Kochi - Birthplace of the Indian Marina

The news is just in - piping HOT ! - Kochi is India's birthplace of the much-needed marina. With issues concerning legal and political matters not allowing an immediate construction in India's yacht hotspot - Mumbai, Kochi does seem the next best option to have a world-class marina.


The Indian government has cleared the State government’s proposal to set up a marina in the Bolghaty island in Kochi at a cost of Rs 24 crore. India has also sanctioned Rs 4 crore as its contribution to the project. These figures, though small are astounding since they are a testimony of the government's new inclination towards marina development.

MOTHER OF ALL MARINAS

Bound to raise the yacht industry to a new bar, at the same times promoting sales/ maintenance of yachts and sailboats - the project undertaken by KTDC and KITCO.

The project will invoke a huge boost in the tourism prospectives and unearth the potential of Kochi as one of the best yachting destinations on this side of the world.

WHY KOCHI?

Kochi has been suggested as an ideal place for offering this as it has been identified as one of the best natural ports in Asia. It also has a good transport and communication network.


Also, the magnificent beauty and greenery of Kochi would afford the marina to be a green and colorful one rather than concrete and plain kind mostly seen all over the world.

FACILITIES AND STRATEGIC POSITION

India's first world-class marina will host facilities for its rich yacht-owners such as refuelling and replenishing the stores. A central place for berthing the vessels and assembling of tourists on board is also planned.

Also, currently yachts and boats sailing-in from the Gulf region have no intermediate berthing place for them once they leave Dubai. The marina project envisages exploiting this opportunity.

There will be a marina house built in traditional Kerala architectural style with nearly two-dozen state-of-the-art rooms and recreation facilities.

The berthing facility is proposed to accommodate more than 50 vessels of varying specifications at a time. Setting up of facilities for fuelling through outlet points is also being considered.

The infrastructure facility comprises electric connections, both AC and DC. The project also envisages pumping out sewage through sludge pump. A major sewage treatment plant will be set up as part of the project. Drinking water will be made available by installing purification and filtering plants. Cooking gas will be stored in bulk and given through outlets with filling heads.

SURPRISE !

A GOLF COURSE ! - YES...a Golf Course will be made alongside this marina and that would mean that it is the WORLD'S FIRST MARINA with a golf course ! Doesn't that fact bring a feeling of pride in us Indians !? It definitely shows the maturity in the minds of the people and the government to execute such a plan - since one would only envisage such a project if they had a clear idea about the symbiosis of yachting and golf. Most yacht-owners would be gentlemen and corporates that would plan their next world tour aboard their yacht or crack a multi-million deal while teeing-off.


We look forward to keep you posted with this ground-breaking development that takes India into the exclusive marina club...

Kochi to host Volvo ocean race (2nd leg of the 11 stopover race)

Kochi aka Cochin situated in kerela (India) is the official host to the Volvo Ocean Race. to be more precise kochi will host as the 2nd stopover for the race which will dock on 11 ports.
the stopover port agreement was signed on the 18th of January 2008 by Andy Hindley, Race Director for the Volvo Ocean Race; Mr. N. Ramachandran, Chairman, Cochin Port Trust and Mr. KG Mohanlal, Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation.

For those who are not familiar with the race the Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s premier yacht race for professional racing crews. The 2008 09 race spans over 9 months and will start from Alicante in Spain on 4 October 2008, and for the first time ever touch the Asian waters which include Kochi (India), the yachts will cover over 39,000 nautical miles and will make stops over 11 ports to complete the race successfully.

Here is a visual map with the routes

The seven yachts participating in the race will arrive in Kochi in December 2008 and will stay for 10 days, before starting leg three to Sentosa Island in Singapore. A race village covering 2.5 acres of land will be set up near the BTP berth at Willingdon Island.

The other stopover ports include Cape Town, Singapore, Qingdao, Rio De Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Goteborg and Stockholm. The race will end at St.Petersburg, Russia, in July 2009. A few Olympic gold medallists in yachting are among the participants in the race. Kerala Tourism and agencies such as the Yachting Association of India will help to publicise and promote the event.

V. Venu, Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said sponsors were expected to pool funds of around Rs. 5 crore for readying facilities for the racers, tourists and the general public.“We expect to accommodate them in 1,200 hotel rooms, spread over Kochi, Kumarakom and Alappuzha. The organisers will bring in over 10,000 guests, mainly VIPs and corporate heads, from within India and outside,” he said.

All in all it’s a very positive step towards the Indian yachting/ sailing industry and will surely act as a boost for the Indian tourism industry (imagine the no of tourists that will be present for the event) also giving international accreditation for sailing in India. We can surely expect more of such events in India.