Darwin Dili 1973

Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 December 2009 17:35

The inaugural Darwin Dili Yacht Race left Darwin at 1100 hours on 18 August 1973 for the 425 nm voyage to Timor across the Timor Sea.  Six competitors took 4-5 days to reach Dili, but they arrived well in time for the Presentation Night on 25 August, where the Governor of Portuguese Timor, Colonel Alrea Aldeia, presented magnificent trophies to all competitors.

Indeed, the Race created a number of firsts:

• The first Australian yacht race to a foreign country
• The first overseas yacht race catering for multi and mono-hulls, and commencing in Australia and
• The first time that the people of Darwin and the people of Timor actively collaborated in a sporting event that was to result in friendly co-operation, good will and mutual respect.

The people of Timor have a longstanding affinity with Australians, beginning with the Australian soldiers trapped on the island during World War II and who, with the help of the Portuguese and the Timorese, became a thorn in the side of the Japanese occupation force. It was fitting therefore that the inaugural Darwin Dili Yacht Race coincided with the survivors of “Sparrow Force” conducting their first reunion in Timor since the war. It was a time to renew many old friendships from harder times and to establish many new friendships from better times.

The words of the Organising Committee were prophetic “This is the beginning of the race.  The future will be a very interesting one.”