Pacific Rally crews have celebrated a memorable cruising season with cultural welcomes, island adventures and events connecting sailors with marine services in New Caledonia and Australia.
A generous welcome at Le Bout du Monde restaurant in Nouméa brought crews together to celebrate the closing weeks of the South Pacific sailing season. Participants expressed gratitude for the hospitality received while cruising in New Caledonia and welcomed those continuing towards Australia.
Island Cruising’s Pacific Rally is the world’s largest flexible yacht rally, supporting over 260 yachts and representing nearly 50% of the recreational fleet cruising the Pacific each season. Its flexible format allows participants to shape their own itineraries while benefiting from preparation support, shared experiences, special arrival arrangements, and connections with local communities and marine services throughout the region.
New Caledonia serves as an ideal location for boats to position themselves before sailing onto New Zealand or Australia at the end of the season.
The Nouméa celebration was hosted by Brett Hensler from Bundaberg Port Marina, Richard Barrett from Scarborough Marina, and Sébastien Fellmann from Port Moselle Marina, with support from Sud Tourisme New Caledonia and New Caledonia Tourism. The event featured traditional cultural dancing, delicious French food, and wine, allowing crews to reconnect, exchange sailing stories, and look ahead to their next destinations.
“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity and hospitality shown to our Pacific Rally crews,” said Viki Moore, Owner and Managing Director of Island Cruising. “These experiences create lasting memories and give sailors every reason to return.”
The gathering also served as a celebration of a successful cruising season, with Sébastien Fellmann noting the great season for visiting cruisers in New Caledonia. This event offered a chance to thank sailors for their time spent in the region and to wish them well as they prepared for their next passage.
Cruisers were connected with representatives from Australian marinas, learning about the marine facilities and services available at Bundaberg Port Marina and Scarborough Marina, which will help them plan their arrival and ongoing cruising.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to meet sailors heading our way and hear about their plans,” said Brett Hensler. Richard Barrett echoed the value of these personal connections, stating the event allows them to introduce marine facilities and assist sailors with their visit planning.
The welcome continued with a city tour hosted by Sud Tourisme & New Caledonia Tourism, bringing together nearly 100 Pacific Rally participants. This tour enabled crews to explore beyond the waterfront, discover more of the capital, and enjoy time ashore together.
Marine Coraile, located in the boatyard, provided buses to bring participants to visit its facilities. This visit introduced crews to a local marine business, allowing them to explore the chandlery and discuss their boating requirements.
The Nouméa celebrations followed an exceptional visit to Lifou in the Loyalty Islands, where warm hospitality, dramatic cliffs, and extraordinarily clear waters made a lasting impression. Positioned between Vanuatu and New Caledonia’s main island, Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands are a tempting stop for yachts sailing west across the Pacific, although they are not typically an official port of entry.
Island Cruising organised special clearance for participants, with officials flown from Nouméa to Lifou to facilitate their arrival. Clémentine from Nouméa Yacht Services coordinated this clearance, which allowed rally yachts to explore the islands en route, avoiding substantial backtracking otherwise required after clearing into Nouméa.
At Drueulu village in Santal Bay, crews received a special cultural welcome, featuring traditional dancing and a shared island lunch sponsored by New Caledonia Tourism. This offered a unique opportunity to connect with the local community and experience Kanak hospitality.
Crews also explored Lifou by hire car, visiting its spectacular coastline, white-sand beaches, Jokin Cliffs, and freshwater caves, while replenishing provisions in the town of Wé.
The combination of the Lifou welcome, Nouméa celebrations, city tour, and marine facilities visit demonstrated how collaboration between communities, tourism organisations, marine businesses, and rally organisers can enrich the cruising experience and strengthen connections between Pacific destinations.
Island Cruising extends its thanks to the Drueulu community, New Caledonia Tourism, Loyalty Islands Province, Clémentine and the team at Nouméa Yacht Services, the officials who travelled to Lifou, Sud Tourisme New Caledonia, Port Moselle Marina, Bundaberg Port Marina, Scarborough Marina, Marine Coraile, and the team at Le Bout du Monde for their hospitality and support.
For crews preparing for their next passage, the celebrations were a fitting way to mark the closing weeks of the season, sharing memories of New Caledonia while discovering the opportunities awaiting them in Australia.
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