The Ninigo Islands is a group of thirty-one islands lying 140 nautical miles north-east of Vanimo on mainland Papua New Guinea. Since time can remember people have commuted between the scattered islands using outrigger canoes. Each year during the SE Trade wind season, competitive canoe races are held with many of the islands taking part.

In 2000 the first Great Ninigo Islands Canoe Race took place in which all islands were invited to compete. In 2015 the event was repeated on the island of Mal for only the second time, with ninety-six outrigger canoes taking part. You can read an account of it on Yacht Adina’s blog (see web link).

Plans are now in place to keep this tradition going with the race being held annually. In 2016 the racing is scheduled to take place from 25th August and yachts are invited – see poster created by Yacht Adina (pdf ‘The Great Ninigo Islands Canoe Race 2016’) also available on their blog and ‘The Great Ninigo Islands Canoe Race’ Facebook page created by John Stokes who spent time in the Ninigo Islands as a child and is a supporter of keeping these great traditional races going.