His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a master craftsman building 25 boats, and a skilled sailor sailing many of his boats, and others, with a number of unmatched successes.
His Majesty competed in the 4th SEAP Games (today known as the SEA Games) in his own-built OK dinghy, “Vega 2”. Held in Chonburi the competition was tough and His Majesty won the gold-medal, beating out all international competition. What is even more special is that His Majesty tied for first place with his daughter, HRH Princess Ubol Ratana.
Prior to winning that gold medal in 1967, His Majesty set out on a sailing adventure which, at that time, was unheard of. On 19th April, 1966 His Majesty left Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin on a challenging journey across the Gulf of Thailand, finishing 16 hours later in Sattahip. This feat was accomplished in another of His Majesty own-built boats, “Vega 1” (another OK dingy).
His Majesty built boats in a number of other classes too and also created his own class, the “Royal Mott Class”, in which he designed three boats – Mod, Super Mod and Micro Mod.
In honour of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej there will be a special four day sailing exhibition during the boat show, showcasing His Majesty’s sailing achievements as well as historic photos of His Majesty sailing. The exhibition is FREE and open to the all.
The show and exhibition will be open daily from 11:00 to 19:00 Thursday 24th November to Sunday 27th November.
Photo credit: Vinit Tinvirat