2011 Samui Regatta Report

[koheesti]

Does anyone have anything to report about the regatta this year? I got to go out on a boat to watch the start on Saturday but we were too far out to see much of anything. Still, it was beautiful weather to go for a little cruise.

I went to the party at KC Resort. At first I was quite angry but it got better as the night went on. The entry price was 1000 baht and the "free" drinks that came with that were roof temperature Grey Goose and Bacardi (and Carlsberg). The only mixers offered were tonic and ginger ale. Fortunately I'm a vodka drinker so I made due. Besides, you shouldn't really ruin Grey Goose with mixers - or too much ice. It's been a long time since I washed down my food with only straight vodka.There was a table of other alcohol for sale but I didn't pay 1000 just to turn around and buy drinks. The food was very good, a decent spread of finger food. By the time the bikini model show started I had gotten more than my entry fee worth of Grey Goose. Despite all the booze, I woke up very early this morning feeling just fine. Unfortunately, I didn't wake up with one of the hot bikini models.

This part I thought was strange. I went to KC with a friend who is a sponsor of the event. He went to KC because he found out only that day that the Gala Awards dinner at the Centara was just going to be for sailors so he couldn't go. I went to it in 2009 and it was fantastic. Much better than the rooftop party at KC so the sponsors got shafted. Anyway, I don't see how sponsors were not allowed in. They paid for it. Sponsors normally get to see first hand where their money goes and how much their business is being promoted, etc. Or maybe the organizers just think of them as donors and not sponsors? I'm sure that will encourage more sponsors next year.

Does anyone else have anything to report? Any crew members on here with some good stories?

[carmine]

I have a question; Why is the regatta kept such secret? i can't imagine it has any worthwhile sponsors ether, because sponsors understandedly want people to hear about them.

I doubt 80% of the island even knows there is a regatta.

[sketcher]

Ah good, the regatta is on, when does it start? Have not seen any advertising around the island for it guess it will appear soon.

[carmine]

Ah good, the regatta is on, when does it start? Have not seen any advertising around the island for it guess it will appear soon.

It might have finished. Or did it start yesterday?

i've edited to say that at this point there have been fifty views and not one reply as to whats happened.

I'd be fascinated to know who markets this event

Edited June 5, 2011 by carmine

[smokie36]

Ah good, the regatta is on, when does it start? Have not seen any advertising around the island for it guess it will appear soon.

It might have finished. Or did it start yesterday?

i've edited to say that at this point there have been fifty views and not one reply as to whats happened.

I'd be fascinated to know who markets this event

Think I recall reading about it in the BA magazine. Never heard another dicky bird though.....

[koheesti]

I actually heard that the organizers were unhappy because too many people attended the parties last year. No, that isn't a typo. They wanted less people to come.

[itishothere]

Looks like we missed it? Finished yesterday it would seem.

http://www.samuiregatta.com/

[carmine]

Well there you go. It started, it finished, and it seems hardly anyone knew about it.

[Rooo]

How do the sponsors get their value?I honestly wouldn't give them the time of day. Closed shop , slap on the back brigade.

[carmine]

How do the sponsors get their value?

This is my point. I'd be delighted to be proven wrong. But surely if you would consider sponsoring an event the first question is "What will i get out of it? i very much doubt that a couple of glasses of wine and a couple of sandwiches would entice sponsors. Frankly, it sounds completely shambolic. When you consider the lovely sailing to be had, the great restaurants and the many bars the event is a let down for the island.

[Rooo]

I actually heard that the organizers were unhappy because too many people attended the parties last year. No, that isn't a typo. They wanted less people to come.

That is precisely my point. You , I & we are only incidentals & a pain.It is only for that crowd.

[carmine]

I actually heard that the organizers were unhappy because too many people attended the parties last year. No, that isn't a typo. They wanted less people to come.

That is precisely my point. You , I & we are only incidentals & a pain.It is only for that crowd.

Oh hold on a minute. if by the term "that crowd" you are talking about the yachty brigade then who cares anyway. i woud'nt go if it was free champagne and cavier. Absolute knobs.

[itishothere]

I feel abused!

They came here, took our island, did what they wanted to do with it and naffed off! And I didn't feel a thing!

Shame really, as right now, every little helps.

[maccaroni man]

I feel abused!

They came here, took our island, did what they wanted to do with it and naffed off! And I didn't feel a thing!

Shame really, as right now, every little helps.

the ex mayor (tv) told me the bar girls did ok i agree the marketing is next to nill and what little there is in hard copy has bad timing. the new owner calls himself a promoter and is based in bkk. I sat in on a meeting he held, it was alot of wind and now as we all see no float, the best example of a blow hard i have seen in yrs. but to this minute he defends his marketing skills.

[smokie36]

Thread's full of smug retired yachties.

I'm off to lurk around cheaper posters....where's ESB7 when ya need him?

[joe84330]

so this is where all the people who didn't get invites hang out. i must have forgotten that when there's a problem, tv posters can solve everything with a free party where all are invited (except of course tv parties where only tv posters are invited)

it is human nature to take offense when we're not invited to something however if the parties were properly classified as networking events none of you would show up. i do get invites to the regatta parties and i average about 1 event per year. i remember trying to give away wristbands to this years events and no one took me up on them except of course for the habitual free loaders who seem to have an internal calendar for all things free so of course i declined to offer my passes to them.

i have no idea whether the regatta is successful overall or not. i am however happy to support them in any small way i can because i believe that events like this can have a significant impact on the local economy, particularly in the second lowest tourist season of the year. they have up to this point done a remarkably poor job of involving the local community as evidenced by threads such as this.

i'd like to get them started off on the right foot for next year by offering a slogan intended for the samui market...

"samui regatta 2012...hey, at least it's not bike week"

[koheesti]

i remember trying to give away wristbands to this years events and no one took me up on them except of course for the habitual free loaders who seem to have an internal calendar for all things free so of course i declined to offer my passes to them.

The only people to accept your offer were the ones you didn't offer them to? Huh?

An event doesn't have to be free FOR EVERYBODY. Many events have VIP sections where they can get their free drinks, food etc. Open it to the public, and have a cash bar. This brings in more people which is what local sponsors (and event organisers) are supposed to want. Limiting an event like this is a big waste of sponsor's money. For example, if I had a company that rented boats, I don't think I would be happy advertising only to people coming from off the island on their own boats. That would be like advertising a farang-run Thai restaurant to local Thais - pointless. It looks to me like well-meaning sponsors have been taken advantage of. I like yachts and if I had a business I would want to be a sponsor - until I found out they only wanted my money and I was blacklisted from events.

I like the Regatta. I'd love to support it. It was the one event I was looking forward to when I retruned in March. I wanted to buy souvenirs but they apparently don't offer them. In 2009 I bought a t-shirt, hat and polo shirt at the end of the Gala (the only time I saw them on sale even though I hung out at Centara and Tradewinds and paid - full-price - to take the Seatran observation boat). This year I asked my friend who is a sponsor to keep an eye out for a shirt and I would pay him back. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed in the Gala so I get nothing.

[starcandle]

so this is where all the people who didn't get invites hang out. i must have forgotten that when there's a problem, tv posters can solve everything with a free party where all are invited (except of course tv parties where only tv posters are invited)

it is human nature to take offense when we're not invited to something however if the parties were properly classified as networking events none of you would show up. i do get invites to the regatta parties and i average about 1 event per year. i remember trying to give away wristbands to this years events and no one took me up on them except of course for the habitual free loaders who seem to have an internal calendar for all things free so of course i declined to offer my passes to them.

i have no idea whether the regatta is successful overall or not. i am however happy to support them in any small way i can because i believe that events like this can have a significant impact on the local economy, particularly in the second lowest tourist season of the year. they have up to this point done a remarkably poor job of involving the local community as evidenced by threads such as this.

i'd like to get them started off on the right foot for next year by offering a slogan intended for the samui market...

"samui regatta 2012...hey, at least it's not bike week"

I have to agree with koheesti, the advertising and build up to the Regatta was to say the least absolute rubbish, like koheesti a few years ago I went out on the boat from Bangrak to watch the start,

I aint no "yachty" but as it was an event on samui and a few other friends where going so

I tagged along and enjoyed my day.

I'm not looking for any free parties or invites to rub shoulders with anyone who may or may not be celebrities, the point is that most people where better informed when body paint

artists where painting people for a fun day out, in Lamai I think it was, if the regatta is a secret have it on koh Som.

[maccaroni man]

i remember trying to give away wristbands to this years events and no one took me up on them except of course for the habitual free loaders who seem to have an internal calendar for all things free so of course i declined to offer my passes to them.

The only people to accept your offer were the ones you didn't offer them to? Huh?

An event doesn't have to be free FOR EVERYBODY. Many events have VIP sections where they can get their free drinks, food etc. Open it to the public, and have a cash bar. This brings in more people which is what local sponsors (and event organisers) are supposed to want. Limiting an event like this is a big waste of sponsor's money. For example, if I had a company that rented boats, I don't think I would be happy advertising only to people coming from off the island on their own boats. That would be like advertising a farang-run Thai restaurant to local Thais - pointless. It looks to me like well-meaning sponsors have been taken advantage of. I like yachts and if I had a business I would want to be a sponsor - until I found out they only wanted my money and I was blacklisted from events.

I like the Regatta. I'd love to support it. It was the one event I was looking forward to when I retruned in March. I wanted to buy souvenirs but they apparently don't offer them. In 2009 I bought a t-shirt, hat and polo shirt at the end of the Gala (the only time I saw them on sale even though I hung out at Centara and Tradewinds and paid - full-price - to take the Seatran observation boat). This year I asked my friend who is a sponsor to keep an eye out for a shirt and I would pay him back. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed in the Gala so I get nothing.

I got a call from one of the co-founders of the samui regatta and he said the winds are blowing in a very negative direction concerning the new ownership and their marketing skills on all levels. there were 30 boats and 400 sailors, many of the crews made nightly runs to the local bars and spent a good amount of money on crates of beer and supplies, so the local economy did get some cash. As usual there was a good open party held at the Tradeswind where the owner is passionate about sailing. The kids had a 3 day reggata as well and it was the 1st 3 day race for the optimist class with all the children being given medals and and trophies so that was a great success. The biggest issue for signs was the local govt would not alot time to hang banners as they said they were too busy with flood repairs. No good reports on the lamie party and many of the sailors gave it a pass, also unhappy that if they wanted to attend one party they had buy a pass for all the parties; look for some serious changes in the near future was the final word.

[joe84330]

i remember trying to give away wristbands to this years events and no one took me up on them except of course for the habitual free loaders who seem to have an internal calendar for all things free so of course i declined to offer my passes to them.

The only people to accept your offer were the ones you didn't offer them to? Huh?

probably i didn't do the best job of wording that part. i meant to say that the only people who wanted my free passes were those i recognized as habitual freeloaders, and they're the last people i would have given them to. when i offered them to friends it was always "well can i have 3 more for my friends" or "sorry i have aunt edna's colonoscopy to attend that same night" etc.

i hope they can right the ship, it's got great potential as a full on lifestyle event rather than "just" a regatta. i'm not going to argue with anyone about how they are marketing it because i can't defend it, as i said above i think it was marketed very poorly. this whole episode with the gala dinner being made available to sailors only is absolutely the wrong thing to do. i've competed in professional sports events around the world for the last 15 years and i've never seen an award ceremony that was exclusively for the participants. seems self defeating to me.

by the way, i think all of the sailors i've met have been friendly enough and big beer drinkers to boot. in 4 years of hitting many of their parties i've yet to see a champagne bottle or caviar. something tells me that the sailors didn't have anything at all to do with the disaster that was this years finale.

[smokie36]

They just doin't seem to connect properly with the local community. And I'm not talking about the expats here. It should be an event celebrated by everyone with a family day and events around the entire island.

Just my pointless tuppenceworth as usual.

[joe84330]

They just doin't seem to connect properly with the local community. And I'm not talking about the expats here. It should be an event celebrated by everyone with a family day and events around the entire island.

Just my pointless tuppenceworth as usual.

pretty much sums it up. without a history or backstory behind any of the competitors, no drama to sell it and no significant effort to bring it closer to home it just seems to come and go each year, just a blip on the radar. anyway regatta is so last week, i'm all about boules now.