The Moorings Announces New Base in Phuket, Thailand

The Moorings Opens Far East Location in Thailand

The Moorings announced today the opening of a new base in Phuket, Thailand for the 2009 sailing season. The Moorings base will offer three different ways to enjoy this exotic location from bareboat (captain yourself) sailing and power yacht charters, to their luxury crewed yacht product which is an all-inclusive vacation with your own professional captain and chef. The fleet will consist of the award-winning Moorings 4600 catamaran, and new generation powercats The Moorings 474PC and 372PC.

Cruise the Andaman Sea with The Moorings from Phuket, Thailand

This new base in Phuket is ideally located on the west coast of the Thailand peninsula and provides immediate access to some of the most beautiful cruising grounds in the world. There are over 50 islands and countless anchorages to choose from in this diverse cruising ground. You are only a short cruise to Phang Nga Bay, a marine national park where you will discover the towering limestone islands of Koh Phanak and Koh Hong with their many caves to explore. Sailing south you will discover the Phi Phi islands which offer dazzling undersea life with endless opportunities for snorkeling or diving among the numerous reefs and limestone islands. "The combination of friendly people, stunning geography, spectacular beaches and 5 star service from The Moorings is guaranteed to provide a vacation beyond compare," commented Cheryl Powell, chief operating officer of The Moorings. "Our mission is to provide the best cruising grounds in the world to our customers, and this expansion into the Far East with our Thailand base underscores this commitment." According to Powell, the base is easily accessible with flights connecting from Bangkok or direct flights to Phuket from Singapore and Hong Kong. The base is located only 20 minutes from the Phuket airport at the new Ao Po Grand Marina. This marina offers state-of-the-art floating docks with water and electricity available at all slips. The marina is conveniently located within 5 minutes of several resort hotels which can provide customers with a range of options for pre or post charter accommodations. The master plan for the marina village includes additional services such as restaurants, bars, retail and luxury villas to be completed over the next two years.

The Moorings will also offer the option of one-way charters from Phuket to Langkawi, Malaysia for an additional fee. This will open up a cruising ground extending 140 miles south of Phuket and will include the 104 islands that make up the Langkawi group. Arrangements must be made in advance to allow this itinerary.

Custom Catamarans - 37 to 47 feet

The fleet will include yachts such as the award-winning Moorings 4600, a spacious and performance-oriented catamaran built by the world-class yacht builders Robertson and Caine. All Moorings yachts are designed for cruising comfort and completely outfitted at the highest level. The Moorings 4600 is the flagship of the fleet and includes features such as flat screen TV/DVD players, air conditioning, generator, large color chart plotter and audio connections for an MP3 player. This four-cabin yacht also offers large en-suite lavatories and showers, a unique raised helm station, innovative aft seat that converts into a dinghy landing or swim platform, along with a spacious saloon and cockpit protected by a hard top. The hull design is also optimized for sailing performance by the award-winning catamaran design team of Morrelli and Melvin. An additional forepeak cabin is available should a captain or cook be desired when chartered as a bareboat.

This yacht is available in The Moorings Crewed Yacht fleet in Thailand with a professional captain and chef. This package is an all-inclusive private yacht charter that includes all of your meals, beverages and numerous water toys to enjoy this exotic destination.

Should you desire a power yacht charter, The Moorings will offer its newest generation powercats in this destination. You may choose from The Moorings 372PC, a two cabin, or The Moorings 474PC, a four cabin yacht. Both yachts feature spacious en-suite lavatories and showers, air conditioning, generators, microwave, blenders, plus color chart plotters for easy navigation, and flat panel TV/DVD player for your total comfort and enjoyment. The new generation Moorings powercats feature spacious fly-bridges to fully enjoy your exotic surroundings, and are also the most fuel efficient in their class, allowing charters to fully explore the cruising grounds. The Moorings 474PC is also available in The Moorings Crewed Yacht fleet in Thailand with a professional captain and chef.

About The Moorings

Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, The Moorings is the world's premier yacht charter company that manages approximately 600 yachts in 30 destinations of the world's best cruising grounds in pristine and exotic locations such as the Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, North America and The Far East. The Moorings offers crewed (with captain and chef) power and bareboat (sail-it-yourself) sailing vacations, with the largest catamaran fleet in the world.

For charter information, call 1-800-535-7289 or visit www.moorings.com. For yacht ownership, call 1-888-952-8603 or visit www.moorings.com/yachtownership.aspx. The Moorings, is proud to be part of TUI Travel PLC one of the largest and most successful travel and tourism companies in the world. Trust in TUI: Your vacation is in safe hands.