Indonesia to compete in HK-Osaka race

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is to be one of the 14 participating nations in the Hong Kong-Osaka International Yachting Race in March next year, an organizer said.

The countries provisionally set to compete in International Sail Osaka 97 are China, Japan, Britain, Mexico, Poland, Indonesia, Russia, the Netherlands, U.S.A., New Zealand, Denmark, Australia, France and Italy.

Some 55 large size yachts measuring 12 meters to 110 meters long have registered for the race.

Sail Osaka 97 will start from Hong Kong on March 28 and end in Osaka in early May. The designated route takes the participants to Okinawa and Kagoshima.

Raymond Kotambunan, secretary-general of the Indonesian Yachting Association said the Osaka 97 yachting race was being held to commemorate Osaka's 100th anniversary.

"We have received an invitation from the organizing committee in Osaka and will definitely take part in the tournament. We will send our yachts," Raymond said.

Raymond said Indonesia will be represented by three yachts, A Room With a View and Arung Samudra I and the navy's sailboat Dewa Ruci.

"A Room With a View won the 1995 Arung Samudra race and is presently docked at Pantai Marina Ancol. Arung Samudra I and Dewa Ruci are participating in an around-the-world race," Raymond said.

During the race, Hong Kong will hold a special event, the so- called Hong Kong Tall Ships Spectacular. Held from March 23 to March 28, the event is sponsored by the Hong Kong City Hall in cooperation with the navy, Hong Kong Tourist Association and Hong Kong Yachting Association.

Some of the programs included in the Hong Kong Tall Ships Spectacular are an exhibition of historic ships and the opportunity for the Hong Kong people to see the yachts participating in the race.

"The highlight of the Hong Kong event is a carnival of yachts on March 28. Several games and a demonstration of water skiing as well as equipment will be shown to the people in Hong Kong," the Hong Kong organizer said. (lnt)