After departing Falmouth last Sunday, WikiWiki, the first yacht from the ARC Portugal fleet to arrive, docked in Bayona in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The rest of the fleet started to arrive from 01:00 this morning with Blue Monde, closely followed by Blonde Moment, leading the charge. The Rally team of Andrew and Thomas were waiting on the docks at Monte Real Club de Yates to take lines and welcome the fleet as they continued to arrive into Thursday morning. The reports of marine wildlife this year have certainly exceeded that of previous crossings. The crew from Khalesi reported daily sightings of dolphins and sitting spray from whales during their passage from Falmouth to Bayona.
The fleet have encountered some great sailing conditions. "We had a bit of everything in terms of weather," explained Paul and Dee from Blonde Moment. Many of the yachts described the sail around from Cape Finisterre being the highlight - “The best sail I’ve ever had” said Paul "with pods of Dolphins and 30 knots downwind sailing in the glorious sunshine."
On Friday evening, crews will enjoy a welcome sangria at the Monte Real Club de Yates which will be followed by an evening supper in a local restaurant tucked away among the cobbled streets of Bayona old town. A hot and sunny day here in Bayona means many of the crew are taking the opportunity to explore local beaches and the ramparts of the fortress which overlooks the harbour.