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 last night brought crews together to celebrate the closing weeks of the South Pacific sailing season, thanking the Pacific Rally Participants for cruising in New Caledonia and welcoming those continuing towards Australia.
Island Cruising’s Pacific Rally is the world’s biggest 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 is the perfect place for the boats to position themselves before sailing onto New Zealand or Australia at the end of the season.
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 hosted the Nouméa celebration. Traditional cultural dancing, delicious French food and wine were all laid on, giving crews a wonderful opportunity to reconnect, exchange sailing stories and look ahead to their next destinations.
“We are so grateful for the generosity and hospitality shown to our Pacific Rally crews,” said Viki Moore, Owner and Managing Director of Island Cruising. “From the warm community welcome we had for our special rally arrival clearance in Lifou to this wonderful celebration in Nouméa, our hosts have made us feel truly welcome. These experiences create lasting memories and give sailors every reason to return.”
Sébastien Fellmann from Port Moselle Marina said the gathering was a fitting celebration of a successful cruising season.
“It has been a great season for visiting cruisers in New Caledonia, and we have enjoyed welcoming sailors from across the Pacific,” he said. “This event is an opportunity to thank them for spending time here, celebrate their adventures and wish them well as they prepare for their next passage. We hope to welcome many of them back again.”
The evening also connected cruisers with representatives of Australian marinas. Sailors heading to Australia this season, or considering a visit next season, learned about the marine facilities and services available at Bundaberg Port Marina and Scarborough Marina, helping 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 from Bundaberg Port Marina. “Making that connection before they arrive means we can help them understand the facilities and support available and make their next stage of cruising easier.”
Richard Barrett from Scarborough Marina echoed the value of meeting crews in person.
“Whether they are sailing to Australia this season or looking ahead to next year, it is a fantastic opportunity to connect,” he said. “We can answer questions, introduce our marine facilities and services, and help sailors plan a visit that suits their needs.”
The welcome continued with a Nouméa city tour hosted by Sud Tourisme & New Caledonia Tourism, bringing together nearly 100 Pacific Rally participants. The tour gave crews an opportunity to explore beyond the waterfront, discover more of the capital and enjoy time ashore together before continuing their voyages.
Marine Coraile, a chandlery located in the boatyard, also provided buses to bring participants over to visit its facilities. The visit introduced crews to a local marine business and gave them an opportunity to explore the chandlery and discuss their boating requirements.
“The city tour and Marine Coraile visit were wonderful additions to our time in Nouméa,” said Moore. “Alongside enjoying the destination, cruisers need opportunities to replenish supplies and connect with local marine services. We really appreciate the effort our hosts have made to bring everyone together.”
For Island Cruising’s Pacific Rally, the Nouméa celebrations followed an exceptional visit to Lifou in the Loyalty Islands, where warm hospitality, dramatic cliffs and extraordinarily clear water 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. However, they are not usually an official port of entry. Island Cruising organised special clearance for Pacific Rally participants, with officials flown from Nouméa to Lifou for two days to facilitate their arrival.
Clémentine from Nouméa Yacht Services coordinated the Lifou clearance, working with the officials and rally organisers to make this special arrival possible. The arrangement allowed rally yachts to explore the islands on their way through, avoiding the substantial backtrack otherwise required after clearing into Nouméa.
“Being able to arrive directly into Lifou is a huge benefit for our rally participants,” said Moore. “We are especially grateful to Clémentine for coordinating the clearance and to the officials who travelled out to Lifou to facilitate our entry. Their support enabled our crews to spend time in a stunning destination that many would otherwise have sailed straight past.”
At Drueulu village in Santal Bay, crews received a special cultural welcome sponsored by New Caledonia Tourism, with the participation of Loyalty Islands Province, and coordinated by Nouméa Yacht Services. A customary welcome ceremony, traditional dancing and a shared island lunch offered an 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.
Together, 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 thanks 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.
