Yesterday evening marked the end of the fleets shortened time in Bayona with a welcoming reception at the Monte Real Yacht Club. A prize giving for Leg 1 was held in the grounds of the old fort overlooking the marina and town. It was a fitting venue to celebrate the crossing of Biscay and start of the coastal sailing south to Lagos over the next two weeks.
Taking first place on corrected time was Tazkeena IV who were closely followed by Isabella of Portsmouth, now setting a precedent for future legs of the rally. The racing prizes were followed by the fun competitions awards including yacht May guessing the closest mileage that the Rally team drove from Plymouth to Cowes after the start.
This morning the fleet departed Spain for Leg 2 of the Rally (Bayona to Povoa de Varzim) where a fair breeze allowed them to sail across the line between the committee vessel and red buoy inner mark. A 50 nautical mile sail with variable winds made for a slow passage, however the sightings of dolphins and sharks en-route entertained throughout the day. Tonight crews can relax and look forward to a dinner hosted by the Clube Naval Povence in the center of Povoa.