– but remains optimistic for resumption of yachting rally

REGION Seven Chairman Gordon Bradford is disappointed that the view of Guyana as a “safe haven” yachting destination has this year changed.

The chairman expressed his view after the sixth annual International Nereid’s Rally scheduled for September was cancelled , due to fears of piracy attacks, attributed to sensational media reportage on the matter.

What began this year as some 15 yachts with international guests expected to visit the country ended up as the “sudden, short-notice withdrawal of 11 yachts” made public by release from the Hurakabra River Resort, which was scheduled to host the event’s welcoming ceremony.

“It’s a huge disappointment for us in terms of our vision of development that we have for the region, especially Bartica. At the last tourism workshop, we had chosen Bartica as a yachting destination as our flagship project and [the idea] was actually born out of the Nereid’s Rally,” the chairman told this newspaper.

He said that around 2003, four yachts visited the area where they were welcomed and since then, they have been returning each year from as far as New Zealand, Sweden and Great Britain, each time with increasing numbers.

“We are in talks with the guy that initiated that sail up the Essequibo with the four yachts. He has a yacht marina in French Guiana, so when he came here and saw the pristine conditions of our Essequibo River and the Mazaruni River; the calmness of the water and the fact that we are not prone to hurricanes and so on, he had discussions with us about how the area was seen as a safe haven for yachts, as a destination they can come,” Bradford recalled.

The regional chairman added that an area had been temporarily identified for the construction of a yacht marina and jetty to better accommodate the boats, and it was being proposed that funding for such should come from the 2019 budget.
“I would have ensured in our 2019 budget that we would have budgeted for the construction of a jetty and that is for when the yachts would come in and they use these smaller craft to leave the yachts and come ashore to get supplies or to go on tour.
“Because when they moor [smaller craft] on the beach, sometimes they get punctured from bottles or metals or wood. So, we saw it fit in the budget for this jetty,” Bradford explained.

STILL HOPEFUL
Although the yachtsmen have since opted not to come to Guyana this year, Bradford says that he has not given up hope.

While providing a nature getaway for the visitors, he is positive that it can significantly boost the local tourism, hotel and transportation industries.

“We see [the possibility for] a vibrant industry. If we can get hundreds of yachts to come down this way, it would mean a tremendous economic boost to Bartica and our region, because when these yachts come down they spend, sometimes, months and they would do repairs on sections of their boats… sometimes they would send for their families to come down to be with them so the hotel industry, transportation industry and restaurants, you name it, benefit,” he said.

The regional chairman added that compared to the non-renewable mining, quarrying and logging industries that the region depends on, “tourism takes away nothing from you.”
The region will move ahead with the proposal for the funds to create a marina/jetty for the yachtsmen, as Bradford remains positive that the negative ‘cloud’ which drove the foreigners away will eventually disappear, clearing the way for a brighter future.
“I hope this year things will level out and next year we will see a renewal of that rally,” he said.

Bradford added: “We hope that we get [the funding], because we also at this end have to show our seriousness. We just can’t fold up, we have to show seriousness that we want to have this tourism developed in our region… and when our partners in French Guiana, Grenada, Trinidad, St, Lucia, you name it, when that hits the news and they see that we’re preparing, then it might encourage others to come down and be a part,” he said.