Kerala - Kochi   

Plans big for adventure tourism

KOCHI: Kerala is expected to be a big player in world adventure tourism in a few years. Events like the Volvo race coming to Kochi and the Offshore Sailing Championship, which was flagged off here on Saturday, will put Kerala firmly on the world adventure tourism map, said Minister for Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan here.

The Minister was speaking after he flagged-off the ‘Ocean Blue’ Offshore Sailing Championship before a colourful sail parade, a sailing tradition in which sailboats unfurled their sails as they passed the cheering crowd on the lawns of Hotel Taj Malabar, this afternoon.

Twelve enterprise boats, seven J-24 boats, six laser boats and one sea bird boat swamped the waterfront, sailing past the spectators with the crew displaying their skills.

The Minister said that events like the offshore sailing competition combined with sports and tourism added prestige to Kochi. These events would help the city gain further prominence among tourist destinations. He also said that the State government was making all efforts to promote adventure tourism in a big way as he congratulated the organisers of the sailing championship.

The seven J-24 boats from various watermanship training centres of the navy and one Seabird boat from the Kerala Yachting Association participated in the in-port race.

These boats will sail for the Lakshadweep islands which will be the Ocean Leg of the competition.

Of the eight teams, two are from Mumbai, two from Visakhapatnam, three from Kochi and one from the Kerala Yachting Association. This is the first time that the Kerala Yachting Association is participating in an event organised by the Offshore Sailing Association of India.

The ocean leg of the competition will start on Sunday off Kochi Harbour in which the sailing skills, courage, endurance, perseverance and teamwork of the competitors will come under test.

They will cook, eat and sleep in the confines of the boat as they sail to Kavaratti where they will reach by January 17. The second leg of the race will be flagged off on January 19. The race will cover 600 nautical miles both ways.

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