Orbit Festival Of Sails 2008

The Orbit Festival of Sails 2008 is being conducted from 13 – 18 Apr 2008. The Festival this year consists of two main sailing events - a multi-class regatta on 13 Apr in Mumbai and the Forts of India Cup which is a sailing race from Mumbai to Goa. The Festival of Sail 2008 is being promoted by the Orbit Corporation Ltd. The Festival of Sails Multi – Class Regatta on 13 Apr is being conducted by the Indian Navy from the INWTC at Pilot Bunder Road, Colaba. It is anticipated that over 100 sailing boats and around 250 sailors will participate in this event. The regatta is open to all classes of boats, and there will be separate courses for the junior and senior classes.

The Forts of India Cup from 13 – 18 Apr is a sailing race from Mumbai to Goa in yachts having a minimum length of 19 feet. The event will start on 13 Apr and will terminate at Goa on 18 Apr. The race is in two legs. The first leg from Mumbai to Jaigarh will be flagged off during the Multi-Class Regatta on 13 Apr and the second leg from Jaigarh to Goa and will start on 16 Apr. The race will culminate off Fort Aguada in Goa. This international offshore race was conceived and introduced last year by Marine Solutions, a Mumbai based company dedicated to promoting the yachting lifestyle in India and this is the second edition of this race.

The Forts of India Cup has attracted 21 foreign yachts till date and will be the concluding stretch for the Vasco da Gama Rally for yachts that will reach Mumbai from the Mediterranean waters.  These yachts have commenced their journey to India from Kekova in Turkey in September 2007 and are sailing to the Indian shores through the Suez Canal after stopping over at certain nominated ports along the way. They will find their moorings off the Gateway of India where they will be visible to one and all. The yachts are presently on their last leg of their voyage to India and some have already reached Mumbai!! These foreign yachts will be joined by Indian yachts from Mumbai and it is hoped that around 30 yachts will participate in this race.

The route to Goa will see the sailors sampling the visual treat of the splendid Konkan coast, replete with historical forts, islands and virgin beaches. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) have thrown in their mite to show case this golden heritage and have facilitated a two day halt for the yachts at Jaigarh jetty. The participants will spend their time there at the lovely Ganapatipule beach resort before sailing for Goa. The foreign yachts will sail on later to Cochin where they will shelter for the duration of the monsoons.

According to Mr Pujit Agarwal of Orbit Corporation Ltd, "The Orbit Festival of Sails 2008 will introduce the Indian audience to the joys of adventure at sea and familiarize them to the world of yachts and yachting, a leisure sport that has the potential of being enjoyed by many more sea loving, sporty people. This event will give a huge boost to the nascent leisure boating industry in India"

Gautama Dutta reputed Indian sailor and says that "What is exciting for the yachting community in India is that we are going to see some big boats in some big time action on the high seas.”

Apart from the MTDC and the Government of Maharashtra, the event is being actively supported by the Mumbai Port Trust, the Maharashtra Maritime Board, the Tourism Department of Goa, the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard who will be providing ‘Search and Rescue’ cover.

There is little doubt that a yacht race of this stature will serve to showcase the historically significant and pristine western coast of India to the world and attract yachts from all over the world. Yacht tourism, which so huge in the Mediterranean, Caribbean and so many exotic locations all over the world, is surely inching India’s way. A lot of ‘old salts’ at the Yacht Club are sure to shake their heads in approval to hear about this.

 "We also want to highlight to the Governments of Maharashtra and Goa that there is a crying need to  develop proper yachting infrastructure like marinas in order to realise the tremendous potential of the coastline of India as an international yachting destination", adds General S Dutta, Director Marine Solutions.