11 Jun 2008

Niue economy gets boom from double hit by ocean yachts

7:39 pm on 11 June 2008

The Niue Yacht Club has hosted more than 60 yachts in the last 10 days.

Club Commodore Keith Vial says because the club only has 20 moorings sailors taking part in two around-the-world yacht races have been staggering their visits.

He says the influx of yachts have provided a real boost to the local economy.

"Apart from the Government levies that they face, which is normal anywhere, they do come ashore and they do tours and they buy up on provisions and they fuel-up. And fuel's expensive here. It's two dollars forty a litre so it's an expensive item. And some of the yachts took on 500 litres of diesel to make sure they had enough in their tanks."

Mr Vial says the club likes to call itself the Biggest Little Yacht Club in the World because despite not having any yachts of its own and only having two local members that have any sailing experience it has a worldwide memership of over 1000 yachties.