Calendar / Hawaiki Nui Va'a
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Witness / Attend in Bora Bora
Hawaiki Nui Va'a
Oct 29–31, 2026ConfirmedHawaiki Nui Va'a 2026 (33rd edition)
Scheduled and sanctioned by Federation Tahitienne de Va'a.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why go
The Hawaiki Nui Va'a finishes in the Bora Bora lagoon, and there is no better place to witness the biggest event in Polynesian sport. The va'a, the outrigger canoe, is the vessel that carried the first settlers across the Pacific, and this race is its modern proving ground: six-person crews paddle an 80-mile open-ocean course over three days, from Huahine to Raiatea, on to Tahaa and finally across to Bora Bora, battling swell, current and each other with no motor and no rest. The finish under the peak of Otemanu, as painted canoes sprint the last stretch into the lagoon and the crowds line the beach and the boats, is a raw, emotional spectacle that fills the island. Come for the finale and you also get Bora Bora itself, the postcard lagoon, the coral gardens and the drumming and dancing that welcome the paddlers home.
When it runs
Held over three consecutive days in late October or early November each year, run by the Comite Organisateur Hawaiki Nui Va'a for the Federation Tahitienne de Va'a, which owns the race. Six-person outrigger crews paddle an 80-mile open-ocean course from Huahine to Raiatea, on to Tahaa, and finishing in the Bora Bora lagoon on the final day. Upcoming: 33rd edition, 29 to 31 October 2026 (Bora Bora finish 31 October); 2027 dates fall in late October or early November and are confirmed by the organiser nearer the time.
- Oct 29–31, 2026ConfirmedHawaiki Nui Va'a 2026 (33rd edition)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
The race is held over three consecutive days in late October or early November, with the leg into Bora Bora on the final day and, in some years, a closing lagoon race the day after. In 2026 the 33rd edition runs 29 to 31 October, with the Bora Bora finish on 31 October. It is an austral-spring event at the tail of the dry season, so conditions are warm; the open-ocean legs depend on the trade winds and swell of the day. The finish and the surrounding festivities draw large crowds to the lagoon and beaches.
Getting there & around
Bora Bora is reached by a short Air Tahiti flight from Papeete or Raiatea to the lagoon airport on a motu, then a boat transfer to the main island and its beaches. To witness the finish, base on Bora Bora for the final day of the race or follow the earlier legs from Huahine, Raiatea and Tahaa. Accommodation runs from pensions to overwater resorts and books out well ahead for the race and the surrounding October to November high season, so plan and reserve early.
Where it happens
Bora Bora, French Polynesia.
Want to go? The full Bora Bora guide: conditions, logistics, providers →