Investigators look into role of sea foam in surfer deaths

DutchNews, May 13, 2020 

Friends and family of the dead surfers have been placing flowers on the beach.
Photo: Robin Utrecht HH

Dutch sea research institute NIOZ is investigating the possible role of a thick layer of sea foam in the death of five surfers off the coast of Scheveningen on Monday evening. 

Several experts have suggested the surfers may have become disorientated in the foam, which according to some eyewitnesses was over two metres high as it approached the harbour wall. 

Sea foam is formed when sea water has a high concentration of dissolved organic matter from algal blooms and is whipped up by the wind. 

‘There was a lot of foam and this may be due to the large quantity of algae,’ researcher Katja Philippart told broadcaster NOS. ‘This might be due to the good weather of recent days, combined with the strong winds.’ 

However, Philippart told NOS she is not aware of any cases in which people have been suffocated by sea foam. 

One body has not yet been recovered and the search resumed on Wednesday morning. Two other bodies were found earlier on Tuesday morning and two others died after being pulled from the sea on Monday evening. Three of the men who died came from The Hague, the other two from Delft. 

The Hague mayor Johan Remkes told reporters at a press conference that a thorough investigation into what happened would now take place. ‘How can it be that people with so much experience and who knew this place so well came to die,’ Remkes said. 

In total, 10 people are thought to have been in the water at the time, a group of six, a group of three and one single surfer. 

Community 

Friends and family of the dead have been flocking to the location where the five men died, to leave flowers and comfort one another. The deaths have caused shock throughout the Netherlands’ surfing scene. 

‘These were very experienced surfers and swimmers, with a great love for the sea and their sport,’ the Holland Surfing Association said. ‘They were caught up in extraordinary circumstances and lost their lives in such a tragic way.’

Hi-tech punch on nose for sharks could keep swimmers safe

Yahoo – AFP, Lawrence Bartlett, 12 Nov 2014

Experts are testing a device that could repel sharks using electricity, which

would protect humans without harming sharks

A high-tech version of the reputedly life-saving punch to a shark's nose is being tested in an effort to protect humans without harming the toothy predators or other sea creatures.

In the blue waters of a small bay in Cape Town, a revolutionary experiment with an electronic barrier seeks to exploit the super-sensitivity of a sharks' snout to keep swimmers and surfers safe.

The technology has been developed by South African experts who invented the electronic "shark pod" for use by surfers and divers -- now marketed by an Australian company -- and could be applied globally if successful.

Experts are trying to find ways of

 keeping sharks away from humans 

without harming the sea creatures

The pod and years of research have shown that sharks will turn away when they encounter an electrical current -- and that has prompted this experiment on a much larger scale.

A 100-metre (328 feet) cable with vertical "risers" designed to emit a low-frequency electronic field is in the process of being fixed to the seabed off Glencairn beach, and will remain there for five months.

"If successful, it will provide the basis to develop a barrier system that can protect bathers without killing or harming sharks or any other marine animals," says the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, which developed the shark pod.

As for humans, "if someone touched the small part of an electrode that is exposed, they might experience a tingling sensation" but would suffer no harmful effects.

The barrier would mark a major shift away from the shark nets used in KwaZulu-Natal on South Africa's east coast for the past 50 years, which also kill other animals and have been criticised as environmentally destructive.

'Doing our damndest'

Research has shown that sharks have a gel in their noses which makes them more sensitive to electrical currents than other species, and thus ordinary fish and sea life such as seals and dolphins should not be affected by the barrier.

"We are doing our damndest to do something environmentally friendly," sharks board project specialist Paul von Blerk told AFP.

But the challenges are huge.

"It is easier to design things to put in space," said Claude Ramasami, project manager at the Institute for Maritime Technology, which is helping the sharks board put its plans into practice.

This is because of the relentless power of the sea, shifts in the seabed, undersea structures and marine life -- and simply using electricity in water.

One reason that Glencairn in the Cape was chosen as the site for the experiment is that it is relatively protected compared to the often pounding surf on the tourist beaches of KwaZulu-Natal, where Durban is the provincial capital.

A couple stands on the beach near a sign reading "Caution Sharks" in 

Etang-Sale, a region of the La Reunion island French territory

The clear waters will also enable fixed cameras and shark spotters on nearby cliffs to monitor the movements of the predators within the bay and see whether the barrier turns them away from their usual cruising routes.

There should be no shortage of action -- in a 25-day observation period, 53 sharks were seen off the beach.

Environmentalists have welcomed the experiment.

Alison Kock, a biological scientist and research manager for Shark Spotters in Cape Town told AFP it was "a really good idea".

"It's an exciting opportunity to look at new technology with the ultimate aim of replacing lethal control methods like shark nets and (baited) drum lines.

"The technology is really specific in that it targets a sense that only sharks and rays have. Mammals like dolphins and whales don't have a sense like this, so they are not going to be affected," she said.

The gel in the noses of sharks allows them to detect minute electrical fields such as a heartbeat to find prey in murky water, but as they approach within a couple of metres of the barrier the power should be enough to turn them away.

The senior manager for WWF's marine programme in South Africa, John Duncan, said the organisation was "absolutely supportive of interventions which attempt to manage human-animal interaction in a non-fatal and non-impactful way.

"And at the moment it is a growing challenge with the white shark attacks in South Africa."

Sharks have killed 13 people in South Africa over the past 10 years, Kock said. 

Surfer survives shark attack in Japan

Yahoo – AFP, 10 June 2014

Map of Japan locating Aichi, where a man was seriously injured after being

attacked by a shark while surfing.

AFP/AFP - Map of Japan locating Aichi, where a man was seriously injured after being attacked by a shark while surfing

A 43-year-old man has been seriously injured after being attacked by a shark while surfing off central Japan, officials said Tuesday, warning local beachgoers to be alert.

Tsuyoshi Takahashi, an off-duty life guard, was rushed to hospital on Sunday afternoon after the shark sank its teeth into his left arm some 30 metres (100 feet) offshore, a fire department official said.

The accident occurred while Takahashi was surfing with his colleagues in the Pacific off the Atsumi peninsula in Aichi, some 250 kilometre (155 miles) west of Tokyo, a spot well-known for its big waves.

"He was seriously injured and got 30 stitches to the wound, but there is no threat to his life," said the official, adding: "We are calling on other surfers to be on the alert against sharks."

Japan's long coastline is home to a variety of sharks, but attacks on people are relatively rare. The species of shark involved on Sunday was not known.

According to the local government, the weekend incident was the first shark attack in the prefecture since 1995 when a fisherman was killed by a great white.

US navy finds wreck of missing yacht

Upturned hull of Cheeki Rafiki discovered but life raft was still attached and no sign of missing British yachtsmen

TheGuardian, Haroon Siddique and agencies, Saturday 24 May 2014

Overturned hull of the Cheeki Rafiki as discovered by a US
navy warship. Photograph: US navy

The hull of the yacht Cheeki Rafiki, which went missing a week ago with four British sailors on board, has been found by the US navy, the UK Foreign Office has confirmed. Officials said there was still no sign of the missing yachtsmen and the search had been suspended after the life raft was found unused and still attached to the vessel.

Steve Warren, 52, from Bridgwater, Somerset, Andrew Bridge, 22, from Farnham in Surrey, James Male, 23, from Southampton, and Paul Goslin, 56, from West Camel, Somerset were sailing in a treacherous stretch of ocean from a regatta in Antigua to Southampton on 16 May when their yacht capsized and they went missing.

A Foreign Office spokesman said it was keeping in close contact with the US coast guard (USCG), which made the discovery in the north Atlantic. They have informed family members of the missing men of the discovery.

Early on Saturday morning the Foreign Office confirmed the search for survivors had been called off. "I am sad to confirm that the search for the Cheeki Rafiki has now been suspended," said Hugh Robertson, the Foreign Office minister for North America. "My sincere condolences go out to the families of James Male, Andrew Bridge, Steve Warren and Paul Goslin at this very difficult and distressing time."

In a statement on Friday evening the USCG said there was nothing in the wreckage's discovery to suggest the crew would still be alive. "Navy crews observed that the sailing vessel's keel was broken off, causing a breach in the hull.

"The US coast guard has confirmed the life raft aboard the capsized sailing vessel Cheeki Rafiki was secured in its storage space in the aft portion of the boat, Friday, indicating it was not used for emergency purposes.

Damage to the hull of the Cheeki Rafiki.

"A US navy warship smallboat crew and surface swimmer captured underwater imagery clearly identifying the raft in its storage space. The image was shared with and acknowledged by the families.

"The US coast guard made an announcement, Thursday, that search operations would be suspended at midnight Friday unless new information or sightings suggested the crew would still be alive. None of the current developments indicate that to be the case."

It said a US navy warship helicopter crew discovered the overturned hull 1,000 miles off Massachusetts. A close inspection of the debris confirmed the identity of the yacht, which had been flooded.

It said: "The swimmer determined the boat's cabin was flooded and windows were shattered, contributing to the complete flooding inside.

"The swimmer also knocked on the hull and reached an arm's length below the waterline with no results. Surface swimmers are not trained divers and do not perform sub-surface operations."

Early on Saturday morning the Foreign Office released a statement on behalf of Stephen Warren's family. "We are very sad that the US has now suspended the search for Stephen and his friends," they said.

"From the beginning we, together with the other families involved, have continued to hold out hope that he would be found alive. The US Coast Guard have led an exceptional search.

"This is now an incredibly difficult time for all the family. We would therefore request that we are given privacy to come to terms with today's decision."

On Friday the sister of one of the four missing yachtsmen had expressed disappointment at the US coast Guard's decision to call off the search if nothing was found by Saturday morning.

Relatives of the four missing yachtsmen in London. Photograph: Nick Ansell/PA

Kay Coombes, who fought against the initial decision last Sunday to suspend the search, which was reversed in the face of public pressure and intervention by the UK government, said her only hope was that they would find her brother Steve Warren and the others before the deadline.

Captain Anthony Popiel, chief of response at the 1st Coast Guard District, said on Thursday that he had informed the families the operation would be suspended at midnight on Friday (5am Saturday BST) if there were "no further developments to indicate search efforts would locate the crew alive".

Coombes said: "I am a bit disappointed to be honest with you, hopefully they will find something today. Hope is all that we have got now."

Submerged hull of the Cheeki Rafiki.

The search was initially halted on Sunday morning when US officials said the crew would not have survived longer than 20 hours, only for it to resume on Tuesday after the men's friends and relatives accused the US of giving up too easily and started a petition that reached more than 230,000 signatures.

Searchers from the US coast guard, the US air force, the Canadian military and the British RAF, as well as a number of commercial vessels and volunteers, have combed more than 17,000 square miles of ocean in the hunt for the Cheeki Rafiki's crew. Popiel said that the decision to halt the search a second time had been made "after deepest consideration" and said the search team's thoughts and prayers were with the families. He added: "Our focus right now, however, remains with this very active and very dynamic search. We will always put forth utmost efforts to find and rescue those in peril at sea."

Surf's up in Sierra Leone

Deutsche Welle, 14 February 2014

When we think of surfing in Africa, it's usually images of South Africa and its high waves that come to mind. In West Africa surfing is not so common but the tiny country of Sierra Leone could be the next hot spot.

As 17 year-old Kadiatu Kamara (known for short as KK) waxes up her surf board and gets ready to hit the waves, she explains how her local surf club has not only helped her gain self-confidence but has also helped her stay in school because money from the club goes towards her school fees. And that's the whole idea - to give back to the community the money the surf club brings in.

"I like surfing because surfing can keep me busy and it changed my attitude. My mother doesn't have money to pay for me to go to school and surfing helps me to pay my school fees," KK told DW.

Young surfers head for the waves
of Bureh Beach

The club, which opened in 2012, is located near a fishing village called Bureh Town which has a population of about 200 people. It's home for KK and most of the surfers.

Club manager Jahbez Benga says part of the takings also goes towards paying for transport for children and young adults to attend school as as well as towards health services in Bureh Town. A share of the proceeds is also invested in the club itself.

Sustaining the environment

Benga told DW help has also come from German nongovernmental organization Welthungerhilfe which provided funding for the surf club. The NGO wanted to offer an alternative sustainable lifestyle for people in the community.

"Some of the guys before, they were charcoal burning, they cut down the trees to burn coal. We all agreed if they build us this surf club, some of the guys would stop going to the forest and the surf club would support the community and now we all have a lot of trees and it's good for all of us," Benga said.

Forestry management is one of Welthungerhilfe's goals and country director Jochen Moninger is pleased with the community's decision to stop cutting down trees.

"If you go out there in the bay, in your boat, you see the hilly mountains with the rain forest - it's just beautiful," Moninger said. He estimates that the club brings in about 2,000 euros ($2,700) a month.

Gaining confidence

For 17 year-old surfer Charles Samba, being a part of the surf club and working there as a volunteer has helped him gain self-confidence, just like KK.

Charles Samba works as a volunteer
at Bureh Beach Surf Club

He says his social skills have improved because of the clientele the club brings in, many of whom are foreign nationals.

"Now I know how to speak with people. Before I didn't know, like if I saw white people I would run, but now surfing makes me speak with different kinds of people," Samba said.

Bureh Beach Surf Club was initially set up by an Irishman named Shane O'Connor. He has always been an avid surfer himself and when he discovered the untapped beach in Bureh he decided to create the surf club with the goal of helping the community. Many surf boards were donated from Ireland.

Promoting tourism

O'Connor says eventually the hope is to get other West African countries all working together to promote tourism through surfing.

"Here in Sierra Leone we have a club now. There's also one in Liberia, one in Ghana, one in Ivory Coast and we're trying to form a little bit of a West African association, which is slowly coming together," said O'Connor.

Sierra Leone's young surfers are now eagerly looking forward to an international surfing competition to be held at Bureh Beach this coming September.

Surfer knocked out by whale at Bondi Beach

The Daily Telegraph, Peter Bodkin, July 8, 2013

Bishan Rajapakse in St Vincents Hospital after he was knocked unconscious 

by a whale while surfing at South Bondi Beach, Sydney. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Source: The Daily Telegraph

TALK about a sting in the tail. Surfer Bishan Rajapakse was lucky to be pulled from the waves with only a headache and sore shoulder after he was knocked unconscious by a southern right whale yesterday.

The 38-year-old hospital emergency unit doctor was heading back to the beach at Bondi about 10.30am when he saw "a big, black shadow" as the whale surfaced near him.

"Some other surfers were quite close to it and I remember wondering to myself about that tail - I thought 'Wow, this could just go and knock us all out'," he said.

The next thing Dr Rajapakse remembers is lifeguards treating him on the sand. Lifeguard Anthony "Harries" Carroll said: "The whale has lifted his tail and it's come down and struck the (surfer) on the head and knocked him out."

Mr Carroll said the force of the impact had punched a "large-sized ding" in Dr Rajapakse's surfboard.

"This could have been a major incident, a fatality, so for this guy to walk away with minimal injuries ... he's probably the luckiest emergency doctor to end up in emergency," he said.

Surfer Tony Spanos said the whale had made a "huge turn" and come out of the water directly underneath a group of surfers, knocking him off his board. He saw Dr Rajapakse get knocked out.

"I had to go under and quickly pull him out from underneath, from going down," he said.

A whale surfaces near surfers at Bondi Beach. Picture: John Brawley
Source: Supplied

St Vincent's head of emergency Gordian Fulde said Dr Rajapakse - who works at Wollongong Hospital - was fortunate not to have any broken bones but he remains in hospital for observation to see if he had suffered any underlying damage from the "unbelievable accident".

National Parks and Wildlife whale expert Geoff Ross said southern right whales were known for liking shallower water - and for their unpredictable behaviour.

"Whales are generally not aggressive animals but they will defend themselves - they can see people in the water as a potential predator," he said. "Like all wild animals, you need to respect them and their position in the ocean."

Swimmers and surfers are banned from going closer than 30m from whales in NSW waters.

Girlfriend Sanna Lundmark had been waiting on the beach when she saw people huddled around Dr Rajapakse. "I saw his feet and they didn't move. I was really worried ... then I saw him talking," she said.

Dr Rajapakse said the incident would not put him off surfing. "I think if I saw a whale again I'd probably tell other people just to hold back. I guess I've got the evidence to say things can go wrong."

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Hawaiian surfer breaks wave-riding record

BBC News, 11 May 2012

A 44-year-old Hawaiian surfer has entered the Guinness Book of Records for riding the biggest wave ever thought to have been ridden.

Last November Garrett McNamara caught a 78ft wave off the coast of Portugal, beating the previous 2008 record by more than a foot.

McNamara began surfing at age 11 and became professional six years later.

He has described his achievement as a stroke of luck and has used his feat to urge people to follow their passions.

The giant wave was located above an underwater canyon famous for being the world's biggest wave generator.

McNamara has said that on the day he broke the record, he at first had not wanted to take a ride but his friends urged him to catch a few waves.

"Everything came together. Everything felt right", he said.

Close scrutiny

Hundreds of thousands have viewed the video and photographs of McNamara's ride. They show his figure dwarfed by a giant wall of water.

"I knew it was big, but I didn't know how big," he said.

He later sent the footage and pictures to surfing expert Sean Collins, who guessed the wave was 85-90ft tall. Collins died in December.

Last week, McNamara was awarded $15,000 (11,600 euros) for the ride at the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave Awards in California.

Judges for the awards examined the footage and pictures from different angles.

They also compared McNamara's height in a crouch and the length of his shin bone with the wave's top and bottom before reaching a verdict, event director Bill Sharp told the Associated Press.

Commenting on the record, McNamara said: "The world would be a much better place if everyone was doing what they wanted to do".

However, the UK Guardian newspaper quoted him as saying: "I'm not sure I want to ride that peak again".

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Govt. regulation to ease entry of foreign yachts to RI

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 12/09/2011

The government will facilitate the entry of foreign yachts to Indonesia with the publication of the Presidential Regulation on foreign passenger ships to Indonesia.

“The regulation is intended to provide facilities for foreign yachts to visit Indonesia,” Deputy to the Coordinating Economic Minister for Trade and Industry Edy Putra Irawadi said Friday as quoted by Antara news agency.

He said that the regulation would become the legal basis that guaranteed ease of entry for foreign yachts coming to Indonesia.

Edy said he hoped that the regulation could help encourage investment in Indonesia, especially in the tourism field.

He said that he hoped visits by foreign yachts to 18 harbors in Indonesia would increase to 1,000 yachts in 2012 and to 2,000 yachts in 2013, from about 400 yachts this year.

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Indonesian fishermen find body of American surfer

The Jakarta Post, Associated Press, Jakarta | Fri, 07/29/2011

Washed ashore: This May 2008 file photo provided by family friend Maurice
 Mitchell shows Daniel Bobis on his wedding day in Point Lookout, N.Y. Bobis,
 32, a math teacher and coach at Long Beach High School in New York,
 disappeared during an apparent surfing accident off the coast of western
 Indonesia on July 24, 2011. Local fishermen say they found his body about 20 miles
 (30 kilometers) from where he's last been seen.  (AP/courtesy of Maurice Mitchell,
Allison Caviness)

Local fishermen Thursday found the body of an American surfer who went missing last weekend in waters off western Indonesia.

Daniel Bobis apparently hit another surfer's board after emerging from the barrel of a powerful, 10-foot (3-meter) wave. His leash broke and his board washed to shore. A member of the search and rescue team said Bobis' body was found about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from where he'd last been seen.

Bobis, 32, was a math teacher and coach at Long Beach High School in New York. He had been vacationing with his wife, Rachel, on Sumatra island. She did not wish to comment.

Friends in Long Beach, a seaside community on Long Island, said Bobis had seemingly boundless energy. He played drums in a band, taught karate and was an environmental activist. At the school, he started a competitive surf team and was head coach.

"Everybody's mourning," said Teresa Greifenberger, 53, whose son Jonathan is on the surf team.

School staff members were calling bereaved students to let them know counselors were available, she said. Some of the surfers were planning to paddle into the surf Thursday evening and observe a moment of silence, she added.

Sean Pearsall, 32, called Bobis a close friend. He said the news was devastating but there was a measure of relief that his body was found.

"He was such a staple in the community," he said. "There were just so many people whose lives he touched. He did more in 32 years than most people do in 80. He definitely lived his life to the fullest and that's how he was every day."

His friends are planning a benefit for the family in September. Pearsall said they already had an overwhelming response from individuals and businesses eager to donate items for a raffle.

"He knew the power of the ocean," Pearsall said, adding that Bobis was an extremely experienced surfer and swimmer.

"It just goes to show you that Mother Nature calls the shots, unfortunately."

Seventeen yachts competing to reach finish line in Ambon

Antara News, Tue, July 26 2011

Ambon (ANTARA News) - Seventeen yachts in their international race from Darwin (North Australia) to Ambon, Maluku province are competing to reach the finish line in the coast of Amahusu village, Nusaniwe sub-district, Ambon.

"The participants are competing making use of the strong wind to reach the finish line in the Amahusu village coast," coordinator of the Darwin-Ambon Yacht Race & Rally 2011 Hellen de Lima told ANTARA on Monday.

He said the monitoring committee disclosed that the sail boat Fantasia with skipper Andrew Stransky was leading the race.

Since the flag off at Darwin port, Fantasia from Brisbane, Australia, managed to lead the race.

Since entering the Indonesian waters, Fantasia of the Racing Multihull category made use of the wind velocity of 13.45 knots per hour.

But since passing the waters between Babar Island and Romang Island, Southeast Maluku regency, Fantasia sailed with a wind velocity of only 10.52 knots per hour.

Another participant Walk On The Wild Side with skipper Garth Curran and Australian Maid (John Wardil) are second and third.

Walk On The Wild Side moved with the wind blowing at a velocity of 9.20 knots per hour, while Australian Maid 9.51 knots per hour.

The two sail boats were known to win various international yacht races, the last before the Darwin-Ambon Yacht Race & Rally 2011, the two won Visit Indonesia Fremantle-Bali International Yacht Race 2011.

In the meantime, Freedom Express with skipper Ross McCombe, the third as Racing Multihull category in the Darwin-Ambon Yacht Race & Rally 2010, was fourth of the total of 17 participants in the event.

Freedom Express sailed with the wind blowing at a velocity of 9.40 knots per hour, followed by Sue Sea (Brian Todd) 9.29 knots per hour.

Game Set (John Mulkearns) was trailing with the wind blowing at a velocity of 8.49 knots per hour, followed by Even Karma (John Hard) 8.44 knots per hour.

"Most of the participants have entered Southwest Maluku regency waters and the Banda Sea, where some of the participants may have reached the finish line to night (Tuesday) or Wednesday morning," Hellen said.

The annual event was held to fill this year`s Darwin-Ambon sister city cooperation program followed by 19 participants, in which 18 participants dame from Australia, and the other one from the Netherlands, covering 634 nautical miles, the equivalent of 1,174.68 kilometers.

The flag off of the participants was marked with start sign from on board the HMAS Ararat (89) patrol boat in Darwin port by Ambon Mayor Jopi Papilaja and Darwin Governor Tom Pauling on July 23, 2011.

The yacht race is competing four categories, namely racing monohull (IRC) followed by six yachts, racing monohull cruising (six yachts), racing multihull (five) and rally (two).

The race is to win the cup of the Indonesian Minister of Culture and Tourism, was for the first time held in 1976 in an attempt to establish cooperation between the Darwin and Ambon administrations.

In 2009 the number of participants reached 100 yachts, but was later canceled as Ambon and Maluku were involved in a social conflict, and revived only in 2007.

Editor: B Kunto Wibisono

Twenty-two countries to participate in Sail Indonesia 2011

Antara News, Sat, June 11 2011

Sail Indonesia 2011 which will make Kupang as the entrance to the other regions in Indonesia will focus on areas that have not yet been visited.

Sail Indonesia
(ANTARA/istimewa)

Kupang, E.Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA News) - As many as 22 countries have confirmed their plans to participate in Sail Indonesia 2011 that was officially launched in Jakarta a few days ago, a local marine official said.

The number of participants has increased compared to Sail Indonesia 2010 when only 15 countries took part, the chairman of Cinta Bahari Indonesia Foundation (YCBI), Raymond T. Lesmana, said here Saturday.

"There are more participants for Sail Indonesia 2011 than last year. If in 2010 there were only 15 countries, now the number has increased to 22," he said.

According to Raymond, the Sail Indonesia participants were scheduled to depart from Darwin, Australia, on July 23 and expected to arrive in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara`s provincial capital, on July 27 to 28.

The participants will be in Kupang for a week before they sail on to Alor, Rote Ndao, Sabu Raijua, Lembata, Ende and Labuan Bajo districts on Flores Island and elsewhere in Indonesia.

"We expect the participants will be in East Nusa Tenggara province about a month because there are a number of such new areas to be visited by the participants as Sabu Raijua and Rote Ndao," Raymond said.

He said, the foundation is coordinating with several district administrations, especially the new area ones that will be stop off to perform a variety of preparations.

In addition, Sail Indonesia 2011 which will make Kupang as the entrance to the other regions in Indonesia will focus on areas that have not yet been visited.

The regions are Ndao Rote, Sabu Raijua to Sumba island which have been less had the opportunity to stop off by the Sail Indonesia participants.

"In previous years, the transit route is always monotonous namely the northbound lane through the East Flores to West Flores. Now we are trying to open new destinations," Raymond noted.

The new areas to be visited is located on the southern route which has been less a promotion, he added.

Editor: Ella Syafputri

Dutch court gives teenage sailor go-ahead

RNW, 27 July 2010 - 3:45pm

Sailor Laura Dekker (Photo: Telegraaf)

A Dutch court has ruled that teenage sailor Laura Dekker is free to go ahead with her attempt to become the youngest person to sail solo around the world.

"The court rejects the request for the extension of supervision" by the child protection authorities over 14-year-old Laura, judge Suzanne Kuypers said in the Middelburg district court in the south of the Netherlands.

"The supervision of the child is lifted with immediate effect."

The child protection services had asked the court to extend the supervision order for a further 12 months, but the court turned down the request. This means formal responsibility for Laura now returns to her parents, who both support her sailing ambitions.

To set a new record as the youngest person to complete such a round-the-world solo trip, Laura Dekker would need to complete the estimated two-year voyage before she turns 17 on 20 September 2012.

(AFP/RNW)

www.lauradekker.nl

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