2023 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship held at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club

Pattaya, Thailand – Two time Olympian Keerati Bualong snatched gold in a stellar performance at the prestigious 2023 ILCA 7 Masters World Championship held at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club on Pratamnak Hill in Pattaya, Thailand.

The Thai turned 30 years of age in December, making him eligible just in time to enter the regatta for the first time, participants limited to those 30 years of age and older. Sailing in the Apprentice division for those aged 30 to 44, Bualong managed to finish first in all but one of eleven races he sailed. After representing Thailand at London 2012 and Rio 2016, he had turned to coaching with the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand, his comeback in a range of sailing conditions impressive.

“I’m glad to be back racing again after two years,” he said. “It’s nice to be back competing. It’s more fun now.”

The UAE’s Adil Khalid won silver in the Apprentice fleet, a coveted step up from last year’s event in Mexico. Italy’s Pietro Corbucci took bronze.

In the Master division for those aged 45-54, Greece’s Adonis Bougiouris matched Keerati’s record, with first places finishes in all but one race. Christoph Bottini of Australia and Peter Hurley of the USA took silver and bronze respectively.

In the Grand Master division for those aged 55-64, the undisputed champion was Australia’s Brett Beyer. Jan Scholten of Australia and Andrew Holdsworth of the USA came in second and third overall in the 35-man fleet, the largest division at the world championship.

In the Great Grand Master division for those aged 65 and older, defending champion Tim Law of the UK confirmed his mastery in the ILCA dinghy, confidently securing gold. Australians Stephen Gunther and Jeff Loosemore, both of whom had also raced a week earlier in the smaller ILCA 6 rig, won silver and bronze.

Tim Law, a legend in ILCA masters sailing circles, was effusive with praise at the event’s closing. “Your country is amazing. Your yacht club is amazing,” he said. With 48 years in the fleet, he emphasized how impressed he was, lauding the food, the race management, the host venue staff, and the organization of the event.

The Royal Varuna Yacht Club went to great effort to ensure a most memorable stay for all sailors and their supporters in both the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 events held in February. On the water, the RVYC joined forces with YRAT and the Royal Thai Navy to deliver exceptional race management, with racing cancelled only one day for lack of wind during the 12 days scheduled through the month for the two events. Among special experiences to promote Thailand and things Thai were Thai tasting events, Thai treats, a visit to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Thai cooking classes, a performance by the Joe Louis Traditional Thai Puppetry Theatre, fire dancers, and massage on site.

Principal sponsor Idemitsu is a long-term partner to the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, its contribution part of its CSR program. The Singha Corporation joined as co-sponsor, continuing a long-standing relationship that stretches back to the 1970s. Supporting sponsors include Bangkok Hospital Pattaya which provided on site emergency services, Coca-Cola, Element Six Evolution, The Pizza Company, Bonchon, and UF.

Organizing partners were the Royal Varuna Yacht Club, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand and the ILCA. Strategic partners included Pattaya City, the Sports Authority of Thailand, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Hello, my name is Keerati Bualong. I’m glad to be back racing again after 2 years. It’s nice to be back competing.

Hello, I’m glad to be back racing after 2 years of being away. Nice to be back competing.

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Hello, I’m hello, I’ve been playing for 2 years, I’ve come back to practice and come back to play again, it’s more fun to come back to compete once, thank you.

Hello, I am Keerati Bualong, athlete sailing in the ILCA 7 Masters. I haven’t been racing for two years. Coming back to sail has been more fun. I’m glad to have come back to compete again.

I I’m staying at a sailing school that I’ve been playing for 2 years. I’ve come back to practice and come back to play again. It’s more fun to come back and compete once.