SOME 120 FOREIGN BOATS TO TAKE PART IN "SAIL INDONESIA 2008"

Kupang, E Nusa Tenggara, June 10 (ANTARA) - As many as 120 boats from many countries have been registered for participation in the international sailing rally "Sail Indonesia 2008", a source close to the event's organizers said. The number of participants might increase as they would depart from Darwin, North Australia, only on July 25, chief of the Cinta Bahari Indonesia Foundation Raymond T Lesmana said here Tuesday. "Up to now, 120 boats have been registered but they will depart from Darwin only on July 25 so their number may still increase," he said. The foundation was continuing to coordinate with all parties involved in the event's organization in the regions in Indonesia where the sail participants would stop over. The parties in those regions had to prepare themselves well, among others by improving the local infrastructure and human resources so that sail participants would gain positive impressions when they arrived there, Lesmana said. The international sailing rally was first held in 2001. Nine boats from eight countries participated in the first rally when they sailed from Darwin to Denpasar in Bali. In 2002, the number of participants increased to 18 from seven countries, and to 25 from eight countries in 2003 while the routes they covered remained Darwin to Denpasar. In 2003, the foundation proposed to participants to make Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara their first stop in Indonesia, and this was positively responded to by the participants. In 2004, the number of participants reached 43 from 10 countries with Kupang as the entry point in Indonesia. When the race was held in 2005, the number of participants had almost doubled to 70 from 20 countries and they made stopovers in Kupang, Alor and Ngada. In 2006, the number of rally participants increased to 102 from 22 countries and for the first time, they visited six port towns in East Nusa Tenggara, namely Kupang, Alor, Lembata, Sikka, Ngada, and Manggarai in the western part of Flores Island before going on to Bali and West Nusa Tenggara.