Sail Indonesia Rally - then Sail Bunaken

by Antara News on 31 May 2009 The Sail Indonesia Rally, which departs Darwin on July 18 and already has 130 registered yachts, more of them Australian than any of other nationality, will see an amazing maritime spectacle when they arrive in Bunaken, located at the north of the island of Sulawesi.

Some 42 countries have confirmed their participation in Sail Bunaken 2009, which will be organized in Manado and Bitung, August 15-18, 2009.

In Bunaken another 15 yachts are joining the rally boats from Darwin, but Sail Bunaken is not only about yachts, having a much broader naval perspective.

Activities of 'Sail Bunaken' will include 'Indonesian Fleet Review 2009' consisting of a sailing pass parade to be participated in by warships, traditional ships, state ships, tall ships, yachts, and open ships.

'Forty-two countries have confirmed their participation. They will send their naval chiefs of staff and some deputy chiefs of staff,' First Admiral Willem Rampangilei, commander of the Indonesian Navy`s Main Base VIII, said in a meeting on preparations for the Sail Bunaken 2009 here on Tuesday.

Sail Bunaken was aimed at building a sense of seamen`s brotherhood and enhancing international relations, he said.

'The event is to give a chance to the world to see the marine beauty of North Sulawesi, to develop the mariners` spirit, and to make North Sulawesi a gateway to East Asia,' he said.

The warship parade will be participated in by among other things USS George Washington with around 5,000 crew members on board, and the US warship will be guarded by three frigates with respectively having 500 crew members on board.
The warships will arrive in Bitung starting August 12, 2009, he said.

The Sail Bunaken Festival will bring together around 7,000 to 8,000 sailors from all over the world.

'Ship crew members from all over the world will sail to Manado to visit the Bunaken marine park. Sail Bunaken will be greater than the Bunaken Festival which was held earlier,' North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Sarundajang said earlier.

As for the Sail Indonesia rally, boats from Australia and the United Kingdom are represented heavily among the entries, but there are also many others from a wide range of countries. European boats are there in force, while under-represented this year are yachts from the USA. Among more unusual entries are those from the Virgin Islands, the Marshall Islands and Vanuatu. The majority of yachts are between 30ft and 50ft, and the more heavily constructed, long keeled yachts are in the majority.

Taking a rally from Darwin has long been the favourite way for cruising yachts to depart Australia, as the bureaucracy of arrival into Indonesia is smoothed, and good cruising friendships are formed for the coming weeks in remote areas - sometimes lifelong friendships as well.

'Sail Bunaken' will not be the only interesting sideline in 'Sail Indonesia'. The fun begins as you leave Darwin, and during the following three months participating yachts will be invited to a series of Cultural Festivals at different locations through Indonesia.

These usually include a ceremonial welcome and dinner as well as cultural and arts displays and also dance performances.

Participants will be able so see some of the more remote parts of Indonesia away from the well worn tourist areas. At each of these stopovers you will be able to experience different peoples and their cultures, different lifestyles, different arts, crafts, foods and even different languages.

The route is a new one to take advantage of 'Sail Bunaken'.

For full details of the route, the Indonesian expectations and the other tricky aspects of this favourite cruising route, go the the www.sailindonesia.net/home/home.php!Sail_Indonesia web page. For more information about Sail Bunaken, go to their www.sailbunaken2009.com/images/maskot.jpg!website