Since arriving an air of excitement had hung over Port Resolution Bay, building with the arrival of each yacht, as villagers prepared for the formal welcoming ceremony of what was to be the largest fleet of yachts to visit at one time. Already on Monday special palm covered enclosures had been built to house the feast that was being readied for the special night. Even on the way from the airport on the same day we (as Rally Control) had stopped in several places to get supplies for the feast, the last being two huge sacks of rice, because not only were the participants the ones to be eating but also the whole village community making a total of about three hundred!

On Tuesday some of us learnt how to make plates from weaving palms fronds, which combined with a broad banana leaf make an excellent natural disposable plate. The villagers were turning out in numbers to help get ready for what was to be a special day for them and indeed for the World ARC participants.

Flower buds and coconuts were used to adorn the food stalls, as well as decorating the main yacht club hut, with pride being taken in cleaning up the entire area ready for the festivities.

An official welcoming ceremony is quite a complex affair, with a formal exchange a gift between the village community and the visitors. After gathering on the beach we were met and led to a cleared area on the outskirts of the village where welcoming dances were performed, with the earth moving under the heavy stamping of bare feet beating the earth in unison. A small band appeared in brightly coloured clothes and led the way back to the grassed area beside the yacht club, where each participant was greeted with a welcome lei, before taking position in what appeared to be a stand off between villagers and visitors. This was in preparation for the formal exchange of gifts.

Having lined all WARC skippers up to one side a procession of ladies came forward and presented each skipper with a florally decorated palm hat, after which the villagers piled up their gifts of beautiful palm baskets filled with local fruits to one side of the stand off area. The last gifts added to the pile were a bundle of kava roots and a suckling pig, trussed ready for slaughter.

It was then our turn, and as leader of the group Andrew Bishop laid a kava root beautifully bound and decorated with leaves and flowers as a traditionally symbolic gift; participants then came forward and made a pile of their own gifts, including fishing gear, foods, clothes, school books and much more.



Chief Ronnie, Commodore of the Port Resolution Yacht Club, came forward and welcomed the World ARC sailors, offering them the gifts. Andrew Bishop reciprocated on behalf of the participants echoing their sentiment that we had in fact found a little part of paradise. Gifts were then exchanged and a further dancing display was begun.

On completion, and after a brief announcement, the crowds headed to another area of the Club close to the cliff top overlooking the entrance to Port Resolution Bay, for the formal opening of the World Cruising Club sponsored residential hut – a project to help the community raise funds through use of the hut for visitors to Port Resolution. Once open participants and villagers alike thronged through the door to admire the work and enjoy views from the balcony overlooking the spectacular sight of 26 World ARC yachts at anchor.

Later in the evening, after another group had enjoyed the spectacular sights on a visit to Mt Yasur, the feast began. Local fruit and root vegetables were accompanied by fish (caught and donated by participants), as well as a roast pig, and other meats. Plenty of fruit juices were on offer, and for the more adventurous there was a brew of local kava, which soon ran out with so many wanting to try the legal natural narcotic!

Villagers mixed with crews, music filled the calm night, dancers performed whilst others joined in, groups chatted whilst enjoying the fantastic spread of food so generously laid on by a community that really has so very little. Participants drifted away as the night wore on the end of the party being symbolised by the shutting down of the generator and a return to the glorious nocturnal peace in this tranquil haven.


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