The government’s job?: Hundreds of people queue up to get free medical treatment at Tulehu Public Hospital in Central Maluku on Monday. The free medication was provided by the US, UK, Singapore and other countries participating in the 2010 Sail Banda regatta. JP/Nurhayati

One of the 19 yachts ­out of 46 that set sail from Darwin, Australia, on its first stopover in Banda Neira, located 132 kilometers southeast of Ambon, arrived with a broken mast in Ambon.

“Two days after leaving Darwin, our mast broke in a storm. We reached Ambon after being assisted by seven other participating yachts,” Ralph, the captain of Australian vessel Saltotu, told The Jakarta Post at Ambon fishing port on Monday.

This year, 108 participants from 17 countries are taking part in Sail Banda.

Of the participants, 46 were headed to Banda and 62 others to Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara.

During the journey, the yachts were escorted by two Navy ships, the KRI Macan Tutul 01 and the KRI Hiu Macan 006.

Poor weather, however, forced five yachts headed to Banda to change their course to Kupang.

“The five yachts had to redirect to Kupang because of heavy winds,” Sail Banda organizing committee secretary Ansori Jawawi told the Post.

Apart from strong winds, he said, the participants also had to brave 5-meter-high waves.

Two yachts were earlier suspected missing, with the event contest leader Iwan Ngantum saying that only 37 ships had reached the island.

But the report was played down by the event participant coordinator Turman, who said 39 yachts reached Banda while two others went straight to Ambon.

Five others went to Kupang and did not follow the earlier route to Banda, he added.

In Ambon, Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik expressed hope that the event would boost foreign tourist arrivals to Maluku from 4,800 last year to 100,000 this year.

“The number of visitors is miniscule compared to the 7 million annual tourist arrivals across the country,” he said after opening a seminar highlighting Maluku waters as international shipping and trade routes in the past and present on Monday.

He blamed the low tourist numbers on negative perceptions of the island following bloody sectarian conflict between 1999 and 2001.

The Maluku Tourism Office said 14,500 tourists visited the province each year before the conflict, dropping to between 4,000 and 5,000 after the conflict.

Sail Banda has not been without its detractors, however. Residents on Banda Island are not happy since despite the event’s name, all the action was centered in Ambon instead.

The President, who arrived in Ambon for a two-day visit on Monday, did not step foot in Banda as hoped by many of the island’s residents.

“The government only used Banda as an icon. We’re disappointed. Ambon gets all the spotlight,” Banda resident Jufri told visiting Coordinating Public Welfare Minister Agung Laksono on Monday as reported by news portal detik.com.

Residents also argued that Sail Banda’s mascot, Mandarin fish, was a signature fish from Banda, a
popular diving destination among tourists.

“Sail Banda is a misnomer, it should be Sail Ambon instead. They just borrowed [Banda’s] name. And not a single cent from the event is channeled here,” another resident, Helmi Baadila, told the minister.

Agung said that although Yudhoyono did not come to Banda, the event served as a free promotion for Banda.

“This event serve as an international promotion for Banda. Although the President did not come, Banda is the main attention,” he said.

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