NEWS FROM THE TOURISM SECTOR

BONHATA, the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association, is in the final stages of printing its first ever Brochure. It is a 40 page, full color brochure titled Premier Resorts of Bonaire. Every BONHATA member is included in the brochure - large hotels (more than 20 rooms) have a full page, small hotels (less than 20 rooms) have a half page and all allied members have a quarter page - all for free as a benefit to BONHATA members.  The center pages can be pulled out as they contain a road map of the island and useful tourism information.  Then there are also
pages that cover Diving, Eco-adventure, Bonaire's Parks and Culture.  The brochure will be taken to all Trade Shows and market places giving great exposure to everyone.
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Bonaire Eco Swim - The 1st Annual Deep Blue 5 K Swim & Ocean Festival

Three open water-swimming races will be held on the island of Bonaire, Dutch Caribbean on Friday November 30, 2001.  This 1^st annual open water ocean swim will include a long distance 5K Race, a 1500 meter “Metric Mile” Race, and a 200 meter Kids Fun Race.  The races are open to men and women of all ages and all abilities.  Also, swimmers who wish to participate using fins or fins, mask & snorkel are welcome. 

There will be “elite” swimmers competing at top speeds, but for the most part, the race has been designed for all who wish to swim at their own pace simply for the joy of swimming in the pristine waters of Bonaire.  The racecourse will be held in Bonaire’s renowned Marine Park.  This park has protected the coral reefs around Bonaire since 1979. 

This open water swim event is sponsored by the Bonaire Hotel and Tourism Association (BONHATA) and the Victor and Aqua Moon Adventures.  For the entry form and more information on this open water swim event please visit www.randynutt.com.

With already an approximate of 50 calls on the schedule, Bonaire's next Cruise Season is a mere four weeks away. First callers so far  are Legacy by Windjammer Cruise Lines, R6 by Renaissance Cruise Lines and Seabourn Goddes II by Seabourn Cruise Lines. Other ships on the schedule include Volendam, Zaandam and Noordam by Holland America Line  - Arcadia, Victoria and Oriana by P&O - Yorktown Clipper by Clipper Cruise and Black Watch by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

Cruise schedule 2001-2002 (dates and times are subject to change)

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Work hard and your dreams will come true: The stories of Tonky Frans, Ro Mayer and Sky Solbach

The two following articles are written by Ann Phelan, PR person for Cape Cod Windsurfing Association. Ann Covered "The Bonaire Kids" at the Gorge Games that took place in  July in Portland Oregon.
Here are two interesting stories about wishes that do come true...

When one looks into the stars at night and makes a wish

When one looks into the stars at night and makes a wish, it is hoped that the wish will come true. For a few young men living on a small Caribbean island, wishes do come true. The hopes and dreams of a windsurfer have become a reality for two local sailors from little Bonaire. Their dreams led them to one of the biggest international windsurfing events in the US and the world. 

Everon “Tonky” Frans and Ronald “Ro” Mayer have spent at least the last five years sailing the pristine waters surrounding Lac Bay. They have been able to sail with the best and latest gear and have been coached by dedicated people such as Elvis Martinus. Their friends and families have allowed them the time to spend hours on end doing what matters the most, windsurf.

Young sailors who truly love the sport also have heroes, the men and woman in windsurfing that reign at the top. Robbie Nash, Josh Stone and Bjorn Dunkerbeck come to mind as a few who make lots of money sailing all around the world. They are the best and brightest windsurfers. Huge companies because of their visibility also sponsor them. Sponsorship can entail several features. It might mean they design their own gear and sails. It might mean they are paid to represent that company. It also means when they win or are photographed, they are paid. Being sponsored is a dream come true. Not only do you get free gear but also you are paid to do something you love.

Can you imagine the feeling of two Bonairean sailors when they learned that one of the biggest board manufacturers, AHD, has offered to sponsor them? Wait, it doesn’t stop here. Fiberspar, a boom and mast company based out of Wareham, MA has also offered to sponsor the guys. The man largely responsible for this is Cape Cod’s own Nevin Sayre. Nevin, the great grandson of a US President and former world windsurf champion is employed by Vision Performance, the company that handles AHD and Fiberspar. After meeting the sailors in Bonaire and then at Midwinter’s he saw great potential. Nevin being hugely instrumental for the Bonaire team to come to Cape Cod’s King of the Cape realized his insight was right on. They scored two of the top five pro spots at this international event. Once the guys reached The Gorge he notified them of their sponsorship.

When I asked Ro and Tonky how they felt, they said they almost cried with the good news. Sponsorship by two of the largest windsurfing companies is almost unheard of at this level. When Tonky and Ro arrived at the Gorge they had a few sails and each a harness. Initially they were borrowing gear. It was Bob _____ from Windwing who met the guys and offered to lend them gear. When he saw them rip on the waters of the cold Columbia River, he was shocked. “Who knew they were that good” he told me one night. He lent them gear and then the next page in this windsurf fairy tale begins.

Bill Hansen owns Windwing Sails out of The Gorge. Bill offered Tonky and Ro sponsorship with the best and newest sails the company offers. Now, they had a sail sponsor to go along with their boards and booms. It was truly amazing. One day Tonky and I were talking and he mentioned he wanted to make a few design changes in his sails. The next thing I knew he met with Bob, made a few sketches and notes. Tonky may be off designing his own prototypes soon. Last but not least Tonky was able to secure one more sponsor, the biggest gear and gadget distributor in windsurfing, Da Kine. Da Kine makes harnesses, booties, lines, up hauls and all the knick-knacks windsurfer’s need. It cannot get better than this.

When I hooked up with the guys there was little wind so we played. We ate out, did movies, ate local berries, and sat around playing basketball or talking wind or Bonaire. Mostly Bonaire. They both share such intimate stories of the waters, sites and sounds of the island. We sat one night looking at a map of Bonaire and they told us stories about the sites and sounds. Their eyes reflect their love of this windy paradise. Their words reflect their need to return. Meanwhile there is work to be done.

The wind came up a few days before I left and I hardly saw them both. Tonky took off to train with a really good local pro. Ro set off to train as well. Their drive and ambitions are clear. Their goals are set. They want to have fun and to sail well. There is no aggression here, just pure love for the sport. It is all in their hearts and is engrained in their spirit.

I am keeping abreast of their efforts through another amazing Bonaire/Gorge sailor, Sky Solbach. Sky is already pre-seeded meaning he has competed in the Gorge Games and is very instrumental in helping his peers get to the launches and sail well. He offers tips and sound advice. The camaraderie continues. My other Gorge based friends send me emails of news on the guys. Unfortunately I have lost touch with them this week but fear I should not intrude on this tedious time of training and momentum. After all, they are emerging athletes and I will be reading and hearing about them in days, months and years to come. And we can all say, I know them.

Sky Solbach 

Some folks are just plain lucky. And some folks work hard to get where they are. This is the case for windsurfer, Sky Solbach, NB111. Not only has Sky had the opportunity to live and sail in one of the sunniest and windiest Caribbean Islands he also spends the other half of the year at The Gorge, another windsurf hot spot. Life cannot get better than that.

I met Sky at King of the Cape. One first notices his gorgeous blonde curlls. Sorry, Sky but they are to die for. Sky possesses a humble and pleasant personality as well. This along with the fact that he can sail! At King of the Cape, Sky worked the crowds despite the higher winds he prefers. He is at ease with sailing and has such a calm presence.  This attitude has obviously gotten him far but do not be fooled. He has passion and his story reveals this to be true.

I caught up with Sky at The Gorge where he was spending his summer working and playing. Sky is proud of the fact that he works for a living and everything is not given to him on a silver platter. I still think he is pretty darn lucky having a Dad like Mike Solbach who moved the clan to Bonaire when Sky was nine. He and his gregarious brother, Josh spent their formative years being educated in Dutch, Papiemento and the wind. In fact, Sky started sailing even before many of the other Bonaire sailing team members did. He and Mike and Josh loved the thrill of the waves and Kai or racing on the Leeward side. It wasn’t until he discovered freestyle did he really enjoy the calm of Lac Bay. Sky loves extreme and loves it hard.

I had been spending quite a bit of time with his friend’s Tonky and Ro as they trained for the games  but later talking to Sky I learned this was his second Gorge Games. He is a seasoned athlete having raced a lot with his whole family in Bonaire and Aruba.  Every year he would compete in The Aruba Hi-Winds.  His brother Josh and my dad Mike are the only two people to ever win all three disciplines: Slalom, Course and Long distance.  Sky describes himself as pretty laid back but listen to this, he placed 4^th in juniors and placed first three years in a row at the Bonaire Wave Challenge. Not too shabby for laid back.  This is the quiet man who has steam and fire in him when it comes to sailing.

Sky spent quite a bit of time telling me all about the Gorge Games. He and Tonky and Ro are competing against some really fine local and national talent. The conditions are very unfamiliar to Tonky and Ro but Sky knows the river and loves the thrill. Saturday if the famous 17-mile down winder race from Stevenson to Event Site. Sky told me about his last attempt. He arrived at the launch as the starting signal commenced. By the time he got to Viento he was first. It was nuclear winds and gear that was too large that kept him from placing. This is a grueling race not for the weak in mind and body.

On July 4^th I called Sky to see if he wanted to sail. His Dad said he was off to the Oregon Coast, another scary place to sail. Picture rip tides, logo high waves, sharks and 45-degree water. Sky loves this. Waves and the extreme drive this young man for sure.

Sky has far to go. He loves his dual life living in Bonaire and the Gorge. He also wants to continue to compete and travel. Sky has been very supportive of Ro and Tonky who are very far away from home. He looks forward to the Games and then time to work again. It is a healthy balance for a very balanced windsurfer.

Sky is sponsored by Windwing Sails , DaKine, Chinook, Nolimitz, and  Naish Boards. Check out the Subaru Gorge Games web site at: www.gorgegames.com

Articles by Ann Phelan

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The sea turtles of Bonaire: the leatherback 

Leatherbacks are one of the most amazing creatures in the world. They are not only impressive because of their size (they can grow to a length of 2 meters); they are also known for their outstanding migrating capabilities. They travel enormous distances both horizontally and vertically. For example, leatherbacks tagged in Surinam were found  all over the globe. They swam to Texas, the West Coast of the States and they even crossed the Atlantic to be found back at the East Coast of Africa. Leatherbacks can easily travel up to 10.000 km. in a year. Another amazing feature of these reptiles is their capability to dive very deep. They are known to venture down to about 200 m, but once a leatherback was documented diving to a depth of 1300 m. Why do they dive all the way down there?

If you imagine yourself as a leatherback, you can easily make a connection between its swimming behavior and its features. One very specific characteristic for example is the size of the front flippers. You definitely need some large paddles to be able to cross the Atlantic! The leatherback is also very capable of regulating their body temperature. Their size and thick insulation are among the characteristics that allow them to be active in water temperatures between 0 and 15 degrees Celsius. Another distinctive feature is the fact that the leatherback is the only sea turtle with a soft, leathery shell. So, if this guy dives very deep, the pressure won’t crush his shell. From all this one can only conclude one thing: the leatherback turtle is an extraordinary well adapted sea turtle.

Unfortunately, we don’t see that many leatherbacks around Bonaire. They used to nest on here, but the last nesting attempt dates from 1988. No nesting attempts have been reported since then. They do seem to pass by in our waters very occasionally. It would be a feather in the cap of the STCB if we find leatherback crawls again on the beaches of Bonaire.e the knowledge, you are not able to create suitable management plans and pass on that knowledge to others. And that is the second part of the STCB project: raising awareness, especially amongst the local community. 

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On the hotel scene

Harbour Village Beach Resort renovation

Harbour Village Beach Resort announces exciting changes for 2001 including a complete renovation of all beachfront and marina front rooms to ultra-luxury suites. The renovation which began this summer reaffirms Harbour Village’s commitment to providing a world-class resort experience through outstanding accommodations, service, and amenities.

The renovation encompasses the following:

-         All resort rooms and suites

-         Resort’s on-site restaurants

-         New 1 and 2 bedroom beachfront villas for sale

The already luxurious accommodations at Harbour Village will be transformed into ultra-luxury one and two bedroom suites and beachfront villas available for sale.

Renovations include completely re-designed, spacious bathrooms with separate showers and tubs, Dutch Colonial Plantation style furniture and décor, fully equipped kitchens with state-of-the art appliances, European tiled floors, designer bedding, draperies and upholstery. Suites will also feature expanded closet space, wet bars, coffee makers, internet access and more. Renovations are set for completion by October 31, 2001.

All new beachfront and marina front accommodations will be available starting from   US$ 335 per night as part of their variety of Harbour Village special vacations designed to let everyone enjoy all of the luxuries and adventure that Harbour Village and Bonaire have to offer.

On the leisure scene

Bonaire Tours & Vacations introduces wedding program

Bonaire Tours & Vacations announces their new wedding program. Couples from around the globe who are looking to escape the high cost and stress of wedding planning, can exchange wedding vows on beautiful Bonaire.  From the basic wedding package to honeymoon accommodations, a personal on-island coordinator will assist with all wedding matters both before and during the couples visit.  For inquiries, contact Bonaire Tours & Vacations at info@bonairetours.com, or www.bonairetours.com  

Bonaire Nautico Marina 

Bonaire Nautico Marina announces the New Arrival of "Kantika di Amor" (Love Song), a motor Catamaran built on Bonaire.  The boat  which has a length of 7,60 meters and a beam of 3,60 will service as a Water Taxi and Party boat. She has the versatility of beaching in Klein Bonaire with a ramp that allows easy access. This also is the first handicap accessible water taxi on Bonaire. She offers comfortable seating for at least 25 people with regular service to Klein Bonaire's No-name beach departing at 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM and 2:00 PM. Daily sunset cruises, including drinks and snacks, with pick up at the bay side hotels are possible.
An evening sail shows off her illuminated rope lights and makes enough place for dancing to your favorite music. They offer wedding packages, office parties, family/friends reunions, longer cruising and picnic/BBB parties at Klein Bonaire.

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15th position for Elton “Tati” Frans in the World Sailing Championship in France

Last month Bonaire’s own windsurfing champion, Elton “Tati” Frans represented the Netherlands Antilles in the ‘Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship 2001’ in France, where he competed against 29 other countries. Although Tati started off with the positions 25 and 27 during the first two days, he improved drastically moving up and ending on the 15th position.

The Dutch windsurfer Joeri van Dijk won the gold medal, followed by Greece on the second place and Hong Kong on the third. Other countries who have made it in the top 10 are, Germany, New Zeeland, Israel, Polland, Argentina, France and England. “The winds where very strong” were Joeri’s first words. Nevertheless he managed to concur the first position and will now start preparations for the Olympics 2004.

The Bonaire Sailing Federation is very proud of Tati and satisfied with his achievements.  They anticipated the race to be extremely difficult, due to the conditions in  Europe. Tati’s coach Vladimir Plavsic confirms what many already know “ Tati has the strength and talents of a medalist”. Tati congratulations, you've done a great job!!!

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