TEMPO.CO, tBanda Ache-Sabang Marine Festival is officially opened today. Yachts from various countries started to arrive at Sabang Port and currently conducting a registration process with the CIQP team.

Head of Port Management of Sabang Business Zone Board (BPKS) Zulkarnaini Abdulah said there are currently seven yachts at Sabang Bay. The ships that have docked includes Kenain, Aku Ankka, Spailpin, Morning Star, Bernacle C, Swift, and Thorfinn, orginating from South Africa, US, Malaysia, Britain, and Thailand.

“The arrival of these vessels is in order to participate in the Sabang Marine Festival 2016 held by BPKS,” Zulkarnaini said Sunday, April 23. The festival will be held until April 30.

Head of Sabang Marine Festival Committee Fauzi Daud said more yachts are scheduled to come until Tuesday, April 26. “As many as 20 participants have confirmed their arrivals within the next few days,” said Fauzi.

The event will be assembled in a few agendas like fun bike, fun walk, painting contest, photography contest and exhibition, and various folk race including fishing, paddling, and folk games. Foreign paricipants are expected to mingle with the locals in participating the contests.

The event will also show paramotor performance done by three pilots and wind surfing attraction to enliven the SMF 2016.

SMF purposes to introduce marine potential and the beauty of Sabang to the international world, and also to introduce Lhok Weng Pier to the world surfer community. “And [this is] to also increase the number of foreign visits to Indonesia,” said Fauzi.

ADI WARSIDI