All set for big race

yachts

First acceptances are in for the 1986 Foster’s Darwin to Ambon race.

First yachts off the rank were Alanel from Victoria and Sundancer 111 from Western Aus- Alanel, an 11 metre fibre glass craft from the Hastings Yacht Club on Westemport Bay, is described by her owner Alan Anderson as not a fast boat Built and launched by Alan in

1976 as a cruising yacht Alanel was used to explore Tasmanian waters extensively before ven ‘udng forth on a Pacific cn i*f e in 1983. , e was ex P in Darwin late last month after waiting out the cyclone season in Cairns.

Sundancer 111 shows Freman tie as her home port but was last month to be found at Groote Eyland t s a remote min . in g community in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

An 11.6 metre cruising sloop,

her owner Noel Small has been accepted as an affiliated mem ber of the Gove Yacht Club under whose colours he will sail in the Darwin-Ambon event.

Both Aland and Sundancer 111 have indicated that they will go on to cruise Indonesian waters extensively after the race.

Race acceptance includes the issue of an Indonesian sailing clearance permit.

At the and of last month, there had already been 29

expressions of interest from Darwin yachts for the Darwin- Ambon race.

And with a grand total of more than 60 expressions of interest received, the organising committee is now even more confident that it will be a record fleet that sets sail on August 2.

The race administrator can be contacted at GPO Box 1677, Darwin, NT 5794, Aus tralia. (telephone 089 277614 telex AA 84004).