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At the Rally briefing yesterday, Jeremy Wyatt explained that the idea for Rally Portugal came from a cruise down the coast of Portugal that World Cruising Club managing director Andrew took in the late eighties. The friendliness of the Portuguese and the beauty of the countryside and towns along this rarely visited coast, inspired the idea for a cruise-in-company. Rally Portugal is now in its eighteenth year, and more than 360 boats have taken part so far. While the itinerary has changed over the years, the ethos of a social cruise with exploring ashore and afloat has remained strong.
Skippers' Briefing
 Rob Gaffney and Nick Martin gave the skippers' briefing today, with two people from every boat attending. Rob explained the weather forecast for the next five days and talked-through some of the routeing options this gives the boats after they round Ushant. In short, the weather looks variable and mainly light until around Wednesday, when some boats may see up to 25 knots from the south west.
Boats with email (via sat phone or SSB) will be sent a weather forecast every day, and this will be relayed by VHF to to the rest of the fleet. The five boats with SSB will be able to remain in contact through the radio net, but those with VHF alone will only be able to communicate with boats within around a 15 mile radius.
Friends and family at home can follow all of the boats using the Fleet Viewer, as every boat is fitted with a Yellowbrick iridium satellite tracker. It can be hard to stay in contact with home when you are sailing - the watch system and daily onboard work fills the hours - so the Fleet Viewer is a good way to see where your loved ones are.
Last Minute Arrangements
The last few crews arrived in the marina last night, and almost every boat is full of bags of shopping, tools, sails and clothes as everything is stowed away for sea. At least no-one has to cook tonight, as Jolly Jack's restaurant is holding a special Rally Portugal dinner for the ralliers and local berth holders, with tasty Portuguese food, plenty of beer and wine, and live entertainment.
Most people will try to get an early night, as the boats will leave the marina on Sunday morning around 8am to make their way east across the Sound to the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club, from where they will make their start at 9am. This will be the first step in the cruising adventure, and a real milestone for those crews who don't intend to sail back to England any time soon!
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