Marine Solutions is Proud to Host the VASCO DA GAMA RALLY 2010. The international off-shore yacht race VASCO DA GAMA RALLY 2009-2010 has hit the Indian shores for the 3rd time and is again supported by Marine Solutions, a Mumbai based yacht retail and service company dedicated to promoting the yachting lifestyle in India.
The event is the brainchild of a Lodewijk Brust or “Lo” an intrepid Dutch yachtsman who has chartered the coast around India since the past 11 years in his yacht Mistral accompanied by his dogs. Lo has been in consultation with Gautama Dutta, veteran Indian yachtsman and Director of Marine Solutions, to sail to India and promote India as a preferred yachting destinattion.
The Bombay to Goa, last leg of the Rally will be flagged off by the Hon. Minister of Tourism of Maharashtra, Mr Vijay Kumar Gavit today, the 26th of April 2010. The route will see the sailors sampling the visual treat of the splendid Kulaba – Konkan coast, replete with historical forts, islands and virgin beaches. The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) has thrown in its mite to showcase this golden heritage and have facilitated a halt for the yachts at the famous Jaigarh fort. The foreign yachts will sail on later to Cochin where they will shelter for the duration of the monsoons.
According to Gautama Dutta, “The event will introduce the Indians 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”. Apart from the MTDC and the Government of Maharashtra, the event has the support of 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 nod 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 Simon Arrol, Director Marina India.
The passage to Mumbai has seen adventurous yachtsmen sail from Turkey to Lebanon, Cyprus, Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen and Oman. 26 international sailing yachts set off from Alanya Marina in Turkey on 10th October 2009 with their sights set on India. The yachts varying in size from 9 metres to 17 metres from Holland France, USA, Italy, UK, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy and France have covered a total of 5,266 nautical miles and are now at their mooring off the Royal Bombay Yacht Club as part of the Vasco Da Rally 2009-10.
