ORBIT FESTIVAL OF SAILS 2008
by Meghna Shah

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 12 Apr and the second leg from Jaigarh to Goa and will start on 15 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.

an important highlight of the Forts of India Cup is that it has attracted 21 foreign yachts till date and will be the concluding stretch for the renowned Vasco da Gama Rally for yachts that have reached 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. These sailboats are moored off thr Gateway of India where they will be visible to one and all. The sailors (including married couples and even dogs!!) all live onboard and are extremely happy to be in Mumbai.

These foreign yachts will be joined by Indian yachts from Mumbai and it is hoped that around 30 yachts will participate in the for Forts Of India Cup

According to Ludwig Brust, Organiser of Vasco Da Gama Rally " We are happy to finally reach Mumbai. For many of us its only our first or second time here. We will travel across the country after the race and come back to Goa or Kerala post the Monsoons and sail back!!

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.

Gautama Dutta of Marine Solutions which is hosting the Indian leg of the Vasco Da Gama Rally and organising the Forts Of India Cup 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."

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.

Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally Second Edition

History of the Vasco Da Gama Rally

From 2005

The first Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally took place between 31 October 2005 and 30 April 2006 and was inspired by the close relations developed with international ports, during previous visits from 1998 to 2003. It was a successful international yachting rally that too place across the following seas: the Eastern Med, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.

This special rally included: 29 yachts, some 70 yachtsman ( from 11 countries), cruising a total of 4000 nautical miles each.

A special cup was created in co-operation with the Maharashtra Bureau of Tourism, our sponsors. It included our rally and 4 sailing boats from the Indian Navy. The route led along the coast to the first stop in the fishing harbour of Jaigarh. And the second leg was to Panjim in Goa.

Mr. Pratapsingh Rane, Chief Minister of the state of Goa, attended the welcoming ceremony and he presented the Vasco da Gama cup to the winning boat of the Indian Navy. Due to newly formed relations, a small new marina in the Mandovi River in the centre of Panjim city was established. The first marina in India.

The Vasco da Gama International yacht Rally is now recognized as the most important activity of the yachting community in the Middle-Far East. With it's successful completion, the missions has been achieved, with a colorful character and rich social content