Update Thursday 10 March, 2011
At the third of March 2011 the rally arrived safe in Aden in Yemen.To avoid the pirats the rally sailed from Mumbai a North Westerly route till the Gulf of Karachi before they crossed to Sur in Oman. After a 2 day stop for refilling diesel and water they proceeded without a stop to Aden. 500 miles more as the regular route. Soon the rally will proceed their trip to Massawa in Eritrea. Jack our contact man in Massawa report, all the authorities are informed and waiting for the vasco da Gama Rally. Follow the rally position here : http://fms.ws/4Nw5B/12.9256/43.24129
Update Tuesday Januari 25, 2011 :
Due to the increasing piracy in the Northern Indian Ocean and the route between the Maledives and Salalah, several yachts have decided not to join the Vasco da Gama Rally 2011. There are also bad winds in the Gulf of Bengal between the Andamans and Sri Lanka. There the sailing yacht the Baccus came in problems and sunk. Luckyly the crew was resqued by a cargo ship and is now safe and underway to Port Klang in Malaysia. Not all the participating yachts of the 2011 rally are yet in Cochin. Several yachts are delayed and still underway to India.
Update Tuesday November 09, 2010 :
The new Vasco Da Gama Yacht Rally 2011 will start in two months and 11 days.
Cochin: This week there is a meeting with Customs, Immigration and the Port Authorities in India to make the arrival procedure as short as possible. The marina in Cochin now also has a washing machine. Yachts of our rally have 10% discount on all marina fees. Our hosts in Mumbai ( The Ministry of Tourism in Maharahstra and Marine Solutions) have plans to organize a cultural program between Goa and Mumbai and a group of Mumbai based local yachts will sail the last leg with us to Mumbai. With the arrival several festivities are planned. And the check out will be organized.
Yemen: Mails are arrived from Port Police and Coastguard in Yemen they are waiting for us and Coastguard have contact with all their stations along the coast and also with the rally organization during our trip.Stops to refill fuel are permitted. Compare the fuel prices in Salalah, this safe a lot of money.There will be a party organiez in Aden Port.
Sudan: The last weeks there where several phone contacts with Mohamed our agent. He will arrange the paperwork, fuel and drinkwater.
Egypt: Port Ghalib Port of Entry, Captain Sheriff the marina Manager wrote us: ,,Dear Capt.Lo, I will arrange a good celebration for your rally with a good discount.'' Yachts who like to avoid the expense and complicated clearance in Hurghada marina or Abu Tig Marina, check-in in Port Ghalib, the marina staff is very efficient and have good contacts with the authorities. No hassle, no bakshees.
Port Said: Felix Agencies is the best agency for yachts in the Suez Canal with also a office in Hurghada and Suez. They wrote us the following: ,,It gives us much pleasure to know that we are going to coöperate with you again. We will be pleased to arrange for the rally formalities and procedures and we will be waiting for the yachts and crew details.
Turkey: The Alanya marina where the rally will finish gives a 10% discount on marina fees to our members and will organize a big party.
With other ports there are still some negotiations.
Usefull websites:
Update Thursday July 22, 2010:
Currently we are working hard on the program for the 5th
rally from Cochin (start January 20, 2011) to Alanya Turkey ( finish between May
05 and May 15, 2011) For safety reasons due the piracy in the Indian Ocean and
the Gulf of Aden and the Southern Red Sea the rally route will not be a
publication on the website. This information will be send by mail to the
participants. Negotiations about anchoring in Salalah ( Oman) are still going
on, there are talks with a new agent there is progress and we expect soon to
inform the members about this.
Update Thursday July 22, 2010:
We received this mail from ISAF (International Sailing
Federation)
Dear Lo
I would like to inform you to a round-table meeting in London in Sept-Oct where yachtsmen with the current transit experience of the Gulf of Aden (in particular groups) can meet naval authorities of EUNAVFOR. We will review the ISAF guidelines in the light of this meeting. I hope you can attend and suggest one or two other names of those with this year’s experience.
Kind Regards
Alan Green ISAF.
If there are yachtsman in Europe during this time and like to participate please contact us.