ARC participants were treated to an amazing party last night sponsored by the Tobago Carnival Regatta at the Sotavento Club. The ARC staff arrived dressed to impress in full pirate gear, complete with bandanas, daggers, eye patches and earrings. It was good to see many crews had made a big effort to come along dressed in fancy dress ready to join in the carnival fun. Live entertainers were flown over especially from Tobago and certainly got everyone in the carnival mood. The steel pan music and amazing ‘soca’ singer mesmerised us all with her amazing snake-like moves.

After the festivities the French boats had to return home so they were joined by a couple of Canadian boats in the Le Retour Aux Sources Rally (Back to the Roots). The yachts crossed the Atlantic together in July and after a prolonged stopover in the Azores, they headed to La Rochelle where the celebrations continued.

Cat Mousses, the Privilege 39 owned by the Bourassa family from Quebec, was among this group and started its four year circumnavigation by joining the memorial event. In La Rochelle the children went to school for four weeks but then the family set sail to head south. They cruised the French, Spanish and Portuguese coast and spent some time in Madeira.