The berths at the Zululand Yacht Club in Richards Bay have steadily been filling up over the past 24 hours as the rest of World ARC fleet continues to make landfall in South Africa. There are now 16 boats safely tied up in port and 6 yachts still to arrive. There has been a very enjoyable atmosphere on the docks, regardless of the time of day, as each new boat arrives. The celebratory bottle of bubbly from Zululand Yacht Club gets opened straight away, shared amongst the crew & those who helped them into their berth along with the stories of the last week or so at sea. %20edt.jpg)
For several of the yachts, the passage has not been a pleasant one with frustrating currents and variable & very strong winds. But is does mark the end of crossing the Indian Ocean and all those completing the passage should be really proud of their achievements. The World ARC programme in Richards Bay starts tonight when all those crews who have arrived already will join yacht club members for a Bring and Braai - It’s a sort of bring-your-own food to cook on an open fire. A great chance to catch up with one another as well as meet new friends from the friendly Zululand Yacht Club. During Tuesday many crews will go on a World ARC to the Umfolozi National Park for a safari to try to spot ‘the Big 5’. On Wednesday, by which time all the fleet are expected to arrive, the fleet will receive a briefing about travelling around the coast of South Africa to Cape Town and then enjoy a Welcome Party at the Yacht Club. |