Viki Moore and James with Island Cruising

Island Cruising & Down Under Rally: Our Experience and Insights

Since this article was originally written, Island Cruising has acquired Down Under Rally. This opinion piece has been updated to reflect our experience with both organisations.

Up to 2024, our experience was with John Hembrow, with his extensive sailing experience and deep regional knowledge of the South Pacific cruising grounds, which proved invaluable to participants navigating this part of the world with Down Under Rallies.

More recently, during the 2024 sailing season, we have also become familiar with Viki Moore, current owner and director of Island Cruising. Her hands-on support for rally participants is exceptional, and her depth of knowledge across the Pacific cruising network is impressive. Viki has built strong relationships throughout the region and is consistently able to provide answers or source reliable information when needed.

Her passion for the cruising community is evident, and she plays an influential role in other Cruising Organisations (such as the world Ocean Cruising Club), industry discussion Forums and decision-making-influence, particularly within New Zealand’s cruising and rally framework.

Within the Pacific Islands, she is asked to attend and address conferences in Pacific Security. She then shares this valuable knowledge and insight with her Island Cruising Membership. This level of collective expertise creates a valuable knowledge base for both experienced offshore sailors and newcomers entering the cruising lifestyle.

The wider cruising community holds Viki’s contribution in high regard, which is one of the reasons we continue to participate in additional rallies with Island Cruising. Membership definitely provides tangible benefits, including discounts of approximately 5–20% on selected marine and yacht services compared to non-member pricing.

For those who want to save a few bucks by not paying a rally fee, go for it - wish you well. 

For the rest of us, come over for a cup-of-tea or coffee while we wait for someone else to do that for us.

Island Cruising Rally Membership: Why It’s Worth It

As a guide, for the refit of our Leopard 45 (two years project) and our Lagoon 40 (three years project), we invested approximately one-fifth of the yacht’s total value into upgrades, systems improvements, and ongoing enhancements. We understand this may be seen as high and not necessary. We have seen it time and again within the Cruising Network, that 'cruising is only as good as the least prepared vessel, and we don't want to be that vessel'...James.

Throughout this process, we have actively used as many Rally Member Businesses as possible. The savings achieved through membership alone now exceed AUD $4,000 — effectively covering the cost of multiple rally entry fees in our view.

In 2023, our annual membership renewal was approximately AUD $100. During that period, we purchased a new sail, completed two theory courses, and undertook both marine first aid and sea survival refresher training. In addition, we saved approximately AUD $480 by using rally partner discounts. In practical terms, this not only covered our membership fees but effectively prepaid benefits for several years ahead.

In 2024, we are undertaking another significant refit on our Leopard 45, valued at roughly one-tenth of the yacht’s total value in upgrades and improvements. Once again, we will be making full use of member benefits, ensuring continued value far beyond the annual membership cost.

From our perspective, membership is a straightforward decision, it is genuinely a no-brainer.

Rally Fees and Administrative Support

Rally entry fees also provide practical value beyond cruising logistics. In previous professional experience, customs, immigration, and regulatory processes were a daily requirement. Rally organisations definitely help simplify and coordinate much of this bureaucratic workload, including customs clearance, immigration procedures, border requirements, and international entry formalities.

For those who prefer not to participate in organised rallies to save costs, that is a valid choice, and we wish them well with your journey.

However, for many sailors, the value lies in the structure, support, and administrative assistance provided. Rally organisers manage complex logistics across multiple jurisdictions, often for modest compensation once operational costs, publishing, coordination, and compliance responsibilities are taken into account.

From our firsthand experience, the support provided adds significant value to the cruising experience and reduces administrative burden considerably.

John Henbrow and James with Downunder Rallies

The Advantages of Sailing in Company with Other Yachts and Rallies

While sailing in tandem is not to everyone’s taste, it does have definite advantages, the most obvious being friendship, support, and safety at sea.

Having now completed more than seven organised yacht rallies, we can confidently say the positives far outweigh many of the negatives often mentioned by sailors, particularly when it comes to offshore passages.

Although the responsibility for planning always remains with the skipper and crew, rally organisers contribute an enormous amount of preparation and support. This often begins months before departure with yacht preparation guides, passage-planning information, weather routing advice, and communication support both before and during the rally itself.

One common misconception about yacht rallies is that all boats must sail together at the same speed or that rallies are some kind of race. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Each yacht sails at its own preferred pace and distance from the fleet. On one passage, we sailed for 24 hours without seeing another vessel at all, entirely by choice. Others prefer to remain closer together for reassurance and social interaction.

The greatest benefit of sailing in company often becomes clear when problems arise offshore.

Over the years we have witnessed, and assisted with: broken steering systems, disabled yachts, failed radios, damaged sails, and even a vessel left completely helpless after an unexpected thunderstorm over 200 nautical miles offshore. In situations like these, having other rally yachts within reach provides enormous reassurance.

Maritime law requires vessels hearing another in distress to render assistance whenever possible. Even when the fleet is spread out over hundreds of miles, someone will usually respond and come to help.

That sense of knowing another yacht is not too far away is difficult to overstate.

Additional security often comes from rally organisers themselves, who closely monitor fleet movements and regularly check in on vessels behaving unusually or deviating from expected routes.

On one occasion during a two-day offshore passage, we chose a more southerly route than the rest of the fleet to take advantage of favourable tidal flow later that evening. Hours after losing sight of every other yacht, rally organisers contacted us to confirm everything was okay as we passed near a reef system. Whether they tracked us through AIS, dead reckoning, or another method, it reinforced how valuable these support systems can be offshore.

It is also a strong reminder to always carry a functioning AIS transceiver (mandatory in certain Pacific countries), and ensure it remains switched on while underway.

Once the destination is reached, the rally atmosphere becomes far more social. Crews gather for celebrations, shared stories, and often a few memorable parties before everyone eventually heads off on their own adventures until the next rally leg begins.

Perhaps the greatest long-term benefit of sailing rallies is the friendships formed along the way. Many rally participants become lifelong friends and trusted buddy boats for future passages, sharing not just anchorages and miles at sea, but a common passion for cruising and offshore sailing.

Stunning Giant Blue lipped Saltwater Clam

The Disadvantages of Sailing in Company with Other Yachts

1. A rally is only as good as the least prepared yacht.

Those who invest the necessary time, effort, and money into preparing for an offshore rally will not only improve the reliability and value of their yacht, but also gain far more from the experience itself. Proper preparation leads to greater confidence, safer passages, and the enjoyment that comes from learning new skills while genuinely embracing the adventure.

2. By contrast, those who attempt to participate with minimal preparation often find themselves struggling with preventable yacht issues and making excuses for ongoing problems. Unfortunately, this can create a flow-on effect for the rest of the rally fleet, with well-prepared crews having to divert time and resources to assist vessels that were never truly ready for offshore conditions.

If a yacht is already at the end of its service life or only has “one more season left,” an offshore rally is not the place to test it. More often than not, it will become one of the least prepared vessels in the fleet.

Fortunately, experienced rally organisers work hard to help crews prepare properly before departure. With thousands of offshore sea miles behind them, they understand the minimum standards and equipment required for safe offshore sailing and provide valuable guidance to help participants meet those expectations.

Caveat - I am a Island Cruising Member. I am not being paid for this opinion, just telling it as it is...

James (dated September 2024 & 2026)

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