Tonga's First Annual Charity "Regatta Vava'u and Sail Week"

Created by sue. Last modified on 2009-08-04 19:37:17
Countries: Tonga

Preparations for Tonga’s First Annual Regatta Vava’u 2009 Underway – Register Now! www.RegattaVavau.com

A passion for sailing, ecology and the Tongan islands has become a project that will set the stage for an annual regatta and contribute to environmental education in the pacific.

Preparations are underway for Tonga’s First Annual Regatta Vava’u that is to be held in Vava’u, Tonga this September 3rd – 8th. This 6-day festival of sailing will feature two race events, a food and craft fair, traditional Tongan feasts, a fantastic Full Moon Party, a pub crawl, a kid’s day, and other fun activities and opportunities to wise up on ocean ecology.

Regatta organisers Ben Newton (s/v Waking Dream), James Barbour (dinghy JamesIAm), and Baker Hardin (s/v Litenup) a re hopeful that the event will become an annual one that will see cruisers and spectators from all parts of the world having fun in a spectacular yachting area while supporting Vava’u’s local charities.

“We have been thinking about establishing this event for the last few years,” says Ben’s wife, Lisa, “We are also involved in the Vava’u Coral Reef Gardening project and it makes sense to combine the two and have an ecological focus for the Regatta and also to raise funds for coral gardening.”

The approximately 50 islands of Vava’u are part of the Kingdom of Tonga. They look just like those pictures you see in South Pacific travel brochures showing coconut palms leaning over secluded coral sand beaches and clear blue water lagoons that beg to be wallowed in. Vava’u is famous as a breeding ground for the Antarctic Humpback Whales from June to November. As well as making those glossy photos a reality, the islands offer numerous sheltered anchorages and safe harbours that are linked by a network de ep water channels making Vava’u the perfect sailing holiday destination and a popular stopover for boats on their way to New Zealand for the summer season.

A programme event and registration details are available on the official 2009 Regatta Vava’u website: www.RegattaVavau.com

Contact:
Ben Newton
Phone: +676-75-12984 or +676-70493
Email: RegattaVavau@gmail.com