He came, he sailed, he conquered all

He came, he sailed, he conquered all

It was HM the King's love of nature that helped him tame the seas and elementsand achieve some historic milestones

His Majesty the King was not only a great sailor who won a gold medal at the SEAP Games in 1967 but also a craftsman who built boats.
His Majesty the King was not only a great sailor who won a gold medal at the SEAP Games in 1967 but also a craftsman who built boats.

Some people have all the luck and, if you ask any Thai, Australian Peter Cummins is one of them for sure.

While seeing His Majesty the King in person is regarded as a once-in-a-life-time opportunity by the Thai people, the sailor-cum-writer not only had the honour of meeting the King, who passed away on Oct 13, but also practised sailing and competed with the revered monarch.

"It is the most memorable time of my life. To come from a small state of Tasmania and to have the privilege of sailing with the King of Thailand, one has to ask oneself, 'How did I get here?'" the Australian said.

The 82-year-old Cummins can clearly recall the first time he had an audience with the King some 30 years ago.

In July, 1985, he was assigned by the Bangkok Post to report on a regatta held by the King at his Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin.

His Majesty the King was not only a great sailor who won a gold medal at the SEAP Games in 1967 but also a craftsman who built boats.

HRH Prince Bhisadej, one of the founding members of the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, told him to stand to one side for a while.

"Unsure what this meant, I was waiting patiently away from other reporters a little puzzled. All of a sudden, Prince Bhisadej returned and was followed closely by the King and Queen, who were then introduced to me by the prince," said Cummins.

"The talk was about 20 minutes and it's about sailing and the sailing conditions of the day. It was after this that the King said to me that I can come back to Klai Kangwon at any time."

He also remembers the time he was practising before a race once at Klai Kangwon Palace.

Leading the King around the course when suddenly there was a shift of the wind, he was too busy enjoying his lead and was immediately overtaken by the King, who had noticed the wind shift before him and quickly tacked and pulled in front.

"Passing me, the King looked over and quipped, 'You missed that one'," said Cummins.

"He promptly sailed past me to cross the finish line first.

"On the beach after the race the King looked at me. He smiled and said: 'You bested me in these first few races but you will not beat me again.'"

His Majesty's interest in sailing started in 1963.

Cummins said that sailing is not easy but the King had enough potential to master it quickly, like all other things he did in his life.

To be good at sailing, one must be able to read the conditions well, ranging from the sky to the winds and tides, added the Australian.

"The King was an extremely focused sailor. When racing, he cared not for his competitors. The King only focused on three things: the boat, the wind and the tide."

Cummins believes that the King loved sailing because it sets the racers free and lets them enjoy the sea, nature, water and wind.

"His Majesty enjoyed being with nature and had a good knowledge of the weather and the sea," he said.

In his book, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great -- The Legendary Royal Sailor, Cummins said that apart from being a sailor, the King was also a craftsman who had built some dinghies.

At the Fourth SEAP (Southeast Asian Peninsular) Games, now the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, in 1967, the King and his eldest daughter Princess Ubolratana finished equal first in the OK Dinghy Division in Pattaya and both were champions.

Because of the King's remarkable achievement on that day, Thailand's National Sports Day is celebrated annually on Dec 16.

Another example of the King's great achievements was on April 19, 1966, when he made a historic trans-Gulf crossing in the solo OK sailing dinghy, the Vega.

Peter Cummins poses with RVYC assistant general manager Pachara Sukontotok.

Leaving the beach in front of Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin in pre-dawn darkness, His Majesty sailed across the Gulf of Thailand to the Thai Navy base at Toey Harbour in Sattahip, beaching again in darkness, some 16 hours and 60 nautical miles later.

The Royal Thai Navy constructed a monument to mark the King's accomplishment and His Majesty proceeded to plant a flag atop the structure and 'signed' it with a chisel.

The King also established a dinghy club, the Royal Chitrlada Yacht Squadron at Klai Kangwon Palace and bestowed his royal patronage on the Varuna Marine Club, which was established in July 1957 and is now the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, based in Pattaya.

Cummins said that another good example of the King's tremendous influence on the development of sailing and marine activities was the founding of the Phuket King's Cup Regatta, which is now one of the most popular sailing events in Asia.

Established in 1987 to be a part of the celebrations marking His Majesty's fifth cycle, or 60th birthday, the annual competition regularly attracts almost 100 boats and 2,000 sailors every year.

Cummins said he was happy to leave his own country to be here with the King in Thailand and he could not stop his tears upon learning of the King's death.

"The King was a beautiful man and he was very human. If we had more leaders like him, there would be fewer problems in the world," Cummins said.

"I think the world lost a wonderful man, the Thais lost their wonderful father and their King. He is my father too.

"I felt extremely sad when I heard the news. I cried and I still do now."

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