2023 inaugural Sister Cities Rally to Japan

Rally to Japan © Island Cruising NZ

Konnichi wa and thank you for your interest in the 2023 Rally to Japan. 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 reprovisioning
• 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, and navigation
• Excellent sponsors discounts on all kinds of things to help you prepare including safety gear, haulout, boat repairs, Marine Medic and 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 and Japan
• Assistance on arrival in Fiji with any repairs and reprovisioning
• Comprehensive Rally Pack - including cruising information and advice on things to see and do along the way
• Services of Agent in Fiji and Japan to complete arrival formalities
• Sister City Welcome events in Kurashiki and Sakai Cities
• Shore crew service and local advice
• Crewseeker and crew change assistance
• Discounts on recommended charts and cruising guides

Rally exclusions

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

More details here...