BALTIMORE, 8 (AP) - A proposal to hold a yacht race from Cuba to Baltimore this spring is drawing enthusiastic support from officials in Baltimore and Havana, but Cuban-American groups say they will lobby to block the race.
Baltimore officials came up with the idea during negotiations for exhibition games between the Baltimore Orioles and Cuba's national team last spring.
The proposed race is under review by the U.S. government, which must rule on any exchanges because of a trade embargo.
Lee Tawney, director of international programs in the mayor's office and lead organizer of the event, told The (Baltimore) Sun he submitted a petition for a permit for the race to the U.S. Treasury Department after Christmas.
``This is unique,'' Tawney said. ``It's just pure sailing - we're not marketing any products or doing anything like that. It's just an effort to do a pure sailing event, a people-to-people event.''
Cuban officials think the competition would help highlight the country's tourism potential and improve U.S.-Cuba relations.
But representatives of the Cuban-American community say it would be in bad taste to sponsor a competition over portions of the Atlantic traveled by Cubans fleeing the island, many of whom perish.
``It just doesn't look good - not for anybody who cares about freedom and democracy and can think beyond issues like what's the main course at the yacht club tonight,'' said Jose Cardenas, Washington director of the Cuban-American National Foundation, which opposes U.S.-Cuba diplomatic
relations.
The group plans to lobby to block the race.
The roughly 1,000-mile race over at least four days would be the longest on the East Coast offshore circuit this spring. About 25 boats would compete, mostly from the United States.
AP-NY-01-08-00 1313EST
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