Calling All Panama Puddle Jumpers

As regular readers know, the annual migration from the West Coast of the Americas to French Polynesia is growing into one of the largest cruising rallies on the planet. As we write this, the tally of registered boats about to make this 3,000-mile nonstop passage is up to 191 boats.

We used to include only boats heading west from Mexico, but when more and more boats passing through Panama asked to be included, we said, "Why not? The more the merrier." So, with that in mind, we’ll be taking a quickie trip to Panama next week at the invitation of the Balboa YC, to put on the first-ever Panama Puddle Jumpers’ Kickoff Party, with the help of a Tahitian co-host who represents Tahiti Tourism and several other pro-cruiser partners.

The event is slated for Saturday, March 6 (noon to 4 p.m.) at the Balboa YC, where we look forward to meeting as many westbound sailors as possible. Two multimedia presentations will give cruisers an overview of French Polynesia’s archipelagos, and a preview of what they can expect at this year’s Tahiti-Moorea Sailing Rendezvous, slated for June 18-20. Look for follow-up reports on both events here, and in the pages of Latitude 38.