The Pacific Rally sets sail from New Zealand to the Pacific Islands
by Island Cruising NZ 11 May 07:40 AEST
10 May 2025
Island Cruising are excited to announced the departure of the New Zealand group on the Pacific Rally 2025.
On Saturday 10 May, the first group of New Zealand rally participants set off from Marsden Cove and the Bay of Islands bound for Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu & New Caledonia. The passage is around 1100 nautical miles and will take most of the vessels around a week to complete.
Over the last week, the crews have gathered at Marsden Cove Marina and Bay of Islands Marina their final preparations and some social events to help everyone get to know each other.
The comprehensive program of events included a sail repairs at sea session, fishing tips, briefings from Customs, marinas and boat yards in the Pacific, tips on provisioning, engine maintenance, weather briefings, a visit to the OC Tenders Factory, Henri Lloyd clothing, BBQ's, lessons on sail trim, tips on buying & selling boats and more, "I'd love to thank all our generous partners who have put on an incredible program of events" says Viki Moore, managing director of Island Cruising.
Over the past nine months, the rally participants have had access to a comprehensive training program to help them prepare for the voyage ahead. Topics include safety, weather, navigation, crew health & logistics, documentation and formalities, communication, passage planning, local knowledge & cultural protocols and more. The content consists of webinars from expert guest speakers, templates to complete, checklists to ensure they stay on track and detailed notes and guidebooks to provide all the information they require to undertake a safe and enjoyable passage.
Rally participants also get access to great discounts and advice from a wide range of marine businesses to help them prepare their vessels for the adventures ahead.
The flexible nature of the rally means that people can pick and choose their own departure dates & destinations. Vessels can depart from New Zealand, Australia or join in the Pacific. The main destinations on the rally include Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu & New Caledonia and skippers can choose which Islands they'd like to visit.
When the rally arrives in the islands, they'll be warmly welcomed by the local marine businesses who also provide fantastic discounts and advice. Once they've cleared into the country, the sailors can explore at their leisure. The rally participants can will spend 6 months cruising the islands and then either return to Australia or New Zealand in October at the end of the season. Others are heading north through the Solomon Islands, Louisiades and onto Indonesia. They also collect up International cruisers in the Pacific and encourage them to join the rally on their "Go West to Australia or Sail South to New Zealand" packages which will launch soon.
With over 175 other vessels on the rally scattered throughout the Southwest Pacific, there's often someone else nearby we can quickly call on to help if needed. "I'm humbled by how much everyone works together, and the strong friendships formed along the way are incredible" Moore says.
The rally also partners with Citizens of the Sea, where rally participants can volunteer to help collect Ocean eDNA samples on passage. Last season we collected over 600 samples across 1.5 million square kilometres of ocean, and identifying over 1 billion DNA sequences. This data is then analysed by scientists who are analysing changes in the ocean.
The Island Cruising Pacific Rally continues to grow from strength to strength and is now one of the most successful yacht rallies in the world. With over 175 registrations this year, the fleet is made up of yachts & powerboats, monohulls and multihulls ranging in size from a 30' yacht to a 75' launch. There are 47 children and 18 women skippers, and they have matched up over 100 crew members to assist skippers with the ocean passages.
Moore is currently undergoing treatment for cancer and is running the rally remotely from home with support from her staff Cecile de Ruijter & Gemma Dooley on the ground hosting the events. "My cancer diagnosis came as a huge shock to me and it's a reminder that life is short, so if you've been dreaming of going cruising in the South Pacific sometime - don't put it off!" She urges.
The cost to enter the Pacific Rally is just NZD$1795 per vessel, and the entry fee can be quickly recovered by taking advantage of all the great discounts on offer. "The information you receive in the rally content is invaluable; there's a huge amount to learn and it would be so difficult and time consuming to try and do it on your own" rally participant Victoria Murdoch says. "It's great having the flexibility to do our own thing while staying connected with others heading in a similar direction. It's a big safety factor and fun social community. I've loved every part of the preparation training and now I can't wait for the adventures ahead!"
It's not too late to join the rally this season. You can find all the details and inclusions on the Island Cruising website: www.islandcruising.nz/upcoming-rallies
The 2026 Pacific Rally will be launched in July. There is also a membership program which costs $129 and includes access to a comprehensive cruising preparation course for those planning to head offshore in the future.