Tradition and pride cut through the waves in Sulawesi

Tradition and pride cut through the waves in Sulawesi

Fabio Scarpello
Contributor
Jakarta

The one-week annual Sulawesi Sandeq boat race will start on
Saturday from Majene in South Sulawesi heading for the province's
capital of Makassar some 200 nautical miles away, organizers said
on Friday.

During race week, the elements and the fishermen's passion
combine to provide an event that is not to be missed.

But it is not simply about sailing. Local culture and
tradition play an important role as well. A series of cultural
activities and festivals -- organized by the local administration
-- complement the race and attract tens of thousands of people
all along the coastal legs of the race.

The race, which is being held for only the sixth time since
the first one in 1995, is based on a hundred-year-old tradition.
For over a century the Mandar people -- an ethnic group of about
1,500,000 living in South Sulawesi in the Polewali-Mamasa, Majene
and Mamuyu areas -- have raced each other on these vessels.

For most of the fishermen, winning the race is a lifelong
ambition, and this year, as always, the crews' glory, and their
respective villages' pride are at stake.

The race -- organized by the Coastal Societies Research and
Development Project run by the Makassar-based Hasanuddin
University -- is aimed at bringing the problems of local
communities to the public's attention, and exploring an
alternative way of sustaining themselves by celebrating their
cultural heritage.

One of the organizers, Horst Lieber, said: "Public awareness
and recognition plus the personal pride and cultural dignity of
the people involved are a much stronger driving force for
sustainable and appropriate development than any multibillion
dollar 'project'."

Saturday will serve as an introduction to the public. The
participants will parade their vessels in the bay of Majene. On
this occasion, the vessels can be admired from a relatively close
range.

The peculiar, long and thin shape of the boats gives them
their name for sandeq translates as "pointed". The boats range
from 5 meters to 15 meters in length; the narrow hull and the
huge sail area are the secret of their speed: up to 25 knots (50
kilometers per hour) in favorable winds is normal.

But the appearance of the boats is deceiving as regards
strength and space. The fully decked hull prevents waves from
breaking over the boat -- allowing it to face into unprotected
waters -- and, at the same time, it can accommodate three to four
sailors.

The real race -- said by some to be the world's longest and
hardest -- starts on Sunday, and up till the very end there will
be no respite for the competitors.

The first leg will take the participants to the gulf of
Mandar, where the east monsoon is expected to give its usual
blustery welcome.

The port of Makassar should be reached in the late afternoon
of next Friday by the first vessels.

On the last day, Saturday, more racing and entertainment will
be provided to mark Indonesia's Independence Day and the Makassar
harbor festival.