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Sailing to the sun with ARC Portugal



Offering wonderful sailing, superb seafood, and friendly beachfront ports, exploring the Portuguese coastline has long been a popular cruising location for those getting their first taste of the liveaboard lifestyle. For over two decades, ARC Portugal has been bringing together yachts of all shapes and sizes to sail south to Marina De Lagos - renowned as one of the premier marinas on the Portuguese Coast.

The rally departs from Plymouth, UK in June and crosses the Bay of Biscay to Bayona, then cruises south in a series of day sails with stopovers in welcoming marinas along the way to finish in Marina de Lagos a little over three weeks later. This scenic and social rally is credited as much more than a delivery trip to the Algarve – it offers guided visits ashore to explore historic cities, excellent meals with breathtaking views and introducing sailors to life-long cruising friends.

The route for ARC Portugal has also evolved during the lifetime of the rally and features some of the best historic locations on the Iberian Peninsula including Bayona, Povoa de Varzim, Porto, Figueira da Foz, Peniche, Oeiras and Sines. “All the ports that we visited were very different so the balance was good.” Said Sean Clarke from May who sailed with ARC Portugal in 2015. “We really enjoyed the rally and I would highly recommend it.

Along the way, participants can visit the historic pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela; enjoy regional wine tasting in the heart of the Vinho Verde region; visit the oldest university in Portugal; take a trip to cosmopolitan Lisbon; lounge on the beach or go surfing; enjoy a yacht club drinks reception and a sardine BBQ.

Some use the rally as part of their cruise south to the Canary Islands for the ARC, Peter and Nicky Harvey on their Bowman 48 Chanto joined the rally in 2015. Confirmed ARC and ARC+ entrants even benefit from a complimentary crew place on ARC Portugal, and it’s an ideal way to begin the adventure with a fixed time incentive to set sail with preparations support from World Cruising Club.

The rally’s finish port, Marina de Lagos offers a warm welcome with modern and secure berthing, and there are excellent boatyard facilities nearby. Its proximity to Faro for international flight connections makes it a convenient cruising base for those with visiting friends and family, or returning home. The marina is also conveniently located for those wishing to venture into the Mediterranean.

The 2015 rally was summed up by David Dick of Degree of Latitude, “Good sailing, interesting ports, good company and well organised!

The 2016 edition of the rally sets sail on Sunday 5 June from Mayflower Marina in Plymouth, bound for Bayona as the first port of call. Read more about the dates and route


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