Fair Winds to the 2026 Pacific Rally Fleet

Every year, a remarkable community of sailors points their bows north and sets off across one of the most beautiful — and most demanding — cruising grounds on the planet. The 2026 Pacific Rally, organised by Island Cruising, is once again underway, and here at RedEx we want to send our warmest wishes to every skipper and crew making the crossing this season: fair winds, following seas, and safe landfalls.

One of the world’s great yacht rallies

This year’s rally saw close to 190 vessels depart from New Zealand and Australia, making it one of the largest organised yacht rallies anywhere in the world. The fleet is wonderfully diverse — sailing yachts and powerboats ranging from around 30 to 75 feet — but every boat shares the same spirit of adventure and seamanship.

What makes the Pacific Rally special is its flexible format. Rather than a rigid single route, participants choose their own departure dates and destinations while drawing on the support, briefings and camaraderie that Island Cruising provides. Most New Zealand-based crews aim first for Tonga or Fiji, then work their way west through the islands — Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and beyond — chasing the trade winds across the South Pacific.

Months of preparation behind every crossing

An ocean passage is never taken lightly. In the months leading up to the start, crews took part in regular online training sessions and gathered for briefings and social events at The Boat Works on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Marsden Cove Marina, and Bay of Islands Marina in New Zealand. Weather routing, provisioning, safety drills, boat prep — every detail matters when your home is a small boat on a very big ocean.

To everyone who has put in that work: it shows, and it’s what keeps this community safe and thriving year after year.

Staying connected across the islands

For all the romance of being off-grid at sea, most cruisers know the value of getting back online the moment they reach an anchorage — to check the weather, message family, upload a few photos, or clear into a new country. Between island groups, mobile coverage changes with every border, and juggling physical SIM cards from each nation’s carrier can be a hassle when you’re stepping off a dinghy at a new port.

That’s exactly the kind of problem a travel eSIM solves. With RedEx, you can load a local or regional data plan before you even drop anchor — covering Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the wider Pacific — and switch between them without hunting for a SIM shop ashore. And because many of our plans include voice and SMS with a number, staying reachable is simpler than ever. (One honest note for sailors who need a genuine local number for check-in or verification: coverage and number type vary by island, so if that’s a hard requirement, it’s always worth confirming with us first — or picking up a local physical SIM on arrival.)

You can explore our Pacific island plans here: Fiji eSIM and our full destination list at redex.vip.

From all of us at RedEx — safe passage

To every skipper, first mate, and crew member on the 2026 Pacific Rally: we’re cheering you on from shore. May your passages be smooth, your anchorages calm, and your landfalls everything you’ve dreamed of. Enjoy the islands, look after each other, and here’s to a safe and unforgettable season on the water.

Fair winds and following seas. ⛵