Darwin to Ambon Rally - Growing in Strength

by Nancy Knudsen on 12 Jul 2008 When civil unrest grew threatening in Ambon in 1999, it stopped the Darwin to Ambon rally, the hugely popular yacht rally which attracted up to 100 participants every year.

In the intervening years a Darwin to Kupang Rally took the place of the Ambon Rally. Then last year, thanks to the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association of Darwin, the original Ambon Rally, co-sponsored by the Northern Territory Government, was re-introduced, attracting just a handful of participants.

However this year they have more than tripled their registrants, with 16 starters – 14 monohulled and two multihulled yachts.

Colin Blair, the coordinator of the Race & Rally says, 'We have renamed it the Darwin to Ambon Race & Rally as many skippers wish to utilise their engines when calm conditions prevail they also like to cruise in company.'

The two events start on the same date at the same time - 18th July, 2008 - but the Ambon boats will start about four miles from the main wharf, with the help of HMAS Bathurst.

Yachts follow the rhumb line through the Arafura Sea to the Indonesian island of Sermata which peaks at 392 metres and lies east of Timor Leste. Next it’s the depths of the Banda Sea, passing close to the Island of Damar which peaks at 868 metres, and then on to Ambon. Ambon lies approx 355º T from Darwin

One big advantage this time is that Wayne Huxley in his 15 metre catamaran ' Cruise Missile' will escort rally yachts after Ambon to Ternate, Manado, Tolitoli, the Equator, Parepare and Makassar.

Wayne is a certified diving instructor and will have a compressor on board to let the others explore beneath the waves. He runs and owns Darwin Dive Centre in Darwin's Cullen Bay Marina.

It's very late, but if you would like to enter the Race and Rally, go to the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association website.

On the other hand, think about next year - they already have ten registrations!