Loyalty Islands Rally

The Down Under Rally, in conjunction with Island Cruising NZ, is excited to be accepting registrations for our 2023 Loyalty Islands Rally.

By joining the Loyalty Islands Rally, participants can experience the best of New Caledonia's magnificent cruising grounds, especially those in the east and to the south that are often difficult, if not impossible, to return to from Noumea in the limited time available.

To make this opportunity possible, the Down Under Rally are paying the costs related to flying in officials and our agent from the mainland to perform the FULL INWARD CLEARANCE of vessels participating in the rally. As such, the clearance of the participating vessels can only occur in the location below on the date and time stipulated. The rally entry fee includes all costs associated with obtaining this clearance.

RALLY DESTINATION / CLEARANCE LOCATION

Anchorage name: Baie de Drueulu

Approx. Anchorage waypoint: 20° 55. 405 S | 167° 04.949 E

DATES:

Vessels participating in the rally must be at anchor at Baie de Drueulu, Lifou, by 9:00 am on the morning of the 14th September 2023 (subject to suitable weather for the voyage from Fiji during the week before the scheduled arrival date.

Vessels can arrive at any time up to 24hrs before this date, but no one will be permitted to disembark the vessel or make physical contact with anyone other than those aboard the vessel.

INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE:

Full Inward Clearance into New Caledonia at Lifou Island, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia. This provides the opportunity to first cruise the Loyalty Islands, then the east coast of mainland New Caledonia, Isle of Pines and the southern lagoon without first having to go to Noumea to clear in and then beat to windward in an attempt to experience the best of the cruising on offer in New Caledonia.

Our comprehensive Sailing to & Cruising New Caledonia guide that includes information regarding customs, biosecurity and immigration, along with other relevant and valuable information about cruising in New Caledonia.

ADDITIONAL COSTS:

Shuttle bus service: A shuttle bus will be available to take rally participants to the Supermarché (SuperMarket) on Lifou for provisioning and the local post office /ATM, where local currency and sim cards can be obtained. Our agents will be on hand throughout the day to assist with translation and advice during this process. This will allow you to fully reprovision and cruise New Caledonia without first visiting Noumea. Shuttle bus fee: Approximately 1000 xpf per person. (about AUD 15.00)

Official Welcome Ceremony & Traditional Feast: The opportunity to attend an Official Welcome Ceremony & Traditional Feast hosted by the local village. The ceremony/feast & info session will occur in the afternoon/evening the day after arrival. The cost to attend is 3000 xpf per person (about AUD 45.00). Payable to the representative of the Lifou village at the event.

Rubbish & Prohibited goods disposal. If applicable, the fee will be determined on a per-vessel basis by the bio-security officer at the time of vessel inspection.

REFUND POLICY.

In addition to the standard Down Under Rally Refund policy which can be viewed in the attached terms of entry, the following applies: Should less than 20 vessels register by midnight on the 7th of August, the Down Under Rally reserves the right to cancel the rally.

If the Down Under Rally cancels the rally due to insufficient registrations being received, all monies received by way of deposits and or registration fees will be refunded within 7 working days of notification of cancellation being made.

RALLY REGISTRATION FEE (PER VESSEL.)

$AUD 690.00 per boat with up to 4 persons aboard.

HOW TO REGISTER.

To secure your place as a participant, a deposit of $AUD 250.00 must be paid before midnight on the 31st of July, 2023.

Final registration details and all required information, along with the registration fee balance, will be payable before midnight on the 7th of August.

TO PAY YOUR DEPOSIT AND SECURE YOUR PLACE ON THE RALLY, CLICK THE FOLLOWING LINK. https://www.downunderrally.com/new-caledonia-loyalty-islands-rally-about

Help us ensure the minimum number of registrations are received, please spread the word and feel free to share this event with your cruising friends.

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Would you have the skills and knowledge to be able to troubleshoot the problems and undertake some repairs?

Learning some key techniques, understanding how your systems work together and ensuring you've got the right tools and spare parts on board your vessel can mean you get back underway quicker and prevent issues arising in the first place.

Join Ross Porter's upcoming course to learn more about maintaining and repairing your essential systems on board.