Isis is the winner!

Team Isis arrived a week before any of the other boats and hence had a long wait to confirm that we had won the Trophy for the Cruising Division of the rally to Noumea.

Local Dancers started opened the presentations in style

Nick explaining the Australian dancing style in his Hawaiian shirt!

Commodore Greg Clarke from RQYS signals time for presentations

Proud owners of Isis X accepting their trophy (glass & hard to see)

Tony Love (Lovely) of Patriot tucking into the post prize night feed

Team Isis explore Noumea with Godfather 2

We all bundled into Christian's FWD for a tour of some of the Noumea highlights

Noumea looking towards Port Moselle

Mixture of old run down buildings and new

Place des Cocotiers which is a park in centre of Noumea

Suburbs around Noumea

Christian, Nick, Alison & Kings en tour

Kings at entrance to spectacular Tjibaou Cultural Centre

Phil & friend in the foyer of Tjibaou

Blends of modern and traditional culture

View from the lookout across lagoon

View south in direction of Ille de Pins

Picnic lunch at the lookout thanks to Alison

Isis welcoming the Racing Boats to Noumea

Team Isis has had a busy time welcoming the racing crews as they arrive, all day and throughout the night!

V5 from NZ arrives at sunset

Commordore Greg Clarke & Carl

Alacrity from Oz arrives

Team Isis get into the arrival spirit for Patriot

Patriot gets a special welcome

NZ TP52

Isis from the mast top

Kings mans the computers to check on progress

Cercle Nautique Caledonien (CNC) and Noumea - June 2012

Cercle Nautique Caledonien (CNC) is our host Club while in Noumea and they are providing berthing for all yachts in the Rallies and Races from Brisbane and Auckland, which is about 35 yachts including the Trimaran Vodafone.  Isis X was the 1st Queensland Rally boat to depart (taking advantage of a favourable forecast) so we are enjoying a week of French hospitality until the other crews arrive.

CNC is overlooked by the Naval base in New Caledonia and the marina is very tight!  We are about 5km from the centre of Noumea but finding, with the help of very friendly locals, that nothing is too hard!

Isis in our 1st allocated berth (see later)

Under the Navy's watchful eye!

Isis proudly displaying her Noumea race flag

1st meal in Noumea!

Alison, Roy, Kings, Phil, Grant & Nick

Grant leading our 1st "Route March"

Crew in the sore foot rest area!

Alison attacks a "French Dessert"

Christian (Godfather 2), Alison, Phil, Marc (local helper), Nick and Roy (Godfather 1)

Magical Isis X under lights (new berth)

Isis X enroute to Noumea days 2, 3 and 4!

As predicted the winds strengthened, 20+kts, and backed east as we progressed along our course but were still able to stay just south of the rhumbline.  As it evolved we remained on starboard tack from Caloundra until the reef off Noumea which was a long 760nm leg. 

Life on Isis was hard on the Isis crew as we launched off waves into mid air doing 10kts but galley slave Alison didn't miss a beat as we continually were served hot and hearty meals to keep our energy up.

Late afternoon on the last day saw us putting in several tacks up the outside of the reef were we entered the lagoon doing 10kts in the dark to our exciting finish in the Noumea Harbour. 

The trip/"cruise" took 4 days 9 hours and after filling in customs/immigration forms we relaxed in the cockpit of Isis for a well earned drink with our allocated "Godfather" Roy who will be looking after us during our stay.

Smiling Captain

Grant & Phil

Kingsley gearing up for life outside

Captain strapped into Nav Station

2 Reefs in Main and very little Jib

Last sunset at sea with 18Nm to go!

Last sunrise at sea

New Caledonia and the reef off Noumea

Skipper Kingsley guides us up the reef

Roy (Godfather), Nick, Phil, Grant, Alison (Photo by Kingsley)

Leaving Brisbane for Noumea on Sunday 27 May

Isis X had a 7.00am Customs clearance followed by a 8.00am departure from the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. The crew of Nick, Alison, Kingsley, Grant and Phil were looking forward to the start of their Pacific adventure on a cool Brisbane morning with a favourable forecast.

We had a good following breeze to get Isis X across the bay and out past the Fairway marker at Caloundra where we set our course east to the entrance reef off Noumea.  Wind was just forward of abeam and very pleasant.

Glasshouse Mountains disappearing in the background