Leg 5 of Rally Portugal 2007 takes the fleet to Oeiras, a new marina that was opened just last year and gives excellent access by public transport to Lisbon as well as being situated in a delightful little town.

A Rally excursion from Peniche
Perched on a hill rising out of an agricultural plain, Óbidos is one of Portugal’s picturesque gems. From its lofty centre one gazes upon expanses of vineyards speckled with whirling windmills and terracotta-roofed homesteads.

Up river, some thirty miles away from Figueira da Foz, is the delightful old city of Coimbra, home to the oldest university in Portugal and one of the oldest in the world.

Santiago de Compostela is a stone apparition in the midst of the green forests of Northwest Spain and the nearby Galician “rias”. It was originally a stopping point on a Roman road, but the discovery of the Apostle James’ tomb at the beginning of the 9th century gave rise to a place of worship in this corner of the Iberian Peninsula, which was then dominated by the Moors.

A day trip from Oeiras
Lisbon, 15km to the east of Oeiras, is an historic port and the capital city of this seafaring nation. Just ten miles from the mouth of the River Tagus, or Tejo in Portuguese, Lisbon is blessed with a perfect natural harbour. This inland sea has provided a safe haven for shipping since the Phoenicians named it Allis Ubbo (delightful port), over 2,000 years ago.

Portugal’s delicacy

When the Portuguese talk about sardines, they generally don't mean those tiny skinned and boned creatures compressed into a minute can. They are referring to fresh, succulent sardines, the bigger, the fatter - the better. In Portugal, more than 60 percent of the national sardine catch is consumed fresh.

A Rally excursion from Povoa de Varzim
The second city of Portugal, Porto is famous throughout the world for the fine wine that bears its name; the city is also an important cultural and historical centre. Settled by the Romans, the twin towns of Portus and Cale, facing each other across the Douro River, have given their names to the whole country, Portucale - Portugal.

For many in Rally Portugal, their first long passage.

Many have gleaned stories of this notorious stretch of the Atlantic Ocean from Patrick O'Brien's maritime novels set in the Napoleonic Wars, through World War II Naval histories to more recent yachting stories from books, magazines, friends and acquaintances.

In actual fact, the Bay of Biscay is like any stretch of open water when it starts to get windy. Conditions can change quickly and because of certain geographical nuances can become rather uncomfortable.