Countless events are held celebrating the yachting life. Regattas, buckets and rendezvous a-plenty, all striving to provide owners and guests, captains and crew, the chance to meet, socialize and go sailing with each other. Once in a while, the planets align just so, and an event is blessed with a truly perfect day. On that rare occasion, such an event becomes more than the sum of its glamorous parts, leaving all those who attended a sense of joie de vivre, a feeling of privilege that you were there on that sparkling day.

Such was the case for the first event on the fifth anniversary of the Phuket Invitational, held on December the 19^th and 20^th in Nai Harn Bay. The Phuket Invitational is a sponsored ‘rendezvous’ for the many superyachts which have arrived on Phuket, to celebrate the start to the festive season. A series of events are held over a two-day period starting with a deep sea fishing tournament, skipper’s briefing and cocktail party on the first day. The second day holds the ‘main event‘, the Phuket Invitational sailing event.  A course of two to three miles is set offshore, affording spectators the chance to see close hand, blue water yachts under clouds of sails.

With the early morning leading into an idyllic day, one presence was sadly missed by one and all, that of Graham Frost, the ubiquitous Phuket yachtsman and co-founder of the Invitational. After receiving life threatening injuries in a car crash earlier this year, Graham is still receiving specialist treatment in Singapore, embarking on the long road to recovery, and his home on Phuket.

Having coffee on the balcony of the elegant Le Royal Meridian Phuket Yacht Club, Nai Harn presented a truly spectacular sight. Tens of yachts dotted the intimate bay, many of which had taken part in The King’s Cup held earlier in the month. A spectacular line up invitees, making this the most popular Invitational yet, saw eleven magnificent vessels gathered, both motor and sail. Gratifying for the sponsors, yes, but as Francois Van Wall, director of  world- famous Feadship was quick to point out “ This is one of the fastest growing regions for yachting in the world- its about getting people out onto the water - anyone ,anyhow, to enjoy boats. Besides, as Hein joked last night ( Hein Velema also of Feadship) it‘s one of the only chances as motor yacht builders, we have to sail!” (Sponsors include Feadship, SEAL Superyachts, The Royal Phuket Marina, The Yacht Haven and Le Royal Meridien Phuket Yacht Club).

Of the yachts assembled Samax, a 55-meter Feadship was the largest motor yacht, followed by the 40 meter, blue-hulled Heesen yacht, Serenity.  The Phuket based classic motor yacht Maid Marian II, and the 30-metre Meditation completed the line up with a couple of Ferettis thrown in for some very good measure! One of the Ferettis, the 80ft Hye Seas, was to serve as the starter boat. The diverse line up of sail yachts was even more engaging, underlining that nowhere else in the world can you expect to see such  yachts participate in the same event. Modern schooner and previous winner, Yanneke Too and the cutter, Naos represented the sleek cruiser-racers of today, with Eden I, a Turkish-built gullit, and the Indonesian Phinisi, Silolona, at 48 metres, added a decidedly Asian flavour to the fleet. Of the two classic yachts scheduled to participate, the much-loved Sylvia made it to the bay late morning, deciding to remain a spectator, as the gorgeous 30 metre Sunshine hoisted a full set of sails and headed out to the course.

Spectators were astonished when informed that Sunshine was in fact a brand new yacht, rather than a bona fide classic. After a build of several years in Myanmar, Sunshine had just been launched and is based on the 1914,  Fife yacht  Moonbeam,  (which underwent a complete rebuild in Myanmar in recent years) Of the four yachts scheduled to go head to head, Silolona encountered some rigging problems as she headed out of the bay. Undeterred, owner Patti Seery, simply powered up and decided to follow the fleet.

And so began the perfect day! With a strong breeze blowing from the north east, blue skies and azure seas, the fleet of yachts, launches and spectator boats made their way out to the course. Naos, Yanneke Too and Sunshine were under full sail and already a mile or two off shore, as Hye Seas and Maid Marian II took up their position on the starting line. Many speedboats and tenders buzzed around, however two motor launches stole the show. Bill O’Leary and Gulu Lalvani, both drove their stunning retro-styled motor launches, homage to the 1950’s Rivas, and then proceeded to buzz the fleet, play tag with each other, and leave froth and excitement in their wakes. With the 1900’s classic style of Sunshine in the background, these were scenes reminiscent of “Les Voiles de St. Tropez“.

After a slight delay, the event began, and to the obvious delight of all, Sunshine took line honours, followed shortly by Yanneke Too then Naos. Adding to the excitement, the mini-helicopter from Helicam-Asia took off from the deck of Hye Seas taking shots as yachts crossed the starting line. This was Helicam’s first venture into taking photographs over open water. If nervous before hand, white-knuckle might have been a more apt description when informed their launch pad was a multi-million dollar Feretti. After the yachts passed, a loud round of applause sounded as ‘the little chopper that could‘, descended gingerly, plumb centre on the sloping foredeck of  Hye Seas.

As the yachts headed down the course to the first buoy, Yanneke Too and Naos made up considerable ground on Sunshine, and then both overhauled her on the second leg. But, as Event Official Andy Dowden had reminded everyone at the skippers briefing, this event was about fun, and spectators settled back to enjoy the rare opportunity of watching large yachts thundering along nearby.

For the writer, any disappointment because Silolona had to motor rather than sail evaporated within minutes. Silolona, launched in July, and her effervescent owner, Patti Seery, are already the stuff of legend. If the classic yacht Sunshine was the belle of the fleet under sail, it was Silolona that seduced every visitor, as she became the unofficial Queen of the Invitational. A ninety-strong team of Sulawesi shipwrights and three years in the making, the vessel projects a feeling of rough- hewn elegance and immense strength. With a thirteen-meter beam, broad decks rising sharply to bow and stern, the feeling is one of being cradled in the palm of a giant hand. She is a siren, inducing an instant relaxation in her guests. If this sounds improbable, the first to testify would be Francois Van Well, of  Feadship. With a certain knack for finding the most comfortable place on a yacht, Francois found the lounging area on the raised stern - batik cushions, carved Komodo dragon, perfect viewpoint - and gleefully declared “This is where I want to be!”

After being joined by owner Patti Seery, the conversation that flowed over the next hour or so illustrated precisely what makes the Phuket Invitational such a unique experience. Feadship might be the leader in building the most luxurious yachts in the world, but it has taken the work of four generations of dedicated shipwrights and artisans to obtain that position. That Patti Seery had spent three years in the jungle and on a shore half way around the world, to keep the tradition of Phinisi building alive (Silolona is the first Phinisi in thirty years to be built in the traditional manner) positively enthralled François. There were even comparisons arising from the openness of Silolona decks, the sense of laid back well-being, and how Feadship strives to incorporate these intangibles into their design process.

As the conversation sparked back and forth, so did the yachts. Yanneke Too maintained her lead but with each rounding of the buoys Naos gained a little, with Sunshine gamely bringing up the rear. The final leg saw a determined charge from Naos, who by this time had cut the lead in half, but final positions remained the same, with Sunshine serenely coming in third place. Vindication for Charlie Dwyer, the skipper of Yanneke Too, who was back in the winners circle! As the only multiple winner of the Phuket Invitational, Yanneke Too had been ‘pipped at the post’ by last years winner, the Perini Navi ketch Perseus. This had led to a lot of good-humoured ribbing of Charlie Dwyer before the event, so it was great to see the wonderful smile on self-effacing Charlie’s face at the end of the day.

After the thrill of competition, an evening cocktail party was held on Silolona. Once again, Patti Seery produced some magic for all her guests. A group of  Indonesian musicians, backed ably by the crew, captivated everyone with their rhythmic music and vitality. As the guests clapped and joined the drummers, what else to expect but the perfect sunset. As the light faded and yachts lit their decks and masts, the sun dipped into the ocean sending giant red and yellow tendrils across the sky. Such was the feeling of bonhomie aboard that people were reminded there was still a gala dinner to attend at Le Royal Meridien. Guests coming ashore on the softly lit beach were greeted by a group of Thai musicians and dancers, an exquisite touch provided by the sponsor hotel.

In true Meridien style, a stunning buffet was laid out which stretched almost the entire length of the terrace, and guests dined as band played on the upper deck. The evening drew on, with presentations  were made by Adam Frost of Seal Superyachts,  each yacht awarded a certificate of appreciation along with a bottle of Champagne. Hein Velema, chairman of Feadship then gave a short speech underlining Feadship’s continuing sponsorship of the Phuket Invitational, and the vital role the event played in promoting Asia to a global yachting audience.

The most poignant moment of the day came when Adam Frost emotionally asked all assembled to raise their glass to toast his brother Graham. The two brothers came to Phuket in the eighties and founded SEAL Superyachts, a founding partner of the Phuket Invitational. Earlier this year Graham was involved in a traffic accident, suffering severe injuries, which will involve a lengthy period of rehabilitation.

“Graham Frost”, said Charlie Dwyer, “was the founding father of this event, never hesitating to help anyone in need, and we all hope that he will be able to join us for the next Phuket Invitational”. Charlie then explained that a trust fund was being set up to help the Frost family cope with the spiraling costs of Graham’s treatment.

If the consensus was that this was the best Phuket Invitational ever held, it is an indication of how much this segment of the industry has grown and how strategic Phuket has become on the world yachting map.  During the event, three other super yachts were in Phuket waters, unable to attend, as another two were sailing to the island after some delays, underlining Phuket has become one of the chosen cruising grounds for so many of the worlds elite yachts. On this day of superlatives, it would be hard to convince anyone there was a better place to be.

A number of people had spoken quietly about missing Graham throughout the day, and his presence was sadly missed. But, on this wonderful day, celebrating life and Phuket, Graham Frost was everywhere. Perhaps not physically, but there in enormous spirit. The ‘founding father’ was in the sun that shined, on the winds that blew, and in the smiles on our faces.