The World ARC reunite in Bora Bora, the fleet’s last stop before leaving beautiful French Polynesia

Now beginning to arrive at the anchorage just outside Bora Bora yacht club, the World ARC fleet are reuniting with each other and getting ready for their next leg to Suwurrow. After a beautiful cruising leg from Papeete in Tahiti, the yachts took some time to visit other more remote pacific gems on their way to Bora Bora. A few nights at Moorea, Raiatea and Huahine were all talked about and certainly went down well with the yachts that spent time there. The fleet will celebrate their arrival in Bora Bora on Friday night with a sunset BBQ put on by the Yacht Club owners, Taiva Tapare and Jessica Gow who have been very helpful throughout our time here.

11 World ARC boats participated in this year’s sixth successful Tahiti Pearl Regatta. The event was larger and livelier than previous occasions with 43 yachts from all over the world coming together in Raiatea Island on the 8^th May. Formed under the Raiatea Regatta Association this five-day race is an ideal way for pleasure cruisers and more competitive yachtsmen to enjoy sailing in and around the most beautiful lagoons in the world.

The Pearl Regatta is a five-day race that sails between the islands of Raiatea, Tahaa and Bora Bora. Each day brought differing sailing conditions, some good downwind legs, narrow upwind passages, light airs and some stronger faster windy passages. At the end of each days racing a spectacular function was held in the most beautiful venues. One such party was held on an uninhabited Motu just inside the lagoon on the Eastern side of Tahaa. The finest local Tamure dancers swung their hips to the sound of live Tahitian beats while fire throwers lit up the skies. Speaking to various skippers that had not sailed in or even heard of the Tahiti Pearl Regatta before, all said that they would certainly participate again and will never forget the ‘experience and atmosphere like no other’.

The yachts depart from Bora Bora Yacht Club on Tuesday 20th May bringing their time in Polynesia to an end. World ARC has thoroughly enjoyed the time spent here and look forward to returning again in two years. We would like to thank our agent at Polynesia Yacht Services, Laurent and Mike for all of their help since the fleet’s arrival in the Marquesas Islands at the end of March. Laurent is here in Bora Bora to ensure that the clearance for the fleet out of Polynesia goes as smoothly as possible and to say his farewells to the yachts.

We hope to see you all again in 2010