Following the success of the three-day boating event in early December, the third Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous will take place in Phuket from 7 -9 December 2018.

Feadship and Royal Huisman sponsored the second Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous earlier this month with the fleet including Feadship’s 70-metre MY Lady Christine, the 52-metre Phinisi Schooner SY Zen, Burgess’ 51-metre MY Northern Sun, 32-metre MY Princess Sauvage, two Monte Carlo 86 yachts and MY Grace, the 2017 Sunseeker Manhattan 66.

The growth of the rendezvous reflects an increase in interest in Phuket as a luxury yachting hub and cruising ground.

Industry leaders are continuing to lobby for regulation reforms to tax laws applying to foreign-flagged vessels. Currently, foreign-flagged vessels in Thailand are not able to charter without paying tax on the value on the vessel.

Regulation reforms are expected to boost superyacht charters in Thailand and stimulate regulation change across Asia.

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Rico Stapel, head of charter at Boat Lagoon Yachting Phuket, said: “We have marinas, we have facilities and when the tax law changes there will be an influx in foreign-flagged superyachts, which will bring huge benefits to the economy. The government is aware of how necessary and valuable the tax reform is.”

Monte Carlo 86 and SY Zen in Kata, Phuket, in December 2017

Tiah Hwee, business development manager for Burgess Asia, reported the company is keen to promote Asia as a cruising region. “There is so much to explore for boats here in south-east Asia. There is good infrastructure in Phuket and so the island works well in terms of potential growth.”

Richard Pope, CEO of Kata Rocks and Infinite Luxury, added: “The KRSR 2017 is proud to have attracted the most prestigious brands from the yachting world including Feadship and Royal Huisman – brands that normally only showcase together in Monaco and Fort Lauderdale.

“For years the yachting world has been cruising in the Mediterranean in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter. We want to encourage them to turn left and come to Asia as there are some incredible and untouched cruising grounds here.”