Jakarta - The international yacht rally from the Australian Northern Territory city of Darwin to Banda and Ambon will be an important event of Sail Banda 2010 as part of Sail Indonesia this year.
Sail Indonesia is an annual sailing rally now in its tenth year that departs from Darwin in the middle of July and is followed by a three-month program of linked events across Indonesia.
This year these events are managed jointly by Sail Indonesia, the Indonesian Navy, the Indonesian Marine Foundation (Yayasan Cinta Bahari), the Indonesian Sailing Federation and Sail Banda.
Sail Banda organizing committee chairman Aji Sularso said in Jakarta on Tuesday a total of 120 yachts had been registered to participate in the rally from Darwin to Banda and Ambon.
"Some 120 yachts have been registered and they will be dispatched from Darwin to Banda and Ambon on July 24, 2010 by Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad and Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Agung Laksono," Aji Sularso said.
Sularso said the most participants record of Sail Indonesia took place in Sail Bunaken 2009 which involved 135 yachts and cruise ships, but he added that the number of yachts participating in Sail Banda would probably increase because the registration would be closed on July 17, 2010.
According to him, the rally of Sail Indonesia this year would be divided into two groups, namely traditional Darwin-Kupang route and Darwin-Banda-Ambon-Wakatobi route, but the two groups would rejoin in Lombok island.
Sularso`s statement on the registration of 120 yachts came one day after rally coordinator Hellen de Lima said in Ambon on Monday that only 17 yachts had been registered for the event.
"As of the closing date for registration on June 28, 2010, only 17 yachts from five countries were registered to join the international yacht rally from Darwin to Ambon," Hellen said in Ambon on Monday.
She said when the registration was opened some three months ago, around 60 yachts filled the registration forms but as of the dead line on June 28, 2010, only 17 returned the registration forms.
The committee, according to Hellen, was currently preparing the related documents of the rally participants who would set sail from Darwin to Ambon on July 24.
She said the participants were mostly from Australia and the rests were from the Philippines, England, Finland, and the United States.
"We apply one-door service system to facilitate the rally participants to have their customs and immigration documents managed," Hellen said.
The events are also supported by the Indonesian Central Government and the Local Government Centers at the destinations.
This year the Government of Moluccas Province gets an honor as the host of this event that will be concentrated on Ambon Island, Banda Islands, and Kisar.
Sail Banda, as part of Sail Indonesia 2010, will be the Indonesia`s largest marine event this year.
Sail Indonesia 2010 will depart from Darwin on Saturday July 24, 2010 at 11 am local time and during the following 3 months the participants are invited to participate in a series of Cultural Festivals at the different stopovers across Indonesia.
In Moluku Province the participants of the event could visit many interesting and amazing places such as; Sea Garden, Belgica Fort, House of Bung Hatta, House of Iwa Kusuma Sumantri, Agro Tourism in Banda, Natsepa Beach, Hunimua Beach, Pintu Kota Beach, Manuala Beach, Namalatu Beach, Pasir Putih Beach (Alang), Amsterdam Fort, Old Mosque (Kaitetu), Old Church (Hila), Siwalima Museum in Ambon, Historical and megalithic sites and villages in Kisar.
As in past years the Local Administration at each of these Indonesian islands has planned a number of events which include a ceremonial welcome and dinner as well as cultural and arts displays and also dance performances.
The participants will be able so see some of the more remote parts of Indonesia as they cross the country away from the well worn tourist areas.
At each of these stopovers they will be able to experience different peoples and their cultures, different lifestyles, different arts, different crafts, wonderful foods and of course different languages.
The government of Maluku Province has divided the events into three palaces namely in Banda islands, Ambon island, and Kisar island in Southwest Malulu (MBD) district.
Events In Banda will be welcome party, Kora-kora (traditional boat) attraction, Archeology Exhibition, City Tour, Marine & Agro Tourism, Cultural and Art Night in Belgica Fort.
While in Ambon the events will be Welcome Party, Traditional Ships Parade, City Tour / Marine Tourism, "Ambon Tempo Doloe" (Ambon in the past), "Jujaro Mongare" Election, Layang-Layang (kite) Festival, Cultural carnival and Farewell Party.
Then in Kisar Island the events that have been prepared are: Welcome Party, City Tour, and undersea flag raising ceremony to mark the anniversary celebration of Indonesian Republic.
Maluku province as the host of the event has also prepared some programs such as the campaign to awaken the people consciousness on tourism.
As a result of an initiative from Aji Sularso from the Indonesian Ministry of Maritime Affairs in December 2000, it was decided to arrange a coordinated series of yacht races and rallies from both Darwin in North Australia and Fremantle in Western Australia to to Bali, Pulau Seribu in North of Jakarta, and then to Batam just south of Singapore, and then followed by similar event until this year. (Uu.O001/HAJM/F001/P003)
Source: http://www.antaranews.com
