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Experiencing St. Petersburg



The ARC Baltic stopover in St. Petersburg hasn’t been one to disappoint. Living up to the city and rally expectation, a mixture of culture and architecture has entertained crews over the last week during their stay in Russia.

On arrival one week ago, crews experienced a thorough customs check at the island of Kronstadt, 18 nautical miles from the St. Petersburg River Yacht Club. During a skippers briefing in Tallinn, all crews were provided with pre-filled entry documents for arrival in Russia. This was supported by the ARC Baltic employed agent Vladimir Ivankiv and his assistant Marina who helped crews though the entire process with paper work and any need for translation. As a result, all 19 boats cleared smoothly, a clear benefit of sailing to Russia with the Rally.

The social programme this year included one extra day due to the feedback on the Rally in 2014. As a result, this created two full free days for participants to relax or further explore the sights of St. Petersburg. On Friday, the fleet visited the Hermitage Museum. Arriving early, an organised private tour before the museum was opened to the public. Following the private tour, a personal welcome reception in the stunning Hermitage Theatre set for a cultural day. Welcomed by Svetlana Philippova (Head of the Hermitage Friend’s Department) it was explained that the entry fees for the fleet would be donated to the restoration of one of the many ongoing projects in the museum.

“The next morning we were treated to a reception in the Hermitage theatre followed by a private tour of the museum before it opened to the public – World Cruising Club you excelled yourself!  Words cannot express the magnificence and grandeur of this stunningly beautiful palace – a moment in life where breath was truly taken away.  We finished the day with a vodka tasting session in the Vodka Museum” - Shenanigan

       

Saturday provided the chance for a visit to Peterhof Museum Reserve (Summer Palace). Once again the collection of art and decorative gold was overwhelming. The Palace gardens are pristine with over 140 fountains of which many Peter the Great himself chose for his humorous character, designed to wet his guests. The Palace today is still used by officials and royals on important occasions. The evenings were filled enjoying ballets, operas or Russian folk shows, most taking place in the Marinski Theatre, both old and new stages completing the experience of St. Petersburg for most.

This morning marked the start of the slower pace of ARC Baltic. After three weeks of a tight schedule sailing east to Russia, crews can now enjoy a more relaxed schedule sailing through the archipelagos of Finland, Aland and Sweden. The next stop for the fleet is Helsinki on Thursday, where they are hosted by the oldest yacht club in Finland, the Nyländska Jaktklubben. 


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