The last arrival of the World ARC fleet into Richard’s Bay marked the achievement of the 21 yachts crossing the Indian Ocean! A challenging crossing, particularly for the last half of arrivals included key equipment failures.
“Everything looked fine until Roger noticed a crack in the boom. We had broken the boom!” – Free & BrEasy
With the challenges behind them and fixes and repairs well underway, crews could fully enjoy the welcome that their first taste of South Africa had to offer. With an almost nightly chance to have a brai, a safari of the nearby game reserve, presentation from Roy Cook about cruising south to Cape Town and welcome function hosted by the Zululand Yacht Club, it's been a memorable first week in South Africa for the fleet.
“The animals appeared to have been lined up waiting for us! Within a few hours we had watched and shot (with cameras!) black rhino, white rhino, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, impala, waterbuck and warthogs! But the best were the elephants.” – World ARC crew
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The welcome function for many marked a ‘goodbye for now’ as many will sail alone or in smaller groups over the coming weeks. A packed night of young performers (Nerd Boy Swag), local food, Zulu Warriors, prize giving for Leg 14 and traditional games entertained until the early hours of the morning. A great night was had by all and provided the chance to thank the fleets host who have welcomed the World ARC fleet for four years. Thanks to the Zululand Yacht Club.
Over the coming weeks, the notorious weather will dictate the fleets’ movement south. Before the restart from Cape Town in January, many crews fly home visiting family and friends over Christmas and New Year where they will no doubt share their World ARC adventures made over the last 11 months.