MUSKET Cove Island Resort & Marina on Malolo Lailai island is demonstrating even more of a nautical personality this week by welcoming 29 sailing boats for the World ARC Rally to its beautiful shores.
The resort will see the arrival of skippers, crews and yachts from 14 different nations participating in this 15 month long sailing event during the next few days.
The World ARC event is an epic voyage around the world involving sailing yachts from 40 - 67 feet.
It started from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia in January this year and will return there next April. Following the start, the fleet have transited the Panama Canal and crossed the Pacific Ocean calling at the Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia (including Tahiti & Bora Bora), Niue and Tonga.
The yachts and crews arrived in Fiji during June and having arrived at the ports of Savusavu, Suva or Lautoka have been busy exploring the country's different islands until now.
"We are looking forward to welcoming all the Rally Participants to Musket Cove prior to the start of their race to Vanuatu on Saturday," said Olivia Mavoa, General Manager of Musket Cove Resort.
"They will get together for a week's programme of fun and relaxation, supported by Musket Cove Resort, before setting off to the island of Tanna in Vanuatu on Saturday. The crews will enjoy a BBQ, a Fijian Feast and an activities afternoon as well as many of the numerous activities which the resort offers."
Event Manager for the rally, Paul Tetlow, from rally organisers World Cruising Club commented: "We are delighted to be in Musket Cove Resort and Marina with our seventh round the world rally. We have been visiting here with different fleets for many years. The welcome for the yachts has been superb and the facilities for relaxation and fun are outstanding. It is the perfect place for the fleet to gather before their next passage to Vanuatu. On behalf of World Cruising Club and the crews of World ARC 2012-13 I would like to say a tremendous thank you to the owners, management and staff at Musket Cove Resort and Marina for what promises to be another outstanding stay"
The 27 yachts range in size from 12m to 21m. The skippers represent the following nations: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Russian Federation, United Kingdom, United States America