With two days to go before the rally start from Tortola at midday on Saturday, everyone is busy making last minute preparations for the crossing, completing the necessary paperwork such as data sheets and crew declarations with the Rally Office and making sure they are well stocked for the 850 nautical mile passage to Bermuda that will take most around six days.
Nanny Cay marina, boatyard and hotel has plenty of marina services and facilities on site, including a convenient small supermarket, but this morning two complimentary buses took participants to Riteway supermarket in Road Town for the big shop!
All yachts have now been fitted with a YB satellite tracker for the rally, allowing family and friends to follow the progress of a particular boat or the fleet as a whole. There will also be blogs from the boats, photos and daily news on the rally websites, along with the fleet viewer: http://www.worldcruising.com/arc_europe
Tonight the social programme continues and it is the big one. A Farewell Dinner for the 200+ participants in the rally, starting with a welcome drink at the Nanny Cay Beach Bar, followed by a West Indian buffet upstairs at Peg Leg’s. A great chance for everyone to enjoy a relaxing evening on the penultimate night before the start. Tomorrow it’s down to the serious stuff; Customs & Immigration check-outs and the Skippers’ Briefing.