On 8th January after nearly 2 months of independence the World ARC Fleet gathered again on the start line for the Leg from Cape Town to Salvador via Saint Helena; by April they will sail almost 6000 miles, across the Southern Atlantic, up the Brazilian coast and back to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean to complete their circumnavigation.
The pre-departure programme in Cape Town included briefings for the ocean crossing and a farewell party at the MareSol Restaurant on the water front.
The World Cruising Club team also assisted with clearing Customs & Immigration and negotiating VAT claims.
Crews have really enjoyed their time in South Africa and in Cape Town, and they are all looking forward to their next adventure that for most of the participants will be an unofficial stopover in Walvis Bay, Namibia, before sailing to Saint Helena and then Salvador.
The departure was quite challenging, due to the instability of the weather conditions in Table Bay off of Cape Town, with fog and a light northerly wind, but everything went well also thanks to the Royal Cape Yacht Club that assisted the World ARC team on the start