For Muhammad Ridwan Alimuddin, the fastest outrigger boat in the archipelago is in Mandar, West Sulawesi. The sandeq, as this sailboat is known, can zip through waters at 40 kilometers an hour. That is faster than most small motorboats.

Ridwan discovered this when researching the maritime life of the Mandar people. The key to the sandeq's speed, Ridwan said, was in its long, tapered shape and light weight. "Plus a good wind to push the boat," he told