The dates and route for Rally Portugal 2012 have been announced, and the entry list is now open.

The rally will start in Plymouth on 3 June 2012, and finish in Lagos on 27 June.  The rally ports are: Plymouth, Bayona; Póvoa de Varzim; Aviero; Figueira da Foz; Peniche; Oeiras; Sines and Lagos.

Rally Portugal 2011 came to an end on Tueday night, when all the crews from the thirteen participating boats got together for their final Prizegiving dinner, hosted by the event sponsor Marina de Lagos.

The last sailing leg of Rally Portugal had provided the fleet with some light winds, but it was a relaxed journey down the coastline from Sines, where the boats had been based for a couple of days. Cruising chutes and spinnakers filled in the warm afternoon sun as the winds picked up, and there was plenty of friendly banter between the boats on the VHF radio.

The Rally Portugal 2011 fleet sailed their last leg yesterday from Sines down to Marina de Lagos, on Portugal’s sunny Algarve coast. It was a long day sail of 75 miles, and the boats set off from Sines between 0530 and 0630 this morning to ensure they arrived at their destination in good time last night.

There was an atmosphere of relaxation and reflection amongst the fleet today, as they wandered about the pretty seaside town of Sines taking in the sunshine. The penultimate stopover on this year’s Rally Portugal, Sines marina had made space on the visitors’ pontoons for all the fleet to be berthed together, making for a very sociable vibe down on the docks.

There was a good F3-4 northeasterly breeze this morning for the start of the penultimate Leg of Rally Portugal, from Oeiras to Sines, and the winds are set to remain on a good angle for the rest of the day for the 50 mile sail down the coast.

With a 4 knot current running in favour and the wind from 120’ behind, the boats made a flying start as they headed down the wide River Tejo on their way back to the Portuguese coastline.

One of the traditions on Rally Portugal is the mural painting competition in Oeiras marina, where the fleet are currently based. The marina staff are always keen to encourage the visiting sailors to leave their mark, and this morning produced a tub full of colourful paints and brushes for the crews to use.

It was a leisurely departure for the Rally Portugal fleet yesterday morning from Nazaré, as the next short step down to Peniche – only 20 miles south – was a free cruising leg.

Northerly force 3-4 winds outside the harbour meant the boats were able to have a good sail again, and some even took the time to divert a little way out to sea to have a look at the Berlenga Islands, six miles off the Peniche peninsular.

There was almost no wind in Figueira da Foz this morning, but with only a 35mile sail down the coast ahead of them today, the Rally Portugal fleet were happy to wait a few hours for conditions to pick up and it was decided to delay the start of Leg 4 to Nazaré from 0900 until midday.

It turned out to be a good decision, as a few hours later a light northerly breeze was blowing across the startline just off the coast of Figueira da Foz, and all thirteen yachts headed away with light winds from astern filling their sails

It was an early start this morning after last night's sardine barbecue at the marina, as Rally Portugal participants gathered for an all day tour to the historic city of Coimbra and the surrounding area. Setting off from Figueira da Foz marina, the coach headed inland whilst crews listened to commentary from our faithful local guide Joao, who has been taking Rally Portugal groups on this tour for many successful years now.

After stopping onroute at a well-known pastry and coffee shop, the coach continued on to Coimbra to begin a tour of Portugal's best-known University.

Very light easterly winds and a glorious morning sun greeted the fleet for the start of their 75-mile trip down the coast to the 3^rd stopover on Rally Portugal 2011, Figueira da Foz.

The boats made a very peaceful site as they slowly sailed over the line together at 0700 local time, some flying assymetrics to help them on their way. This leg from Povoa to Figueira is one of the longest on the rally, and the boats are expected to arrive at their destination at the end of day.

Nearly all of the crews headed out yesterday on an all-day tour down the coast to Porto, one of the most popular and visually interesting visits on the Rally.

From the marina in Povoa, the coach headed south down the coastal road to Portugal’s second largest city, Porto, a place steeped in history, and famous for it’s strong links to the beginning of commercial trade in Europe.

Strong but exhilarating downwind sailing conditions yesterday for Leg 2 of Rally Portugal saw the fleet arriving in Povoa de Varzim in record time. Crews reported ‘an excellent sail’, with winds that gradually increased from force 3 to force 5 from the northwest, making for a fast 55 mile run down the coast.

Last night’s strong winds had slightly decreased by this morning in Bayona, and the fleet got underway at 1030 local time (0830 UTC) in a force 2-3 northwesterly breeze, which increased to force 4 as the boats left the shelter of the bay. As the day continues, winds are predicted to remain a favourable northwest force 4, meaning it should be a relatively quick run on the 55 mile trip down the coast to Povoa de Varzim in Portugal.

The Rally Portugal participants gathered tonight on the sunny lawn of the Monte Real Yacht Club here in Bayona for the Leg 1 Prizegiving. As well as the top three placed boats on corrected time each receiving a bottle of local ‘albariño’ wine, several other prizes were awarded for the fun categories.

The last Rally Portugal boat, the Hallberg Rassy 37 Psyche, has just arrived at the Monte Real Club de Yates in Bayona, a little over six days after the fleet sailed out of Plymouth Sound.

After the heavy conditions dished up from the Biscay crossing this year, three of the last boats to arrive on Spanish soil – Jansen, Jalano, and Psyche, all arrived with less crew than they set off with, after having to make landfall enroute to drop off crew due to illness or slight injury.

With nearly half the Rally Portugal fleet now in Bayona, the crews have been reflecting on their Biscay crossing this year. Sea conditions have been particularly tough in parts, with 3-4m NE swells that were breaking on the peaks pushing from the port aft quarter as the boats headed south. An underlying west swell from the Atlantic, whilst weaker, has not made the movement any easier.

Rally Portugal 2011’s largest boat, the Discovery 55 Brizo, has just made landfall in Bayona at 0135 local time, completing the 560 mile crossing from Plymouth in 3 days, 7 hours and 35 minutes with an average speed of just over 7 knots.

All of the Rally Portugal yachts are now en route to Bayona, and all are enjoying winds from astern, pushing them towards their destination.

The first yachts are expected in Bayona in the early hours of Thursday morning. By the end of Thursday, around half of the Rally Portugal fleet should have arrived.

Follow the fleet on the Fleet Viewer online, see the tracks, speed and heading of every yacht, and the wind speed and direction at the time of the position.  Positions are updated every four hours.

Rally Portugal 2011 has just got underway here in Plymouth, with the fleet making a fantastic spectacle as they crossed the line at the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club at 1700 local time. Good force 3-4 WSW winds filled the close-hauled sails of the boats as they sailed enthusiastically out of Plymouth Sound in close succession.

At the end of a day of final preparations, skippers attended a briefing this evening, when World Cruising Club Director Andrew Bishop explained the details of the Rally Portugal course across from its start in Plymouth to Spain, and talked about expected weather and advice for routing for Leg 1 of the Rally.