The annual Sail Past is one of the biggest, if not the biggest event of the Royal Suva Yacht Club.
It started when the RSYC was established 84 years ago. While the boats have changed, people changed, the RSYC too, the old age tradition of the Sail Past has been untouched, boasting the rich heritage of the RSYC.
The Sail Past is significant in the sailing world because it officially opens the sailing year.
The Sail Past involves a cleric, this year it was Father Mika Paunga, the Commodore, Mark Hirst and the Rear Commodore, Patricia Punja on a big boat (main boat) and lots of other boats from the harbour.
The commodore, rear commodore and the cleric get into the main boat and sail to the middle of the Suva Harbour.
Once there, the cleric offers a prayer and blesses the water.
After this ritual, the rest of the boats sail around the main boat to be blessed by the cleric. The boats come in order to be blessed, from the very small punts and hobie cats to the big sailing boats and yachts.
They are saluted by the commodore and rear commodore who are at the bow of the boat. They sail around the main boat to the stern where the cleric is located, he offers prayer for the blessing of the vessels and safe waters when they pass.
Once the last boat is blessed, they return to the RSYC for drinks and food.
Commodore of the RSYC Mark Hirst, who has held the position for three years explains it as a momentous occasion.
"I remember back in 2009 when I first became the commodore.
"Before that I was the rear commodore that stood on the side of the boat and always got splashed on by the other boats after they got blessed.
"It has always been a thrilling occasion but to get to conduct the Sail Past when I became the commodore was very memorable for me," Mr Hirst says.
Over the years, boat owners have livened up the Sail Past by decorating their vessels with different flags on their mast.
Some crews even come in costumes and specially designed T-shirts just to mark the occasion.
Boat owners also throw water onto other boat owners when they pass each other in the harbour and there is delicious food and exkys full of beer on board to cater to those munchies when sailing.
With the Sail Past now well and over, the sailing calendar of the RSYC opens with several competitions already lined up for the week.