In my last report I covered the arrival of the Rally in Musket Cove and gave a summary of the wonderful facilities that the Rally was enjoying there.  In the few days before I left there was much going on and some preparations for the next 2 legs of the Rally - from Fiji to Vanuatu and from there to Mackay in Queensland, Australia.

A thank you from Savu Savu Junior Sailing Club
As always, we were delighted to 'put something back' during our visit to Savu Savu by supporting the Junior Sailing Club.  Our efforts at Optimist racing raised a considerable sum and I have just heard that we raised a total of nearly 4000 Fiji dollars for the very worthwhile cause of junior sailing through all the Rally events at the Copra Shed.  We wish the juniors of Savu Savu every success in the future and look forward to our return in 2010.

Farewells to the Rally and a Party with a tinge of sadness
One of the features of the Blue Water Rally is the ability of our owners to drop out in the Central Pacific to enable them to continue cruising in the region.  We usually have one or two of our skippers doing so during each event and it was with much sadness that we had to say goodbye in the first place to Liz and Peter Mantle (Moonshadow of London), who will be keeping Moonshadow in Fiji for a few months before continuing cruising down to New Zealand.  They have been very popular members of the Rally fleet and we wish them every happiness and fair winds.

We also had to say goodbye to the Cages - Pat, Jeremy, Bradley and Elena - our family crew on Hakuna Matata.  Jeremy and Pat kindly invited Rally crews to share with them Pat's Big Birthday with a wonderful party on the beach at Musket Cove.  As the sun set we listened to local musicians and shared in a very special gathering in a very special place.  The Cages will actually be leaving the Rally in Australia, but this was our opportunity to say farewell and thank them for being such great Rally supporters.

Family Reunions and Senior Citizens go sailing
Fiji has always been a good place for family reunions as it is so well served by international flights from the US and Europe.There were a number of such reunions this time, both at Savu Savu and at Musket Cove. At Savu Savu Teri Mandemaker (Glendora) was joined by her mother and friend who flew in from the US and then sailed on the passage via Bligh Water to Musket Cove. Pat Cage was also delighted to have her mother join the family (and the party) for their time at Musket Cove.

Fiji - Getting things done halfway round the world
By the time our Rally yachts reach Fiji they have sailed over halfway around the world and many of them are in need of a refit.  This may consist of a new coat of anti-fouling paint or more detailed technical support.  Nearly a third of the fleet therefore took the opportunity to have a liftout and work undertaken at the Vuda Point Marina on the mainland, only some 12 miles from Musket Cove.  As I left the work programme had started, with various yachts departing Musket Cove for 3 or 4 days.  Others will have a similar programme of work done when they reach Mackay in Australia.

On to Vanuatu and Australia
As usual it is the task of myself (or my colleagues) in ports of call to brief Rally skippers on the next leg of the Blue Water Rally.  We do not provide support at Vanuatu, which lies about a third of the way to Mackay, so it was a chance to detail the arrival arrangements and the excellent support which we have always received from Bryan and Elsie Stoneham, our friends at Yachting World in Port Vila.  Bryan and Elsie have acted as unpaid agents for us over the years and have made the Rally stopover in Port Vila one of the highlights of the circumnavigation.  Not only are the facilities in Port Vila excellent, but Bryan and Elsie provide us with a Welcome Party and tourism support.  (More stories to follow.........)

But the main purpose of the briefing was to outline the procedures for arrival in Australia and what to expect at Mackay.  As most tourists will know, Australia has strict rules regarding visa entry and health and quarantine.  Arriving by yacht is no exception and, whilst we do not expect our crews to be eating all their food stocks before they arrive, they will certainly know what they can take into the country!  Crews will also have to report their ETAs to Australian Customs as the border controls are extremely strict and yachts can expect to be overflown by the Australian Coastwatch aircraft as they approach the Barrier Reef in early August.

Communications and Position Reporting
The yachts of the Blue Water Rally stay in touch with each other by SSB radio.  During the leg to Vanuatu (only 500 miles) this arrangement will be an informal one and position reporting will not be made on a general basis.  However, during the leg from Vanuatu to Mackay we shall have a daily roll call and the fleet position will be posted on the website.  (Additionally families and friends will, of course, benefit from the individual position reports of their own families at sea via the Yachtplot system.)

Reporting will recommence after 28 July when most yachts will have departed Vanuatu for Mackay.