35 sailing yachts participating in the Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally dock in the Marina
AQABA -- The Tala Bay Marina was officially launched on Thursday, as an international assortment of yachts from Europe and North America en route to India docked in the resort.
One month after its soft opening, Tala Bay officially unveiled its state-of-the-art marina by welcoming participants in the first Vasco da Gama Yacht Rally.
Jordan was chosen as one of the destinations of the rally, which includes 35 sailing yachts varying in size from 9 metres to 17 metres from Holland, France, the Americas, UK, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and Australia.
The boats, which will cover a total of 4,266 nautical miles, will anchor in the marina for 10 days as the teams take the opportunity to visit Petra and Wadi Rum.
The marina is part of the just-concluded phase one of a JD500 million three-stage project. The first resort of its kind in Jordan, the 2,700- dunum Tala Bay is built on a two-kilometre strip of unspoilt beach. In its final shape, it will include over 1,500 residential units, five hotels, boutiques, restaurants, a golf course and an aqua park.
At a press conference yesterday, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) Chief Commissioner Nader Dahabi said Aqaba welcomes such projects and activities.
The area's master plan up to 2020 envisions 50 per cent of the projects to focus on tourism, while 30 per cent will have to do with the related services industry, he added.
Tala Bay Chairman Ziad Abu Jaber said the Tala Bay management had joined ranks with ASEZA, adopting its marketing strategy, which is built on a partnership with the private sector and main investors in the duty-free area.
ASEZA's marketing team has toured Gulf countries accompanied by senior executives from investment projects in Aqaba. Abu Jaber said the tours were fruitful for his company and other businessmen. Things seem promising, he told reporters.
Lodewijk Brust, who organised the Vasco da Gama Rally, said he was impressed with Tala Bay's 30,000-square-metre marina.
"I have been to about 100 marinas all over the world, but I have not seen one like this. It looks like paradise," said the sailor, who has spent the past 15 years of his life sailing in his yacht, "mostly alone," before organising this collective adventure.
He told The Jordan Times that he had been to Aqaba before and the experience left a good impression so he decided to include the resort city on the rally route.
Burst plans to hold the rally on an annual basis and anchor regularly at Aqaba.
The rally, which started in Turkey on Oct. 31 at the Finike Setur Marina, will finish in Goa, in India, taking about 6 months.
By Mahmoud Al Abed
© Jordan Times 2005
