2004 Tahiti Nui Cup

by Trevor Joyce on 12 Nov 2003 There is a $300 per person discount for the first 50 passengers to book the Tahiti Nui Cup package with Air Tahiti Nui flights ex Australia on June 4 2004.

The 2003 Tahiti Nui Cup was sailed in terrific conditions this year with winds in the 12 – 20 knot range and was very nearly won again by Australian yachting icon Hugh Treharne. He was, however, beaten into second place in the final race by a crew from Mooloolooba skippered by Nick Cox. Both crews sailed identical Dufour 51ft. yachts chartered from The Moorings.



The next two placing went to Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron members, Jack Christoffersen and John Saalfield who both chartered identical Beneteau Oceanis 473’s for the event. Their racing was so close at times that from a distance they could easily have been mistaken for a catamaran!



The Tahiti Nui Cup regatta uses yachts chartered from the Raiatea based fleets of Sunsail, The Moorings and Tahiti Yacht Charter and so performance differences are much more attributable to the crews than the yachts.

The regatta program that provides for 5 inter-island passage races with each one followed by a lay day to soak up the sun, swim in the lagoons or experience island life-style on-shore. . In each of the island destinations the Tahitians entertain with their extraordinary dancing and local cuisine.

In 2004 a traditional Tahitian fishing expedition is planned for the Tahaa lay day, along with an outrigger canoe race on the lagoon.

The 2004 event has been extended by a day and a race added between Raiatea and Bora Bora but the regatta will be scored using the best 4 race results. The program now fits the schedules of Air Tahiti Nui who currently operate three services a week between Auckland and Papeete, connecting with Trans Tasman services operated by Qantas.

The Air Tahiti flights arrive in Papeete at
9 PM in the evening and depart at 8 AM, much more civilized than the old 1-AM and 4.30 AM timing of the Trans Pacific services that stopped in Papeete en-route to Los Angeles.

The repeated success of the first four events sailed in Tahiti since 2000 has lead to a major sponsorship agreement with the national airline Air Tahiti Nui and a dedicated website for the event www.tahitinuicup.com

The site is very comprehensive and apart from the 2004 program it details all of the yachts available for charter, Tahiti weather, general information about Tahiti, packages for post regatta extensions, airline schedules, lay day attractions etc.