The 2009 Kalia Cup in Tonga won by “Never Us”

Arriving in the dark on the Virgin flight from Sydney into the balmy warmth of Tonga,

was effortless, but the real introduction to the Tongan pace of life started next morning, with the relaxed check-in for the early flight from the capital Nuku Alofa to Vava’u. The view from the Convair, on the 40 minute journey, took in the turquoise encircled, palm-coated islands along the route to Nieafu gently whetting the appetites of the participants in the 2009 Kalia Cup Rally.

The Moorings know us well after six years of conducting events in Tonga and met the group at the airport for the short ride into Nieafu, the base and breakfast. Along the seriously pot-holed “highway” lined with carefully tended gardens, pigs, dogs, children dressed immaculately in school uniforms, and simple tin-roofed dwellings the sun shone and the breeze ruffled the fronds of the majestic coconut palms. At the charter base the check-in was smooth and professional and the well prepared catamarans promised excellent accommodation for the ten day rally.

The sixth in a series of Rallies run by Mariner boating Holidays, this was an all catamaran affair and it is in cruising grounds such as Tonga that these floating “beach houses” come into their own. The archipelago of Vava’u includes some 50 islands in a compact piece of geography in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga.

With no opportunities to berth in a marina, plug into the power and water supply in Vava’u the expansive communal areas on a cruising cat and the easy connection between galley and cockpit facilitate comfortable live-a-board cruising.  With cabins at the four corners of most catamarans, each with en-suite facilities, the privacy advantages are also amplified.

The Robertson Cane 4000 catamaran was, however, a huge challenge for Toru Inoue, otherwise known as Sam, his partner Mako and their Japanese crew. They struggled early in the rally because their prior sailing experience had been exclusively with mono-hulled yachts. Changing the name from “Nereus” to “Never Us” seemed to work because by last of the five races Sam had “mastered the art” of tacking a “small house” and winning that last race gave him the rally and the trophy - a locally hand-carved Hump Back Whale.

The whales of course are a highlight of any Tongan experience and on almost every day they graced the 2009 rally with their slow motion nautical acrobatics. All rally crews wondered at the navigation skills of a creature finding the way annually from the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean to the exact tropical lagoon of its birth, in this case in the warm waters of the Vava’u Archipelago, 7,000 nautical miles away, and back.    

The islands are fanned by uninterrupted trade winds and protected from the ocean swells by a conveniently placed barrier reef guaranteeing smooth sailing. The ten day program is a combination of cruising in the benign waters of the Vava’u archipelago, a series of short races and a social program that fuels its own momentum. There is limited opportunity for off the boat carousing in Vava’u but the restaurants come to life when a group rolls up for a meal.

At the final night celebration at the Mango Restaurant the considerable and varied entertainment talents of the group came to the fore. The crew of Kepa 2, corrupted in this case to “Kuppa Tea”, performed a formidable song and dance routine that won the prize for best act, adjudicated by Martin and Kerris the managers of the Moorings operation in Vava’u.

Other highlights in the busy social program included a cocktail mixing competition, lunch with now very Tongan Fileti but previously German Friedel at the exotic Blue Lagoon restaurant, a Tongan feast at Barnacle Beach and a rather different experience at the Spanish La Paella Restaurant on Tapana. Here one of the group practicing flamenco was chased off a dance floor by a nanny goat protesting her imitation of proprietor Maria, another European émigré, this time from Spain. This social interaction and group dynamic cannot be scripted but the enhancement of the experience is an invaluable addition to sailing in Tonga. In fact you could easily find yourself a little lost on your own in this part of the world where all of the islands look very much the same.

The limited tourism infrastructure is gradually expanding in Tonga but hopefully this sensitive island culture will be kept intact. The Tongan people have infectious good humour, sincere warmth, generous spirit and their material possessions they gladly share. We suggest you sail there sometime soon.    

There will be another Kalia Cup Yacht Rally in 2010 with details to be posted on the Mariner Boating website www.marinerboating.com.au . Otherwise email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone Sydney 02 99661244 for details.