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Speed maniacs, thrill Junkies, and sea roving enthusiasts, brace yourself!
The legendary sea speedsters of West Sulawesi will again showcase their special prowess and compete against each other in this exceptionally thrilling annual traditional boat race: the Sandeq Race Festival 2018. The route follows the deep seas along the coast of West Sulawesi starting from Bahari Beach at Polewali Mandar to the Manakarra Beach at Mamuju, when races take place from August 11th to 17th, 2018.
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Expressing the superiority of the Sandeq Boat and the challenging nature of the race, the Sandeq Race Festival 2018 comes with the tagline: “The Hardest, The Longest and The Fastest”.
Hailed as “World’s most sophisticated outrigger craft” and “ the fastest craft in the world”, the Sandeq boat is a traditional craft used through the ages by the Mandar, Polewali and Mamuju fishermen who live along the west coast of Sulawesi (Celebes) island.
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20 of the fastest Sandeq boats across the region along with 260 Passandeq (Sandeq sailors) have confirmed their participation in the race. A team of Sandeq boat consists of 13 crew/sailors. The tour will start on August 11th with the Polewali Mandar Triangle race and followed by the first stage of the Polewali Mandar-Majene stage the next day.
The opening of the race will also be highlighted with a cultural carnival, a Lepa-lepa and Sandeq kecu (Small Sandeq) race, and a cultural exhibition of the Sandeq Village.
The second stage of the tour will take place on August 13th to 14th with the Majene Triangle Race.
Here in Majene, there will also be a number of art and cultural performances, a Mandar ethnic culinary fiesta, and documentary film screenings. The excitement will continue the next days in the third stage of Sedana-Deking and the fourth and final stage from Deking to the Finish line at Manakarra Beach, Mamuju.
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Coinciding with the celebrations of Independence Day of the Republic of Indonesia on August 17th, the final day of the races, see the Mamuju Triangle Race which will be complemented with the Katinting traditional Boat race, Decorated Kites Competition, and the Awarding Ceremony of the race Winners.
Today designated as the tourism icon of West Sulawesi, the Sandeq is the traditional fishing boat of the Mandar, that is also frequently used for transportation. Adopting the zigzag technique against the wind, Sandeq boats can reach up to 15-29 knot speed.
It is for this reason that sandeq is recognized as the fastest outrigger sailboat in the world. Its slender shape with width ranging from 1.5 to 2 meters enables it to maneuver swiftly through the waves. Studies have also pointed out that he Sandeq is a tough boat that has the agility to face strong winds and currents in the open seas.
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Speaking for the special event, the Governor of West Sulawesi Province, Ali Baal Masdar explained that the Sandeq Race Festival 2018 aims to revitalize the authentic Sandeq spirit of its glory days.
“The Sandeq Race Festival celebrates and pays tribute to the seafaring culture of the Mandar ethnic group of West Sulawesi. This is truly an outstanding race; you will watch the exceptional skills of these barefeet sailors control the wooden boat without the aid of modern technology, machinery, nor navigational gadgets as they attempt to outrace each other.
This is definitely the most thrilling sailing race in Indonesia” said Ali Baal Masdar.
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Polewali lies on the land route from Makassar, capital of South Sulawesi, to the Toraja Highlands. Flights to Polewali are offered by Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air and Wings Air from Jakarta or Bali with transit in Makassar.
Do not miss this heart pounding event!
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