Hawaii Yacht Club - Spectacular Parade

by Ray Pendleton/Sail-World on 1 Dec 2008 Over in Honolulu, they know how to sail, and they know how to party. Put it together and you have a Flashy Flotilla planned as a Christmas Celebration Parade this year, with great prizes for the flashiest boat, and a great formula which yacht clubs round the world could do worse than copy.

The parade is the annual Christmas Boat Parade, which the Hawaii Yacht Club has organized for the past 14 years. This year, however, there have been some changes made in its format that promise to make it the best one yet.

For starters, the Honolulu Yacht Club is co-sponsoring the parade with its Ala Wai Harbour neighbor, the Waikiki Yacht Club, a move that is likely to ensure there will be a solid foundation of participants.

Then, the parade's organizers have made arrangements with the popular eating tower, Aloha Tower Marketplace, that will not only encourage boater participation, but in return will guarantee a spectacular floating light show for the patrons of the Marketplace as well....and it's the Marketplace that are offering the prizes!

The parade's route has historically taken it out of the Ala Wai Harbor and west along the coast to Honolulu Harbor, where it makes a couple of passes by the Marketplace before returning to the Ala Wai.

That's not going to change, but this year the Marketplace is offering $200 to as many as 35 power boats or sailboats that enter and complete the parade route, which will surely help defray this year's record fuel costs for their owners. The Marketplace will also award a $200 prize to the 'Over-all Winner.'

The parade's theme is 'Toys on Parade,' and in hopes of prompting boaters to decorate lavishly, I'm sure, two of the Marketplace's waterfront restaurants are offering generous cash prizes as well.

For boats 20 feet and longer, the Gordon Biersch Brewery will present awards of $400 for first place, $350 for second, and $250 for third. For boats under 20 feet, Hooters Restaurant will present $200 for first, $150 for second, and $50 for third.

The parade's flashy flotilla will begin congregating in the turning basin opposite the Hawaii Yacht Club's docks on the evening of Dec. 13 at 5:30, so for even those not taking part, the viewing will be grand from nearly every vantage point on shore.

Still, I doubt there will be a finer site than the dock-level view of the harbor from one of the Aloha Tower Marketplace's first-rate eateries. It's no-lose formula for everyone.

Ray Pendleton is a free-lance writer based in Honolulu. He can be reached by e-mail at raypendleton@mac.com.