Travelling to Pattaya with the Senior AODS Team in Thailand was an amazing experience! My sail tube missed our connecting flight, we were pretty lucky when the airline sent it directly to our hotel which was 2 hours out of Bangkok. The area where the regatta was held at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club was beautiful and was in walking distance from our hotel.

The sailing conditions were super complicated, huge tides met with little wind combined with hot temperatures and 85% humidity. It was a real challenge to try and learn the conditions that could very easily take you from the front of the fleet to the back within minutes.  

It was also challenging trying to keep hydrated and cool – the hotel hand towels became a staple in our esky, covered in ice were a great way to cool down! The teamwork within our squad was amazing and we learnt so much from our coach Tom Brewer, the conditions were nothing like we had sailed in previously so there was a lot to learn.

Our families all pulled together and supported us in so many ways with Opti parts, food, insect spray, plenty of water, gallons of Gatorade and an ice-cream or two to cool down at the end of the day.

The best part of the trip was the friends that I made within the AODS team and also with the other international sailors competing at the regatta. Everyone was so friendly, we traded shirts and keyrings, I have made a lot of lifelong friends and memories and am very grateful for this experience.

Orlando Ligovich
AUS 1740

2023 Eastern Seaboard Regatta
13 to 16 October
Royal Varuna Yacht Club, Pattaya, Thailand