>>reporter: 106 yachts were taking part in sail banda, part of sail indonesia, one of the largest maritimevents in the country. the first leg kicking off in the far-east. >>boats representing 18 countries set sail from darwin, australia through the choppy banda sea to the capital of the moluccas. the three-month long race charts a course over 5,000 kilometres the entire length of the country. >>kazon: we have received a wonderful welcome. we have been treated like royalty. everybody was so friendly and helpful, absolutely unbelievable. >>whitby: it has been really great, there was good entertainment in darwin before we left. banda was absolutely superb; everybody had risen to the equation. all the locals were full of enthusiasm. >>reporter: in ambon organisers pulled out all the stops not just supporting yachts from america to france, but also local people with floating hospital ships in harbour providing free medical care. >>laksono: we treated more than 37,000 patients on the indonesian and us navy hospital boats. doctors from singapore and australia were all helpful it's team work. >>mu