Chairman of the Koh Samui Regatta, Callum LAING, takes us to the wonderfully engaging world of sailing as he talks about the essentials of such a race and what makes the particular island venue of Koh Samui popular in the sailing community.

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FULL NAME: Callum LAING
PLACE OF BIRTH: New Zealand
CITY OF RESIDENCE: Bangkok, Thailand

What sets the island of Koh Samui apart from the rest in terms of a regatta venue?
The Koh Samui Regatta has established itself within the sailing community as one of the most relaxed and most fun events on the calendar. Add to that the beautiful surroundings of the island, the good seasonal winds and the famed Thai hospitality and it is hard to go wrong. Finally, it is the longest running International event on the island and the local businesses have been fantastic in getting behind it to make the event a success.

What are the 5 most important things that differentiate a good Regatta from others?
It is difficult to point at certain things because each regatta has its own personality and highlights. For some, like The Kings Cup, it is the size of the fleet and the tradition associated with it. For others it is the scenery, whether that be beautiful islands or a city backdrop like the Singapore Straits Regatta. In general though, it is ensuring that there is a good line up of competitive boats, a well organised and experienced set of Judges, and a well-stocked bar! Fundamental is ensuring that the sailors are kept safe and happy. Without those foundations nothing else matters.

For a race this size, what are the essentials in the organizing process?
The team. Without question it is having a committed and energetic team that don't mind going a few weeks without sleep! Fortunately we have that both on the island and in Bangkok. Once you have that it just becomes a balancing act of ensuring the sailors are getting good racing, the partners are getting good exposure, the media are getting their stories and that everyone is getting plenty to drink at the end of the night. We have been very lucky with the team we have attracted and it makes developing an event like this a lot of fun. Generally speaking if it ever starts to feel too much like work we know we are trying too hard and need to get back to having fun. Last year our company ran nearly 200 events and it was that philosophy that allowed us to do that.

What is the bulk of participants you expect and from which countries?
About half the fleet will come from Thailand, mainly down from Pattaya and across from Phuket.

The other half comprise crews from Hong Kong, Dubai, Australia, Malaysia and several crews from Singapore. We are also running a mini-regatta for kids on the island. At the Top of the Gulf regatta in May there were over 100 kids racing which is great news for the sport.

Take us through the last race day, what are the highlights expected for that?
I imagine the day will start with a few sore heads as Raimon Land are hosting the Friday night party and the after-party at Q Bar. However, there is nothing better to clear the head then winching up the sails and getting ready to race. By this point in the regatta all the teams have settled into their roles and generally there are less mistakes made then in the nervous first couple of days. However, teams have also figured out each others strengths and weaknesses and will be competing hard to win points. That can lead to some epic battles on the starting line.

After the race everyone will come back to The Tavern at Centara where the finer points of the days sailing will be discussed over several cold ones as the crews wait for the judges to tally up the points and deal with any disputes.

At 7pm, the crews and guests will all return to Centara for the Gala Dinner and prize giving. This is followed by the final blowout party with a band on stage and plenty of fun had by all.

We hear the VIP party is as much anticipated as the race itself. Can you tell us more about it?
The Samui Regatta is generally a very informal event but we have a couple of opportunities to shift the dynamic. This year we have 2 VIP parties one at the fantastic Briza Resort where Ai Lian the General Manager will ensure a first class experience. The second is on a beautiful boat that has been chartered for the occasion. We can't share too many details about the event, so you will have to get yourself on the list!

What is the biggest thrill for you being Chairman of the Samui Regatta?
It is great to see an event of this magnitude come together. It is quite rare to be involved in an event that creates so much passion from all those involved in it. Seeing all the boats lining up at the start line will be great but also I am very much looking forward to the kids mini-regatta!

As early as now, what do you foresee are the improvements you would like to enforce at next year's race?
We actually took over this event fairly late in the year so we began planning 2009 at the same time as we were planning 2008. We will have to focus on finding the balance between growing it and keeping the informal, fun feel. We have several very interesting partnerships lined up with media partners and international partners for next year. There has also been a lot of interest in taking the VIP parties to a new level and that we will do through some significant regional partners.

On the water we will continue to grow the number of boats, we are in discussions about bringing in some new classes and we also have some very exciting projects that will happen at the same time as the regatta but not directly related.

Callum is a valued member of our SENATUS community.