The World ARC crews were welcomed and entertained in spectacular style this evening during a quayside reception at Le Caudan Waterfront, Mauritius. The 22 crews of the rally gathered to enjoy drinks, food and local dancing, as well as to congratulate those who had won prizes for the last competitive leg from Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Mauritius. It was a fabulous evening! 
First, the crews were welcomed by the manager of Le Caudan Waterfront, Mr Philippe D’Arifat. The crews have been enjoying staying at Le Caudan basin for the last week or so and it has been a pleasure for them to have all the convenience of the Waterfront facilities right on the doorstep. Philippe thanked the crews for returning their compliments and dressing overall to make the Marina look so fascinating. It has certainly drawn interest from the shoppers and visitors to the Waterfront. Then Dr Karl Mootoosamy, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, thanked World ARC and its participants for choosing to visit Mauritius as part of their itinerary. He told the crews that Mauritius was not a ‘one visit’ destination and invited them back as soon as possible. Dr Karl and Chairman of the MTPA, Mr Robert Desvaux and the project team headed up by Shenaz Omarjee have generously supported the fleet’s visit, including an excellent tour to the north of the island, and all the crews were extremely grateful of their input. Lastly World ARC Event Manager, Paul Tetlow, on behalf of the crews thanked Le Caudan Waterfront management, the MTPA and the organisations responsible for providing the clearance formalities to the fleet, for all the support and arrangements which has allowed the fleet to enjoy the island of Mauritius to the full. He reminded all those present that the World ARC would return in 2014 and would then be an annual event. Prizes were then awarded to the fleet for the competitive leg between Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Mauritius. It was a windy and bumpy leg so every crew should be please to arrive but special mention should be made to the boats who favoured these conditions and are less frequently seen on the prize podium – Royal Leopard in Class A of the Cruising Division and Southern Cross in the Multihull Division. Anastasia were given special mention for taking line honours. Full results can be seen here. It has been a fantastic World ARC stopover here in Mauritius. The fleet have explored extensively and recovered from their Indian Ocean crossing. The fleet will depart from Port Louis for the next stage on their journey at 1200hrs on Friday 26th October. |