Yacht charter specialist The Moorings is to open a new base in Phuket, Thailand for the 2009/10 sailing season. The fleet will consist of the award-winning Moorings 4600 catamaran from Robertson and Caine, as well as new generation powercats the Moorings 474PC and 372PC.

"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," says Cheryl Powell, chief operating officer of The Moorings.

Located at the new Ao Po Grand Marina, just 20 minutes from Phuket airport, the new base is easily accessible with flights connecting from Bangkok or direct flights to Phuket from Singapore and Hong Kong. The Moorings will also offer one-way charters from Phuket to Langkawi, Malaysia for an additional fee.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Moorings manages around 600 yachts in 30 destinations including the Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, North America and The Far East. The company offers crewed, power and bareboat sailing holidays, and claims to have the largest catamaran fleet in the world.