2023 Sister Cities Rally to Japan

Rally to Japan © Island Cruising NZ

The inaugural Sister Cities Rally to Japan is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Sister City relations between Christchurch and Kurashiki and nearly 30 years between Wellington and Sakai City, Osaka.

The event is being coordinated by the local sister city committees and is being supported by Island Cruising NZ.

Applications are now open and spaces are limited!

There is also limited space for moorings in Guam, and so if registrations exceed the number of moorings available, we may look to split the group in to two waves for the Guam stopover.

Proposed Schedule 2023

All dates are estimated and will be reliant on the appropriate weather windows. As mentioned above, we may split the fleet to avoid congestion in Guam.

• End of February: Wellington boats gather for a display on the waterfront
• 31 March: Depart NZ for Fiji - aprox 1000NM - aprox 7-10 day passage
• 10 April:
  • Arrive Fiji - Denarau
  • Welcome events and time for repairs and re-provisioning
• 17 April:
  • Slower boats depart for Guam, faster boats can enjoy some
  • More Fiji cruising
  • Fiji to Guam - 2700NM - aprox 3-4 week passage
• 15 May:
  • Guam
  • 7-14 days for repairs, reprovisioning and exploring
• 22 May:
  • Guam to Ogasawara - 800 miles - aprox 5 - 7 day passage
  • Arrival formalities Japan and exploring
• 7 June: Ogasawara to Osaka 600 miles
• 13 June:
  • Arrival Osaka
  • Day tours with Andrew - Nara, Kyoto etc
• 20 June: Overnight passage to Kurashiki
• 21 June: Sister City official welcome events
• 28 June: Rally ends

After the Rally When you arrive in Japan you will be given a 90 day entry visa. Some people are planning on continuing on sailing north and heading over to the Aleutian Islands and on to Alaska. Some are planning on staying and cruising in Japan. Others are planning on sailing home. The choice is yours and the rally will connect you with others who share the same cruising interests and heading in the same direction. You are allowed to leave your vessel in Japan for an extended period without the need to import it.

Rally Inclusions Assistance with getting prepared and going through Cat 1 with the Island Cruising workshops - including safety, weather, passage planning, & navigation Excellent sponsors discounts on all kinds of things to help you prepare including safety gear, haulout, boat repairs, Marine Medic & Sea Survival courses Discounted charts and cruising guides Assistance with obtaining Blue Water Insurance PredictWind Rally Tracker Discounted PredictWind weather subscription Professional weather router guidance Whangarei pre-departure events Assistance with all documentation and arrival/departure formalities for NZ, Fiji, Guam & Japan Assistance on arrival in Fiji with any repairs and reprovisioning Comprehensive Rally Pack - including cruising information & advice on things to see and do along the way Services of Agent in Fiji & Japan to complete arrival formalities Sister City Welcome events in Kurashiki & Sakai Cities Shore crew service & local advice Crewseeker and crew change assistance Discounts on recommended charts and cruising guides

Rally exclusions: Customs/Immigration/Quarantine & Health expenses which are paid locally Vessel and personal travel insurance expenses Optional additional events and activities Mooring & berthing fees

Safety The safety of the vessel and her crew is the sole and inescapable responsibility of the skipper. A rally is not a race, we will help you prepare for and support you on your voyage, but the decision to set sail or continue is entirely up to the skipper. All vessels are expected to meet the Cat 1 Safety Regulations and be well prepared for the long blue water ocean passages ahead. All vessels will need to have AIS and a means of obtaining emails on passage. We recommend the IridiumGO with PredictWind.

Island Cruising members get access to the cruising preparation workshops which give weekly tips on how to prepare your boat to go offshore. The workshops are combined with some excellent discounts from our marine sponsors and there are also webinars you can join and lots of excellent content to help you get ready. If you aren't already a member you can join online for just $95.00 There is lots of content on there that may also be of interest to your crew, as well as discounts on Marine Medic & Sea Survival courses as well.

Price The rally registration fee is NZD$2500.00. A deposit of $500.00 will secure your place on the rally. The balance will be due a few months prior to departure. Should Covid disrupt the ability for the rally to run, the rally fee will be transferrable or refundable less recovarable costs. We recommend you register early to assist with your preparations and to get the most value out of all the assistance and support we provide in the lead up to the event.

Insurance We are working with a blue water insurance company who will be able to provide a quote for the voyage. We will send you more details on this as they become available.

Support We have got local agents in Fiji and Japan who will be able to assist with your arrival and provide information and advice should you need repairs or local information. In Guam we are being supported by the local yacht club. We will also be using the services of Peter Mott from Passage Guardian to track and support the vessels on passage.