Setouchi Yacht Rally

With an 11-year history, the Setouchi Yacht Rally brings together Japanese and foreign cruisers to leisurely explore the beautiful Seto Inland Sea. In 2024, the Japan Yacht Rally and the Setouchi Yacht Rally rendezvoused at Iki Island, Nagasaki, to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the Ocean Cruising Club.

Konpira Consulting is proud to have been asked by the Japan Ocean Cruising Club to assume the operation of the Setouchi Yacht Rally (SYR) from 2025. We look forward to continuing its tradition of fostering friendships among domestic and international cruisers and of contributing to each of the local communities where the Rally stops.

Rally Details

The 2025 Setouchi Yacht Rally will be held from May 2 to May 25. It will make four stops on four consecutive weekends (Friday to Sunday), with participants free to cruise wherever they want between each stop. At each stop, there will be unique opportunities to appreciate the local history and culture and to interact with members of the local communities.

The May 25 conclusion of the Setouchi Yacht Rally gives Alaska-bound cruisers enough time to get to Hokkaido in preparation for clearing out of Japan in the first half of June.

Schedule

The 2025 SYR will be a four-stop, four-week event, with the schedule as follows.

  • Hiroshima: May 2-4
  • Horie/Matsuyama: May 9-11
  • Yuge: May 16-18
  • Etajima: May 23-25

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

Participation Fee

The 2025 SYR Participation Fee will be as follows.

  • Registration Fee: ¥20,000
  • Boat Fee: ¥160,000/boat and captain (¥30,000 extra for catamarans and boats over 65’)
  • Participants Fee: ¥50,000/person (¥25,000/child aged five and under)

The Full Rally Participation Fee covers:

  • Three nights of moorage at each location;
  • All sightseeing activities, parties, and other activities at each location;
  • A Rally shirt for each person and a Rally burgee;
  • Detailed moorage and sightseeing information for the Seto Inland Sea;
  • Ten hours of personalized support (additional time billed at ¥6,000/hour).

Partial Participation

It is also possible to participate in just one, two, or three stops of the 2025 Setouchi Yacht Rally, with the Participation Fees as follows.

Hiroshima and Horie/Matsuyama

  • Boat Fee: ¥50,000/boat and captain (on a case-by-case basis, extra fees may be assessed for catamarans and boats over 65’)
  • Participants Fee: ¥20,000/person (¥10,000/child aged five and under)

Yuge and Etajima

(in appreciation of special support from the local communities)

  • Boat Fee: ¥30,000/boat and captain
  • Participants Fee: ¥10,000/person (¥5,000/child aged five and under)

The Participation Fee for less than the full Rally covers:

  • Three nights of moorage at each location;
  • All sightseeing activities, parties, and other activities at each location;
  • A Rally shirt for each person and a Rally burgee.

Notes

  • The Registration Fee will be waived for existing Konpira Consulting clients, previous SYR participants, and current members of the Ocean Cruising Club (UK) and the Bluewater Cruising Association (Canada).
  • As much as possible, the SYR will have a 50-50 mix of Japanese and foreign participants.
  • Preference will be given to Full Rally Participants.
  • 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 Setouchi Yacht Rally (and for each of the four stops, although exceptions may be possible on a case-by-case basis), 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 receive an initial invoice covering the Registration Fee (if applicable) and 50% of the Boat Fee. The deadline for paying that invoice is within one month of the invoice date, and 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 February 28, 2025, and must be paid by March 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 February 28, 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 (minus a ¥10,000 Administration Fee) 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 February 28, 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).