"Move your paddle silently through the water"

"Move your paddle silently through the water"

Fiji - Suva, Friday March 7, 2011:

"In 2010 the maiden International Voyage of the Fiji Islands Voyaging Society flagship, Uto Ni Yalo was a huge success". "The crew has been preparing for another journey to protect and preserve our Ocean", says Fiji Islands Voyaging Society President, Colin Philp.

"The Fiji Islands Voyaging Society is dedicated to promoting the protection of our Ocean by highlighting the unique way our ancestors lived in harmony with nature". "At the same time we hope to inspire our own people to be proud of our unique Pacific culture and heritage".

"We must ensure future generations can continue to live from our Ocean", Philp says.

13 new sailors will join 3 seasoned crew members under the guidance of Lautoka bred "Dau Levu", Captain Johnathan Smith onboard the 'Uto ni Yalo' for another 1053 nautical mile trip to New Zealand this month.

The estimated transit time is 7 to 8 days with favorable wind conditions and they will be out to beat last years crossing of six days to North Head, the Northern tip of the North Island.

While in Auckland, the Uto ni Yalo will be fitted with solar powered engines before embarking on a 4,648 nautical mile trip to the beautiful islands of Hawaii.

More experienced crew-members will join the Uto ni Yalo in New Zealand, where four other Vaka's with crew members from Samoa, Aotearoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Kiribati will assemble.

In the Tuamotu Islands in Tahiti, the Vaka of the Cook Islands and Tahiti will join the flotilla. All seven canoes will undertake the voyage to Hawaii using Traditional Navigation, as a way of honouring the leadership of Hawaii in re-establishing Traditional Voyaging in the seventies.

Crew from all seven Vaka's will be acting as cultural and environmental ambassadors of the Pacific.

ENDS

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