Royal Nomuka Yacht Club
Adventurer, Don McIntyre now calls Nomuka Iki home after a lifetime of adventures which have taken him around the world.
28 January 2018
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The beautiful, uninhabited island in the Kingdom of Tonga is owned by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupouto’a-‘Ulukalala, who in October 2015 raised the burgee of the Royal Nomuka Yacht Club there for the first time.
The Royal Nomuka Yacht Club were strong supporters of this year’s NZ Millennium Cup, supporting festivities at the Duke of Marlborough, while entry Ammonite raced under the Royal Nomuka burgee.
While Tongan sailors used to rule the Pacific, sadly they no longer sail. They are the only Pacific nation not a part of the Oceania Sailing Federation and I hope to reverse this with the first ever sail training fleet of six optimist dinghies including rescue boat and safety gear now in Tonga,” says McIntyre.
“The first challenge is to teach the kids to swim, then form the Tongan Sailing Federation before finally joining the Oceania Sailing Federation. Once the Club house is built, we start local construction of Five 6.5m Tahiti Wayfarer, twin hull ethnic sailing canoes, with Crab Claw sails and traditional Polynesian steering oars. A nine-day live-in formal VAKA sailing school will then train Tongan youth 15-25 in the culture, history and skill of sailing traditional craft. Ultimately we will introduce Lasers and Hobbie 16’s.”
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McIntyre’s organisation, McIntyre Adventure is underwriting and kick starting the entire operation, which will cover the Optimist training fleet and teaching aids at a cost of AU$34,000, RNYC building and infrastructure AU$240,000 and five 6.5 metre Vakas AU$50,000.
“We hope to find passionate new supporters and partners in this important Tongan effort to reintroduce this lost art to young Tongans. We launched that drive globally at the NZ 2018 Millennium Cup.”
The Royal Nomuka Yacht Club is offering the following sponsor packages:
- Six-year sponsorship and signage on each Optimist for AU$4000.
- Three founding partnerships in the RNYC for AU$40,000.
- Six-year sponsorship and signage of a VAKA (2019-2023) are available for AU$6000.
- Life membership to the RNYC (subject to approval by a flag officer) are available for AU$1000. Annual general membership is only AU$50.
“Marcus Blackmore and Caroline Furlong have become our first life members and Blackmores Laboratories has accepted one of the three RNYC Founding Partnerships. Two remain,” says McIntyre.
“The Royal Nomuka Yacht Club welcomes Ammonite to its register of member yachts and as Commodore, I was very excited to be sailing onboard with Marcus Blackmore and flying our Burgee as a RNYC entry in the 2018 Millennium Cup,” he continues.
The RNYC is proud to be Host Yacht Club and organiser of the 50th Anniversary of the Golden Globe Race with all 26 entrants now honorary members. McIntyre Adventure is also underwriter of this event. This solo non-stop race around the world is attracting huge global interest. The 2018 Golden Globe Race celebrates traditional values and a return to the golden age of sailing.
That means sailing small rugged traditional yachts up to 36 foot long without the benefit of satellite based navigation aids or any digital equipment. Skippers must navigate using sextant, paper charts and wind-up chronometer, and record their experiences on paper, tape and celluloid film. Like the original 1968 Sunday Times Race, the 2018 Golden Globe Race is very simple.
Depart Les Sables d’Olonne France 1st July 2018 and sail solo around the world via the five great capes.
Return to Les Sables d’Olonne without stopping.
The challenge is pure and very raw; one based on human endeavor that sets this event apart as the greatest test of personal endurance and character.
millenniumcup.com
www.GoldenGlobeRace.com
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