A yacht club and a sailing club will come up on the banks of river Krishna, while youngsters will soon relish the thrill of rain dance in the picturesque Bhavani Island.
These are a few of the series of major plans the Goa-based Champions Yacht Club, a private firm providing yachting and cruising services, will implement in the days to come. The AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), in tie-up with the company, has embellished the river space with nearly 17 different varieties of water sports that include ski boat, jet boat, banana boat and a floating restaurant besides parasailing.
“My friends and staff say we are into adventure sports. But I tell them that we are into ‘happiness’ business. We make people around happy, that’s our business,” says S. Subhakar Rao, CEO of Champions Yacht Club.
Speaking to The Hindu here, Mr. Rao shared his future plans that, he claims, will change the face of this region. “I want to set up at least 100 international facilities here. I hail from this city; I did my schooling and college here. I want to give back to my city; I am doing this out of sheer passion,” he says.
Mr. Rao has deployed a team, which includes former navy and army personnel to monitor the sailing, land and adventure activities. “The yacht club will be a private club while the sailing club will be more of public-oriented body. We will bring in five sailing boats to begin with. Introducing riverfront yoga and starting a summer camp in kayaking for school kids are other immediate plans,” he says.
The picturesque Bhavani Island perched on the Krishna has waited long for the many frills it so richly deserved. Of late, it has turned a cynosure of all eyes thanks to the dazzling range of water sports that flank the river.
“Andhra Pradesh has long coastline and the riverfronts can be explored to attract tourists. As a residuary State after bifurcation, we are witnessing a crucial phase. There is a need to create buzz to grab the attention of people around,” he says.
Besides the boats in operation, a large 200-seater cruise boat, similar to the dhou boats in Dubai, is floating on the river. “The boat weighs 70 tonnes and it is being given finishing touches,” he informs.
In the long run, Mr. Rao says, there are plans to bring in large luxury cruises that will be let out for hiring by corporate bodies. Navigating waterways also figures out in his scheme of things.
For now, his staff in the city are busy deploying a 25-seater floating restaurant, a sea plane and adventure games like paintball, tandem cycling hockey, skateboards and skate-wheelers and gunshot with balloons.
“This region is changing for the better and I want to play a small role in its transition. But the Government must do something to speed up the process of giving permissions,” says Mr. Rao.
