About the Rally

Join a group of yachts sailing to the Louisiades in Papua New Guinea from Cairns in 2012. After  successful Rallies in 2008, ´09, 10 and 11, EcoSustainAbility is again organising the Rally in 2012.

Cruise in safety with accompanying yachts, meet welcoming local people and learn about their island lifestyle and culture.
The 2011 Rally is Sponsored by the Papua New Guinea Tourism Promotion Authority and supported by Yorkeys Knob Boating Club.
The Rally departs from Yorkeys Knob Boating Club (YKBC) Cairns, in mid September. Participating yachts will cruise in company across 520 nautical miles of the Coral Sea, to the Louisiades Archipelago in Papua New Guinea.

The Louisiades are close to Australia and are a real jewel of the Pacific. The people are very friendly, the Melanesian and Pacific Island culture is abundant and the landscape both above and below the water are fertile with flora, fauna and sealife.

Where and when?

15 September 2012, 520 nm north-east of Cairns 2-4 days across the south easterly trade winds.

Why?

It’s close to Australia and a real jewel of the Pacific. The local people are very friendly, they are very poor and live self-sufficiently with only a limited cash economy. The culture is still intact and offers a “real” Pacific Island experience. Join a group of yachts sailing to the Louisiades in Papua New Guinea, cruise in company, meet welcoming local people and learn about their island lifestyle and culture. Cruise the spectacular atolls, reef and islands. Have an experience of a lifetime while benefiting the local community. Why not?

What’s Planned?

Support includes safety briefings, Cairns marina berth (Yorkeys Knob Boating Club), weather, radio scheds, Australian/PNG customs arrangements and many events (also time for individual cruising/exploring). Events include farewell drinks, arrival BBQ, skull cave visit, limestone cave visit, traditional dancing, village visits, cultural festival, traditional sailing canoe regatta, river trip by longboat, school visit, clinic visit, sports day, traditional canoe making, traditional carving and the rally end party.

As well as the social and cultural activities planned, the rally support includes safety briefings, a marina berth at Half Moon Bay Marina (Yorkeys Knob) prior to the commencement of the rally, weather briefings and updates, radio skeds and Australian/PNG custom arrangements.

The rally departs the Louisiades in October to make the passage back to Cairns, or for those who find the area too beautiful to leave, onwards through the Pacific and beyond.

So what are you waiting for? Life isn’t a dress rehearsal.

You can make it happen, watch it happen or wonder what happened….
Let’s make it happen!

 
Passage Times

A few folk have asked how long the passage will take. We have consulted Visual Passage Planner, and for vessels sailing at 90% of their potential a 30’ Heavy Displacement 4 days 9 hours and a 40’ Light Displacement 3 days 14 hours. In 2010, after an early Sunday departure, Sanctuary arrived on the Tuesday morning, the last boat arrived Thursday. So far most boats arrived within 4 days.

Why September – October?

Based on other cruisers experiences and local knowledge from the Louisiades June-August can be pretty windy and wet, the south easterly tend to be a bit fiercer at this time. We also miss PNG’s National Day, which means the locals can have their own celebrations and we don’t have to chose which place to be (this would end up with many folk upset at us!).

So hopefully the weather is better and we get a great experience at each of the islands.

Returning to Queensland by mid November gets folk off the Coral Sea for the cyclone season (although they can occur earlier!) and should allow an easier return down the Queensland coast with the summer northerlies.