A YACHT and a catamaran escaped from the boat graveyard on Phuket's Kata beach today, with a dive boat dragging one free and a gaggle of tourists lending a hand to push the other out to sea.

Phuketwan's photographer captured the owner of the yacht Sudsakorn Too, jumping on board his yacht at the last second as it was pulled free from the sand, where it has been stuck fast since Saturday.

Miss Saigon's owner shook hands with the tourists in swimming trunks who helped to push his race-winning catamaran back into the water today.

No doubt the owner of the yacht will shake hands with the crew of the rescuing dive boat, MV Andaman Seafarer, when he gets the chance.

Two more boats remain buried at the beach, with one likely to be lifted out later today. Mystery surrounds the fate of the other, the worst damaged of the dozen Phuket King's Cup Regatta racers that were swept from their anchorage by a stiff westerly in the early hours of Saturday.

It was to be the last day of racing, but for the first time in the prestigious history of the regatta, racing and the traditional sail past had to be cancelled while the storm raged.

December usually hails the high season and brings much more tranquil conditions on Phuket, but not this year.

Environmentalists were pleased to see that oil that had polluted the surf on Kata beach since Saturday appeared to have vanished today.