The Louisiades website and Louisiades Yacht Rally is managed by EcoSustainAbility.

EcoSustainAbility supports the further development of sustainable tourism in the Louisiades, particularly through yacht cruising and adventure sailau trips which maximise community benefits whilst minimising potential adverse ecological and social impacts.

EcoSustainAbility provides consulting and contract services in environment, conservation and tourism.

The development of the website has been supported by the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. Seton Prettejohn was instrumental in a redesign of the site in early 2012.

The Rally and Sailau expeditions are run as event by volunteers to aid the Louisiades community. Yorkeys Knob Boating Club hosts the Rally and makes an annual community contribution.

Past sponsors and supporters of the Rally include Meridian Marina’s, Australian Marina’s Guide, Hitech Fabrication, Satcom Global and Riverglen Dredging.

Why bother?

Louisiades Rally 2011…a year ago but still going!

 Will you run the rally again? Of course you will!

 I heard this from many during the 2010 Louisiades Yacht Rally. Those behind the scenes know the work that goes into getting a successful event to happen… its run by volunteer(s)..but we try to deliver a professional event. Those behind the scenes knew of the quandary I was in…could I afford the expense, time away from business and did I have the energy to do it again? But if I did not, what about the folk of the Louisiades… who get such a benefit from the event? Would I find another crew to volunteer to put in the energy to help run the event.

When we returned to Australia after the 2010 Rally I determined to not do or commit to anything until after Christmas. In the weeks leading up to the festive season I had one more business trip to Port Moresby, and a meeting with Peter Vincent, the CEO of the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority. I was sitting in the plane, the new Q400 Dash8 that Qantas flies from Cairns to Port Moresby. Reasonably low altitude and it was a sunny day, a few whitecaps on the Coral Sea and an isolated reef had a lazy breaking swell on it. What great conditions for the passage I thought…then stopped myself…am I planning to go again for a fifth trip in 2011?

 Its hard to explain the motivations behind running a cruising yacht rally…just to put any thoughts to bed its not for the money! Whilst Andrew Bishop’s World Cruising Club makes a profit, that’s with hugely successful events like the Atlantic Rally, the Scottish Malts and many other events..including the Round the World Rally they run. No, the Louisiades Rally hasn’t and isn’t meant to make a profit!

 As I sat on the plane watching the whitecaps, I thought of the discussion on the beach, Nanuya Lailai Island, Fiji, 2002. Over a game of Boules (Petanque… the six shiny balls) on the beach, the discussion amongst the cruising yachties was the preparation and experience needed to cross the ocean from OZ, the USA and NZ to get to Fiji. I discussed the experience gained ocean racing and the Ambon Race (really a Rally) which set me off cruising. The discussion led to the many folk who cruise the Great Barrier Reef and what it would take to get them offshore… we talked about the “easy” trip across the Coral Sea to the Louisiades.

 The germ of an idea of the rally was planted.

 Hosting the Bluewater and World Cruising Club Rallies on their Cairns visits fertilised the seed.

 The Louisiades community’s keenness during our 2007 cruise pollinated the flower of the idea.

 With a love of sailing and cruising tropical islands, there is a buzz from organising an event and encouraging yachties on a big adventure. The 2008, 2009 and 2010 events went well…not at all without incident. The 2010 rally was successful, we had 26 entries, 25 yachts left Cairns, two retired and that left 23 yachts in the Louisiades for the last month… over 70 “Dimdims” (what the locals call whitefolk).

However, this is not why I created the Rally. I have preached ecotourism and sustainable tourism for many years. As a consultant, I have written many reports, some of which I am sure make a big difference..there are established resorts I conceived and major projects now built, national parks established etc. BUT I had not “put my money where my mouth is”… and done something myself.

The people of the Louisiades have very little, they live a largely subsistence lifestyle, but do need cash for medical and education. There is a constant need to raise school fees and pay for anything that cannot be grown or caught.

Whilst many cruising yachties, help out, make donations and even build boats and schools (see the Cruisaiders website!), I set out to get the Rally established as something which would show that tourism to a remote community can make a long term and lasting difference. I think the Rally can now say that it does! 

 Thats why we bother…..

Cheers,

Guy

Help Wanted