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 The fleet are today (Saturday) safely berthed on individual finger berths for two nights at Oeiras Viva, which is well situated just down the river from the capital city of Lisbon. Oeiras has been the home of Rally Portugal in the Tagus River for six years now, and the boats and crews are always well received.
An offshoot of the boatyard that forms part of Marina de Lagos – Sopramar – has recently opened up in Lisbon, and for the four boats requiring maintenance work onboard, this was very timely, as skilled workmen were onboard within hours of them arriving.
With relatively heavy conditions in the earlier part of the rally, combined with the usual problem of multiple teething problems on brand new boats, many of the fleet have required maintenance work onboard on the way south towards Lagos.
One of the benefits of sailing with a World Cruising Club rally is the excellent network of contacts in the marinas visited throughout the globe that have been built up over the years, and despite the short stays in each of the stopovers, in conjunction with the marinas the rally team have been able to organise successful completion of all the work needed in very little time, meaning no delay for the boats.
Oeiras Viva hosted a prizegiving last night following the boats arrival from Peniche, putting on a fantastic spread of local delicacies and wine for the participants. Dr Cristina Correia, Director of Oeiras Viva, and marina manager Fernando Domingues welcomed the participants to their marina and to the city of Oeiras, before helping to present some prizes for Legs 4 and 5 of the rally.
 After two legs, several boats were awarded fun prizes at the evening function in Oeiras, with Katerina, Moonstream and Murphy getting a mention for their performance on the water; whilst Firedrake, Miss Charlotte, Enterprise and Ailsa won prizes for the fun competitions. Ravi got a special mention for coming to the assistance of the rally committee boat at the startline in Figueira following a broken outboard, and Karma Wins even won a prize for having the ‘best coiled mooring lines’ in Oeiras!
Following a rest day in Oeiras, some of the participants have headed into Lisbon to explore, others have taken advantage of the local afternoon guided tour laid on, whilst the more creative amongst the fleet have been provided with pots of paint to complete colourful murals on the marina wall in memory of the Rally visit.
Tomorrow the boats set off again on the penultimate leg of the Rally, from Oeiras to Sines, around 55nm down the coast. Conditions are once again set to be favourable, with sunny skies and forecasted winds from the north at 15 knots throughout the day. The departure time is set for 1000 local time, so keep an eye on the fleet viewer to follow the fleet’s progress through the day!
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