REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, AMBON -- Of all the 25 yachts participating in the international Darwin to Ambon Yacht Race 2015 (DAYR-2015), 13 have crossed the finish line at Amahusu beach, Ambon, Maluku province, according to local committee spokesman Jack Dolhalewan.
"As many as 13 sailboats have safely crossed the finish line, and 12 others are still on their way to the provincial city of Ambon in Maluku in eastern Indonesia," Jack stated at Amahusu beach on Thursday.
He remarked that of the 13 yachts, Spirit from Amsterdam, skippered by Jazon Gard, was the first to cross the finish line on Tuesday at 6:15 a.m. Eastern Indonesia Standard Time (WIT).
Spirit was followed by the yacht Antipodes in second place and the Walk On The Wide Side crossed third, respectively skippered by Chas Jacobsen and Garth Curran, at 9:41 a.m. WIT and 1:01 p.m. WIT.
Successively arriving early Wednesday morning were Freedom Express, with skippers Ros and Deb Mc Combe, at 2:46 a.m. WIT, and Sue Sea, with Brain Todo as skipper, at 2:49 a.m. WIT.
Jack noted that the rest of the yachts that arrived on Wednesday afternoon were Wallop skippered by Marcus Ilton at 5:18 p.m. WIT followed by Finally skippered by Neville Gill at 5:8 p.m. WIT, and then Grey Dawn, with Tony Waldron as skipper, at 11:50 p.m. WIT.
The yachts arriving on Thursday were Wings Won at 3:02 a.m. WIT, Liquidity II at 3:50 a.m. WIT, Eviota at 4:01 a.m. WIT, Anasta Sia at 4:05 a.m. WIT, and Vitamin B at 4:37 a.m. WIT, respectively skippered by Peter Charles, Greg Dix, Derek Shields, Peter Braves, and Steve Wingpear.
"As many as 25 yachts are participating in the International DAYR-2015, and we hope that next year, the number of participants for the same event will be even more," Jack said, adding that 19 yachts had participated in the DAYR in 2014.