Fiji Regatta Week.

By Julie Kidman - "Synchronicity"

PANGAIMOTU PIRATES JOIN THE MUSKET COVE MUSKETEERS

Seven boats from the May ICA Tonga Rally joined over 80 other boats from a dozen different countries for Fiji Regatta week in Musket Cove. What awesome exhausting fun it was. Entry is free and participants share in heaps of prizes and hospitality.

The week long regatta is non-stop action. The first event is a welcome cocktail party, the complementary rum punch and delicious barbeque went down very well, and the Malololailai Meke group put on a fantastic performance.

Everyone then performed their national anthem, us Kiwi's did OK. Fortunately one of the boats had gotten organised so we had a few copies of both the English and Maori verses and we could muddle through without too much embarrassment.

Next morning and it was the Pirates Day Race to Beachcomber. All the costumes and props from Pangaimotu came out again for a hilarious day of water fights, beach games and pirate raiding. Anything goes, sails, one motor or two, to be the first across the finish line. Beachcomber Island then had landing formalities organised which included a compulsory nip of quarantine rum!

Two other yacht races are included in the schedule. Namotu Beach and Round Malolo Race. The Namotu Beach race is a short course to Namotu with lots of fun and politically incorrect activities once ashore. The Round Malolo is the serious yacht race. Many of the cruisers, including ourselves, off-loaded heavy gear and left tenders tied to moorings to lighten the boat. This year we were fortunate to have a decent breeze for the race, consequently a new race record of 1hr 36mins was set. Organisers do a fantastic job, clearly marking reefs and isolated dangers so racers can navigate round the coral with confidence.

Racing is pretty intense for this, more sail changes and pressure tacks than we've done since leaving New Zealand! If you don't want to race your own boat, plenty of participants left their boats moored or anchored and it was more fun having a few crews join together. We had the pleasure of the Aussie Oi and Renaissance crews joining us for the racing.

During the week organisers also host a Hobie Cat Challenge using the resort hire boats. 32 crews entered and raced in a knock-out match-race series over three days. Most of the racing was in light and shifty conditions. Initially the 'pushers' were a decisive factor in winning the race starts, then as the competition progressed organisers clamped down on the help pushers could provide to the racers so it became more of a yacht race. The finals were held on the last day of the regatta and were great entertainment. Up beat music was pumped out of the beach p.a. system, the Island Bar was handy and the racing was close.

Entry is free and participants share in heaps of prizes...

There's also plenty of off the water fun. An Ambrose Golf tournament provides an opportunity for both decent golfers and hackers to have a bit of fun. ICA members Wind Pony and Procyon won this event. For the more athletic there were Malololailai Olympics, once again ICA members were in the winners circle. Jim from Aussie Oi winning the Kayak Mens Singles and the Coconut log toss with Robin from Endangered Species winning the Kayak Ladies Singles.

The regatta closes with a wonderful 'pig on the spit' feast and prize giving. What a fabulous week. We had a wonderful time laughing with new and old cruiser friends, participating in zany activities, challenging ourselves and the boat in the sailing, and socialising almost to excess.

To the organisers and other participants "Vinaka Vaka Levu" (Thank you very much). Whilst the dates for the 2008 event haven't been confirmed yet As Rick from Endangered Species said at the end of the regatta, "You don't know where you are going to be for the next twelve months, but you sure know where you want to be next September."

Results Table Beachcomber Race

1st "Synchronicity" Bill and Julie Kidman, New Zealand
2nd "Take a break" Dave and Judy Cull, Fiji
3rd "Boreal" Malcolm and Diane Turner, New Zealand

Gulf Harbour Marine Race to Namotu Island

1st "Synchronicity" Bill and Julie Kidman, New Zealand
2nd "Endangered Species" Rick Walker and Robyn Willstein, USA
3rd "Libertee" Ernesto Mader, Germany
Beer Drinking Contest: NZ vs the World, Congratulations New Zealand!

Round Malolo Sailing Classic Race

1st "Synchronicity" Bill and Julie Kidman, New Zealand
2nd Emotional Rescue" Graeme Woodroffe, Fiji
3rd "Chaotic Harmony" Gavin and Catherine Le Sueur, Australia

Hobie Cat Challenge

1st Bill and Julie Kidman - "Synchronicity"
2nd Richard and Jane Kilburn - "Lionheart"