Yacht Club revives Coral Sea classic race

Sports

By HENRY MORABANG
THE revived Coral Sea Rally is set to re‐invigorate the spirit of the Coral Sea Classic Race, according to Royal Papua Yacht Club general manager Aaron Batts.
Batts said he was excited that the sailing division and management of the RPYC was bringing back the once iconic event.
“The Coral Sea race was an annual international event that had been around for decades but for reasons unknown to me ceased in the early 2000s,” Batts said.
Batts said two Papua New Guinea yachts would be among seven to sail from Cairns to Port Moresby which include three from Australia, one from Sweden and one from Germany.
In conjunction with the Cairns Yacht Club and Cairns Cruising Yacht Club, Royal Papua Yacht Club is excited to revive the event with the support from Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority and DHL.
Other supporting sponsors, AON, Puma Energy and Credit Corporation also invested a substantial amount of support to make the event a reality.
Batts said that it was a great initiative by the RPYC and an international rally from Cairns to Port Moresby which would enhance tourism and showcase the beauty of Papua New Guinea.
“In addition, the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority has been extremely supportive and Minister for Tourism Emil Tammur will be here to officially welcome the visitors to Port Moresby,” he said.
“We also look forward to showing the visitors some Papua New Guinea cultural groups from the National Capital District and Oro province and a cultural evening on the Wednesday.
“The race will obviously lift the tourism industry and the country for a long time.”
Batts said the Coral Sea Rally would start 9am tomorrow or as varied by sailing instructions issued closer to that time.
The race starts from Trinity Inlet, Cairns.