Musket Cove Regatta, Fiji
From Friday October 9, 2020 to Monday October 12, 2020
The next sailing event in the South Pacific, do not miss the Musket cove Regatta Oct 9 to 12th, 2020 ! A famous week of sailing and shoreside fun around some beautiful Fijian islands. As the ultimate sailing event in the South Pacific Islands it attracts racing and cruising yachts from afar.
Nadi, Fiji - The 37th annual Fiji Regatta Week will take place October 9-12 at Musket Cove
Island Resort on Malolo Lailai Island in western Fiji. Originally scheduled for September 11-16
the fate of this year’s regatta was uncertain, until recently, as a result of the COVID 19 global
pandemic.
Sail by day and party by night...
Being close to an International airport hub it is easy for family and friends to come join.
For more than three decades Musket Cove Fiji Regatta has been famous for its traditional, warm hospitality, excellent
racing and a fun factor that remains on high from start to finish. Recent years have seen fleets of over 100 yachts.
For the sailors, the signature event at Musket Cove Fiji Regatta is the 20-nautical mile Round Malolo Lailai Race, which starts and finishes off Musket Cove Resort, while onshore the party agenda will includes the fancy dress Pirates’ Day, the Musket Island Rum Run and the ever exciting off-the-beach Hobie Cat round robin.
“Party Central” for all participants post-racing is be based around Musket Cove Yacht Club’s unique open-air Island Bar, where great island music gets things moving.
The majority of competing yachts lie at anchor just off the resort, however some berths at the island marina and set moorings are available. It is suggested that owners wanting to secure a marina berth or mooring should book early. The resort offers special accommodation packages so visitors to the island can be part of the exciting atmosphere.
Program on the 2020 event:
This year’s regatta has been compressed from 6 days during a normal year to just four days in
2020, given the event’s later dates and smaller anticipated fleet size. Beginning on the morning
of Friday October 9, the regatta will kick off with Day 1 of the Port Opua Hobie Cat Challenge,
which has become arguably the most popular event of the regatta. Utilizing Musket Cove
Resort’s fleet of Hobie 16 catamarans, teams will sail in a single-elimination match-racing
tournament. In the early afternoon of Friday, many of the cruising yachties will then trade the
Hobies for their houses and race in the annual Sand Bank Race; a roughly 10 nautical mile race
which exits through a narrow cut in the reef of Musket Cove before sailing towards Namotu
island and then back into the finish just off of the Sandbar. Friday night’s activities will include
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 1, 2020
Media inquiries:
Ronnie Simpson
Media Manager, Fiji Regatta Week
ronniesimpsonmedia@gmail.com
an abbreviated opening ceremony and a welcome dinner before an evening at the resort’s
famous Island Bar with a live DJ set.
Day 2 of the 2020 Fiji Regatta Week will certainly be one to remember. To kick off the day on
Saturday October 10, there will be a Fiji Day celebration in the morning to commemorate the
50th anniversary of Fiji’s independence from British colonial rule. Shortly thereafter will be Day
2 of the Port Opua Hobie Cat Challenge, as well as the inaugural running of the Mamanuca
Board Traders SUP Challenge. Four competitors at a time will race off the beach and around a
buoy before returning back to the beach, again in a single-elimination format. Later on in the
afternoon will see the running of the 5k Rum Run Race. The evening’s festivities will include a
buffer dinner, a live local band and a pirate’s theme; always popular with the sailing crowd.
Sunday’s Day three will feature the Marsden Cove Marina Around Malolo Classic race; a
roughly 15 nautical mile race which circumnavigates Malolo and Malolo Lailai islands. Both
multihull and monohull course records were set in 2017, and currently stand at 1 hour 15
minutes and 45 seconds for the multihulls and 1 hour 39 minutes and 30 seconds for the
monohulls. With the ever-growing fleet of international cruising yachts slated to participate and
several local boats planning to attend, the Around Malolo Classic is always a highlight of the
week. This year in particular, two small but very quick local racing multihulls – a SeaCart 26
trimaran and an 8.5 Meter class catamaran – should be up near the front of the fleet. Sunday
night’s party will include a special ‘Sunday Roast’ buffet dinner plus a DJ set, and fun and
games at the Island Bar.
The fourth and final day of the 37th Fiji Regatta Week, Monday October 12, will start off with
the finals of the Port Opua Hobie Cat Challenge. Last year, Rod and Kerry Waterhouse of
Sydney – parents to Olympic sailor and professional sailor Jason Waterhouse – won a hotly
contested Hobie Cat regatta over several top-flight competitors. With many of the international
ringers unable to travel to Fiji due to the border closures, who will reign supreme this year?
Following the conclusion of the Hobie Cat race, the Mamanuca Board Traders Downwind SUP
Race will take paddlers from Namotu Island to Malolo Lailai; a distance of about 5 nautical
miles. There will be a prize giving, closing ceremony and special buffet dinner on Monday night
at the Island Bar, again with a live DJ set.
Entry into the regatta costs FJ $50 per head for adults, FJ $30 for children 12 and under and
children under 5 are free. The buffet dinners on the opening night and on the final night are
included in the entry fee, as is entry into most events. Any inquiries regarding the regatta,
mooring availability or accommodation should be sent to mcyc@musketcovefiji.com.
