New cruising rally to Indonesia from NZ and Australia

by Helen Horrocks on 25 Apr 2014 Circumnavigating sailors will be delighted to learn that this year, yachts passing New Zealand or Australia will be able to join a new annual cruising rally that takes in the best of Indonesia.

The Sail 2 Indonesia cruising rally, organised by the Island Cruising Association (ICA) in conjunction with the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, will help boats from NZ and Australia experience some of Indonesia’s most spectacular sailing destinations and best cultural attractions. While Indonesia makes for marvellous sailing, its remoteness and lack of facilities increases dramatically the value of joining a rally.

With 54,716km of coastline and 17,508 islands, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, and a cruising sailor’s paradise. The Sail 2 Indonesia rally, which departs Australia in July, with a feeder rally from NZ in May, is scheduled to spend around four months transiting the Indonesian coast from east to west.

Highlights of the rally include snorkelling and diving in the world-renowned waters around Bali, a stop at Komodo National Park to see the iconic komodo dragons, and a chance to visit the ancient city of Srivijaya in South Sumatra.

The Indonesia route will be preceded by a shorter cruise of the far north Queensland coast, from Abell Point Marina, Airlie Beach, through the Whitsundays to Cairns, and ending at Horne Island in the Torres Straits where the rally will depart for Indonesia.

Vessels starting in New Zealand will have the option to join the NZ 2 OZ feeder rally, which departs Opua in early May, and takes in Vanuatu, before heading to Mackay on the Queensland coast.

More information and registration details for the Sail 2 Indonesia rally, as well as the Queensland Coast and NZ 2 OZ rallies, can be found on the Sail 2 Indonesia website at www.sail2indonesia.com.

Otherwise, please contact John Martin at the Island Cruising Association – john@islandcruising.co.nz or 027 242 1088.