Japan Yacht Rally

The 2025 Japan Yacht Rally, being organized by Konpira Consulting, will take participants from the southern island of Okinawa to Hokkaido in the north. This is planned especially to help cruisers safely make the most of their relatively short time in Japan while heading to Alaska and/or other North America destinations. For cruisers who want to stay in the country longer, the JYR will help them get familiar with the unique aspects of cruising Japan so that they are more comfortable cruising Japan on their own after the Rally.

Schedule

The JYR will be a three-stop, 10-week event, with the schedule as follows.

  • Yonabaru Marina, Okinawa: March 14 to 16 (cruisers are advised to arrive a few days early to get ready to cruise Japan)...then 600NMs to:
  • Iki Island, off the NW coast of Kyushu: April 18 to 20...then 1,000NMs to:
  • Otaru Marina, Hokkaido: May 30-June 1 (clear-out from Wakkanai, 1-2 days north of Otaru).

It is a fairly tight schedule, but that’s the weather-determined reality of when one can enter southern Japan and should leave Hokkaido for Alaska and beyond. To help each participating boat keep to that schedule, the Organizer will provide customized advice on moorage options and recommended overnight passages.

At each rendezvous stop there will be an orientation, a local bus tour, a dinner/party with members of the local community, a pre-departure breakfast, and other activities.

Participation Fee

The 2025 JYR Participation Fee will consist of a:

  • Registration Fee: ¥20,000;
  • Boat Fee: ¥200,000/boat and captain;
  • Participants Fee: ¥50,000/person

The Participation Fee covers:

  • Up to 20 hours of clear-in and clear-out support, any time within a month before and a month after the Rally (time over that would be billed at ¥6,000/hour);
  • A Japan courtesy flag, a Konpira Consulting burgee, and Rally polo shirts for all participants;
  • Advice on preparing oneself and one’s boat for cruising Japan;
  • Detailed information on moorage options (primary and back-ups) along the JYR route;
  • Information on weather, currents, tides, and locations of aquaculture areas as the participants head to each rendezvous point;
  • Tours, dinners, and other activities at the rendezvous locations;
  • Three nights of moorage at each rendezous location;
  • A discount on the support fee for the NewPecSmart digital charting app;
  • Up to 20 hours of personalized support (time over that would be billed at ¥6,000/hour).

Notes

  • Time and expenses related to arranging for the import/export of pets and/or to providing other special support/services would not be covered by the Participation Fee. Those would be handled on a case-by-case basis.
  • For each boat, the Registration Fee is only assessed for participating in one rally organized by Konpira Consulting. It would be waived for the second rally.
  • Supplementary moorage fees may be assessed for boats of over 65’ LOA.
  • Members of the Ocean Cruising Club and the Bluewater Cruising Association will be exempt from paying the Registration Fee and will receive up to 25 hours of personalized support.
  • All fees are subject to the 10% Japanese Consumption Tax.

Applications

A minimum of five and a maximum of eight boats will be accepted for the 2025 Japan Yacht Rally, with confirmations issued in the order of which applications and initial payments are received.

To apply, please complete the accompanying application form and send it, along with a copy of your boat registration document, to kirk@konpira-consulting.com.

Download Application Form (Excel)

Payments

Upon receipt of your application, you will be sent an initial invoice covering the Registration Fee and 50% of the Boat Fee (¥100,000). The deadline for paying that invoice is November 30, 2024. Payment of that invoice confirms your participation in the Rally. The final invoice, for the other 50% of the Boat Fee and for the Participants Fee, will be issued by December 15 and must be paid by January 31, 2025.

Refund Policy

  • The Registration Fee is non-refundable.
  • If the Organizer cancels the Rally because of an insufficient number of participants or for any other reason, the participants will receive a full refund of the paid Boat and Participants fees or can choose to have the refund applied to other/future rallies or to other Konpira Consulting services.
  • If a participant cancels by January 31, 2025, they will receive a refund of 80% of the paid Boat and Participants fees or can choose to have that amount applied to other/future rallies or to other Konpira Consulting services. However, if the Organizer is able to find a replacement participant, the cancelling participant would receive a full refund of the paid Boat and Participants fees or can choose to have that amount applied to other/future rallies or to other Konpira Consulting services.
  • If a participant cancels after January 31, 2025, there will be no refund. However, if the Organizer is able to find a replacement participant, the cancelling participant would receive a refund of 80% of the paid Boat and Participants fees or can choose to have that amount applied to other/future rallies or to other Konpira Consulting services.

If the maximum eight boats have applied and paid the initial invoice, a waiting list will be maintained for those who apply and pay the initial invoice. If boats on the waiting list are ultimately not admitted to the Rally, they will receive a full refund (excluding the Registration Fee).

Full Report for 2024 Japan Yacht Rally

Read the full report on the 2024 Japan Yacht Rally in Kirk’s Take.