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Update on Recent Developments
June 15, 2011
Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous 2011
The annual Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous will take place at the end of the month, June 24-26, and we hope many of this year's fleet members will attend. It's a great time to celebrate your successful crossing with fellow cruisers, while learning about traditional Polynesian culture, and we can practically guarantee you'll have a wonderful time.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
FRIDAY, June 24:
3-5 p.m.: Registration, meet and greet on the lawn at Papeete's town hall (Mairie de Papeete). About 50 boats can berth on the pontoons along the downtown waterfront (gated, guarded 24/7).
4 p.m.: Skipper's briefing on cruising the Leeward Islands, and on Saturday's race/rally to Moorea.
5-7 p.m.: Handmade flower lei greeting, cocktail party with Polynesian music and dance show, hosted by the mayor of Papeete. PLEASE NOTE: All cruisers are welcome to attend this party, whether or not they register and pay for the rally to Moorea.
7 p.m.: After the party, we suggest that fleet members go to Place Vaiete, on the downtown waterfront, and enjoy outdoor dining at "les roulottes" which will be set up there. Meals there are delicious and inexpensive, and there will be live entertainment.
SATURDAY, June 25:
10 a.m.: The rally to Moorea's spectacular Oponohu Bay will begin just outside Papeete's main harbor entrance. Although this 16-nm crossing will be a just-for-fun rally, rather than a serious race, we will organize both a start and finish line, with prizes for the best efforts. It will be a great time to snap photos of your friends' boats under sail, and hopefully they'll get some good shots of yours also. After the finish, just outside the harbor entrance channel, you will drop anchor along the eastern side of the bay in the free anchorage (shallow water, good holding, protected by a reef).
About 3 p.m.: Meet on the beach for a free cocktail and watch a performance of traditional music and dance by local artists.
SUNDAY, June 26:
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: On the broad beach behind the Oponohu anchorage, several Tahitian athletes will demonstrate a series of traditional Polynesian sports, and invite cruisers to participate. It's all great fun, and the highlight will be a series of six-person outrigger canoe races, where cruisers will join local paddlers.
noon/1 p.m.: In the middle of the day, we'll take a break from the sports action for an optional barbecue lunch. (Price is $25 per person, and must be paid in advance at Friday's registration because local laws prohibit commerce on this public beach.)
3:30 p.m.: Join us for an informal awards presentation on the beach, and spend some time getting to know new friends.
HOW TO REGISTER:
Please go to http://fs6.formsite.com/Latitude38/form10/index.html to register. It only takes about two minutes to complete. Payment will be at the Registration Desk on Friday from 3-5 p.m. on the lawn of the Papeete's Town Hall (Mairie de Papeete). Additional souvenir t-shirts will be on sale there also.
The registration fee is $25 USD per person (children 15 and under free). Registration includes: a souvenir t-shirt, administration of Saturday's rally to Moorea, cocktails on the beach, and a music and dance presentation; and on Sunday, participation in all the traditional Polynesian sports demonstrations, including six-person outrigger canoe races, and another dance show. PLUS, all cruisers are welcome to attend the mayor of Papeete's cocktail party in your honor (See below).
In the past we've been able to host the event free of charge to participants thanks to the support of our sponsors. Unfortunately, this year the Tahitian economy is in such a deep recession that sponsor money has dried up and we are forced to charge each participate a small fee. However, we think you'll agree that this is money well spent.
Latitude 38 magazine will be reporting on the Rendezvous, and will run a separate recap article on this year's Puddle Jump crossing. Both articles will eventually be available as free downloads on this site.
Hope to see you in Papeete!
February, 2011
We're happy to report that we have a bond exemption offer finalized with a large Tahitian yacht agency called CMA-CGM. The details are contained in the attached PDF.
If you would like to accept the offer of these services, either as a package deal, or on an a la carte basis, please .
You must pay for the services online (see the instructions in the PDF) prior to making the crossing, so the agents will have enough time to organize your paperwork, secure the exemptions, etc.
A few things to clarify:
- EU citizens do not need to post bonds (equal to the price of an airline ticket to their home countries) or obtain bond exemptions.
- Non-EU citizens must post bonds in cash unless. . .
A) they can show valid outbound airline tickets to their home countries or
B) they obtain a bond exemption.
- You are under no obligation to accept the attached offer.
- Latitude 38 magazine is in no way affiliated with the bonding agency and receives no financial compensation for facilitating this offer. We do so strictly for your convenience.
- As we understand it, cruisers can obtain duty free fuel in Tahiti without using an agent. This is not true, however, in the Marquesas. This agency has made special arrangements so that cruisers who accept their offer of service can obtain duty free fuel in both the Marquesas and Society Islands (Tahiti). I really don't know if it's possible in the Tuamotus.
Best of luck,
-- Andy
December 20, 2010
Ahoy Pacific Puddle Jumpers,
As in recent years, we hope to be able to offer all who register for the Pacific Puddle Jump Rally a special deal, via a Tahiti yacht agent, which will get them 1) clearance in and out, 2) bond exemptions for all crew, and 3) duty free fuel access, all for a nominal fee. (It was $110 USD last year; probably a bit more this year).
Unfortunately, we are still awaiting the final word from our Tahitian associates on this year’s ‘deal’. But we do expect to have an answer soon.
MAGAZINE COVERAGE
As you may know, Latitude 38 magazine has been involved with the annual westward migration of cruising sailors from the west coast of the Americas to French Polynesia for many years. We throw two annual Send-off Parties so we can get to know you, and we will publish several articles on this year’s fleet in the magazine (downloadable for free at www.pacificpuddlejump.com).
TAHITI RENDEZVOUS
Please also mark the dates June 24-26, 2011, on your calendar. The sixth annual Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous is a three-day event aimed at celebrating the fleet’s safe arrival, while introducing sailors to aspects of traditional Polynesian culture, including music, dance, sport and cuisine. All visiting cruisers are welcome to attend this grand event which is put on by Tahiti Tourism, the Papeete Port Authority and several other partners, including Latitude 38.
RALLY REGISTRATION
Unlike most other cruising rallies, the Puddle Jump is simply a loose association of westbound boats that leave from a variety of spots along the west coast, and keep in touch along the way via radio nets. There is no charge to register this year, however registration for the 2011 rally is now closed.
This PPJ website also has information on past fleets and an archive of downloadable Puddle Jump Recap articles which contain crossing data for many participating boats.
Thanks,
Andy Turpin, Managing Editor
Latitude 38 magazine |
