Heading west after leaving the Galapagos, the luxury yachts by Oyster, participating in the Oyster World Rally, have cruised more than 3,000 miles of Pacific Ocean to come to their new location of the French Polynesia.

Luxury yachts by Oyster in the beautiful yacht charter destination - the French Polynesia

Divided among five archipelagos, the French Polynesian collection of 118 islands covers a vast area of the southeastern Pacific Ocean where the World Rally participants will explore and indulge in the beauty that makes up these precious isles.

Having just undertaken the substantial crossing, which forms a large part of the rally, Oyster owners and their crews were delighted to receive such a warm welcome from the natives of Nuku Hiva, which is the largest of the Marquesas islands, as they were treated to an inspired festival organized in honour by the people of the Taiohaie and Taipivai valleys.

Encapsulating the charisma of the islands, Oyster World Rally Event Manager, Debbie Johnson said, “After a week in the Marquesas we are running out of words to describe the beauty of the islands, and the welcome of its people. The towering cliffs are a feast for the eyes after the passage at sea and as you draw a little closer, the smells of the island awaken the senses; the smell of land, after over two weeks on the ocean is something that is difficult to describe to those who have not experienced it. Sailing into a Marquesan bay, the sight of green after weeks dominated by blue is completely refreshing. At first everything is a blur of green, but as the eyes adjust you can see that it is not one colour, but a thousand shades, and with a complete lack of pollution it almost feels that it is possible to see each individual leaf on every tree. Smells also begin to separate – damp earth, rich vegetation, undertones of wood smoke, and for those lucky enough to make landfall at dawn, the delicious scents of fresh French bread wafting from the bakery at the head of the bay.

“Once ashore the friendliness of the people is almost overwhelming; everybody has time to say hello, to ask where you have come from, how long you are staying, and what they can give to you. No walk is over until you are laden with gifts of fruit – kilos of sweet pamplemousse, mangoes, bananas and papaya all add to the ardour of the hike, but are impossible to refuse.”

Next stop is Tahiti, then from the Pacific the fleet will head to the Great Barrier Reef.