Lo and Behold : On-board the Heartfelt MISTRAL !

The Mumbai Harbour nowadays is at one of its proudest moments. With Queen Victoria romancing it for a night...and the World (a residential luxury cruise-liner) kissing its waters...


But the best part is the week-long presence of the Vasco-Da-Gama Yacht Rally sailboats and its participants.

It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon when Team GIIRA caught up with Captain Lo for a friendly chat aboard his sailing yacht Mistral.

Lodwijk Brust the organizer of the Vasco da Gama Rally touched upon varied subjects from the name of his boat to the adventures he has had with her and his sailor dogs in India and across the world!

Below are excerpts from an hour and a half long exclusive tete-a-tete with the man himself...aboard his life's true love...

WHY MISTRAL?

Mistral is the north-eastern winds in the Mediterranean and has been a constant companion for this sailorman.

All the boats Lodwijk Brust has had so far have been named after these winds. His present sailboat is built on a Southerly design and has a motor with a 65 horsepower engine.


A 16 year-old boat, its surprising how immaculate its condition and up-keep is, considering that Lo has been sailing solo (apart from this time, with his companion John on-board too). It is 46ft in lenght

It had solar panels, and we also got to see wind turbines on another boat which was also a part of the race.

Boats from France, Canada, England and Holland are part of the Orbit Mumbai to Goa Regatta.

WHY VASCO-DA-GAMA?

The rally has been specially named after the European connection of the two
countries. Vasco da Gama was a Portuguese explorer who discovered an ocean route from Portugal to the East. The name is acknowledged in all the lands en route of the rally!

The purpose of the rally is that it is a non profit event that seeks to bring sailors together to sail and explore various countries and their cultures. Most sailors are retired with time for leisure and plenty of energy to keep them active and occupied with a passion to sail.

THE SAILOR YEARS

Talking of adventure, Lo has endured everything from wrecked boats to sickness and hospitalization in a foreign country to facing the politics of different countries. Once he almost got imprisoned for allowing a young and enthusiastic Indian to join him on his voyage from Goa to Kochin, unaware of the fact that citizens were not allowed to sail on a foreign vessel.


Lo also spoke about how they were held in the Greek-occupied Cyprus since they had previously travelled years back to other half of Cyprus occupied by Turks. Due to the political issues and the two halves being at loggerheads, they would have been in trouble if it wasnt that the media was extensively covering the event.

WHAT INDIA NEEDS?

Lo points out that the maritime law structure of this country is clearly undefined. The main problem lies in lack of differentiation of commercial vessels from pleasure crafts.

Another area of concern is the infrastructure. If Lo would have temporary pontoons set up, these would be gone in less than 2 months. A permanent pontoon facility is very essential to facilitate refueling, parking and maintenance of boats that visit the harbor and these seem to be missing in India.

Apart from these, Lo was most thrilled about the Internet facility and the fact that he paid only Rs. 500 a month as compared to Rs. 60,000 in Holland!

ON-BOARD COMMUNICATION

Lodwijk Brust is in constant communication with the other participants over VHF. They have a daily morning conference over the radio. Lo updates them with safety measures and what precautions need to get taken.


Apart from that, the sailors keep their fingers crossed and give their all to the spirit of adventure!

We wish Lo and the participants all the best for the Festival of Sails, the last leg of the Rally which is infact a regatta, and look forward to meeting them again in the future, hopefully real soon!
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One Tough Gazookas- Personality of a Sailor Man !

His first words were in response to the question, "Are you a sailor?" Popeye smartly replied, "Ja think I'm a cowboy?". Popeye the sailorman, with his muscles and his spinach, has since then, become a cultural icon.

It was an eventful Sunday evening when Team Giira got talking to a couple of sailors from around the world at the Vasco da Gama Rally party. We chatted up with the hearty lot about all the many adventures they’ve had to what it takes to be a true sailor!

“Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes He calms the sailor”…


“No Expectations!...... and a Desire to Explore………. new lands, foreign cultures and of course the winds in the deep blue seas!”

Sailors are simplistic people who enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Highly spirited, they love the adventure of facing the uncertain, the indefinite and the challenges that await them. Overcoming obstacles is their greatest thrill, for beyond fear… lies victory! Sailing across the deep seas, these men are full of depth and a philosophy of their own.



“He is the best sailor who can steer within fewest points of the wind, and exact a motive power out of the greatest obstacles. “ – Sir Walter Scott

Sailors are full of humor and guess what else… superstition too, well may be a couple few. For sailors, it is goodluck : to smash a bottle against the boat just before sailing !
to throw an old pair of shoes overboard just after launch !to touch the collar of a sailor !
to step aboard using the right foot first!
Sailors believe the seabirds carry the souls of the dead.

Here’s a sailor joke:
"Why such long face John?" asked the other seaman.
"I don't know," said John "maybe It's just that we have been at sea for so long and I'm so depressed I cant seem to do anything right. Most of the time I feel so alone and useless!"
Smiling and nodding in an understanding way, the other seaman said, "John, I don't know if this helps but let me assure you; you are not alone. Most of us on the ship feel you're useless too."

Being a sailor adds to self growth. Many of the boaters we spoke with had taken up sailing at a much later stage in their lives! Sailing… can serve as a great learning experience and do wonders where acquiring soft-skills are concerned! It was nice to see so many women boaters too. In fact the ratio was almost equal.

Popeye the sailorman has become world famous. Whether it be from his addiction to spinach or the lyrics to his song, people of all ages imitate, collect, and aspire to be like Popeye. Popeye served as a hero to many. With his stylish sense of humor and his positive outlook on life, he was a role model to young children too.

Stay tuned in as Giira covers more on sailors and their special relationships with their vessel, wind and the sea!

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The Vasco Da Gama Yacht Rally : Forts of India - The Bombay to Goa Regatta 2008

IT'S HERE AGAIN...

The prestigious bi-annual regatta is back! With more sailboats, more sailors and more spirit!!


The RUN down to Goa from Mumbai, with a spectacular overnight stopover at Jaigarh - THE ORBIT FORTS OF INDIA REGATTA - is the Last Leg of the World-renowned multi-class Vasco Da Gama Yacht Rally.

The Vasco Da Gama Yacht Rally is a 4500 Nautical Miles endeavour that starts from Kekova (Turkey) and commences at the Holiday Haven of Goa. Attracting more than a 100 boats of various classes and 250 sailors, the race is a visual treat for its participants - charting the most beautiful coastlines of the best seas of the world.



THE VASCO DA GAMA YACHT RALLY

The Vasco Da Gama Yacht Rally, is a regatta with a social purpose - it aims to break boundaries and set new benchmarks for everyone involved, by touching them on a personal front and bringing-out the sailor in them.

A completely non-profit endeavor, the rally puts full onus on the sailors' navigational and safety skills, by putting those responsibilities in their hands.


The purpose of the Rally is :-

1) To make an international chain of friendship, understanding, dialogue and co-operation amongst yachtsmen and the communities of host countries.

2) To promote an openess between the yachting community and the countries we visit.

3) To enjoy sailing as a way of life; combining pleasure, comfort and experience, without incurring great costs.

During the Rally :-

1) Sailors will share the experiences of interesting excursions to see some of the greatest sights in the world. (Piramides, Cairo, Luxor, Sinai, Petra….)

2) The open character of the rally makes it possible for each yacht to make their own way at any point.


The Rally provides an opportunity to experience :-

1) Spending a winter in a region with excellent weather conditions (no rain or storms).

2) Swimming, snorkelling or diving on wonderful coral reefs.

3) Fishing and enjoying the fun of catching big fishes.


ORBIT FESTIVAL OF SAILS

The Orbit Festival of Sails 2008 is being conducted from 12 – 17 Apr 2008.

The Festival this year consists of two main sailing events - a multi-class regatta on 12 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.

It is anticipated that over 100 sailing boats and around 250 sailors will participate in this event.

It is a sailing race from Mumbai to Goa in yachts having a minimum length of 19 feet.

The race is in two legs :-

LEG 1 - Mumbai to Jaigarh

LEG 2 - Jaigarh to Goa

The race will culminate off Fort Aguada in Goa.

This international offshore race was conceived and introduced last year by Marine Solutions, in its sincere effort to promote the yachting lifestyle in India and this is the second edition of this race.

SPECTACULAR AND SPONTANEOUS

The race culminates passing through some of the finest seas of the world - Eastern Meditterenean, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.


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.

THUS THEY SPOKE

General S. Dutta, Marine Solutions - "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."


Gautama Dutta, Marine Solutions - "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."

Pujit Agarwal, 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"

Watch this space for live updates and results...BUT at the end of the day...there is only one true winner...the Indian Yachting Industry!

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