which gave them a chance to set up their booms for racing. It was a hot and busy day but we look forward to tomorrow and meeting more of the riders. Bye for now!

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