The World ARC fleet met together on Chichime Cay in the San Blas Islands yesterday, to celebrate completing Leg 1 of the Rally and a safe arrival in Panama. The crews were last together in Saint Lucia before the start on the leg last Saturday. The sailing conditions for the 1100 nautical mile leg were testing with strong winds and large waves but, thankfully, these were both in a helpful direction and the yachts made good speeds despite the wild conditions.
‘It was like a complete rollercoaster’ said Todd Gamble from ViVo. Sheldon from Nexus agreed that there were times ‘when you just had to hold on!’ On the Swan 51, Alpheratz, Tom Toohey said the sail had been great for him and his crew – ‘We’re a heavy boat and we need some wind to make things happen, so we were pleased with what we got. They were definitely good conditions for us’.
Waiting at the end of this testing sail were the peaceful and calm anchorages of the San Blas Islands. The get-together was perfect timing for crews to share notes on where they had anchored and what they had found ashore. The Kuna Yala inhabitants of the islands are a welcoming community for yachtsman and there were many stories shared about interactions with them; trading goods and being welcomed ashore in their simple wooden houses.
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During the rendez-vous on Chichime Island, World ARC Event Manager, Paul Tetlow, updated the crews on plans for the fleet to transit the Panama Canal in a week’s time and also to thank Humberto and his family, the owner of Chichime Island for the invitation and permission to visit his island for one more year. Crews came ashore with dishes of food, beach games and musical instruments so the socialising and fun continued into the late afternoon.
Some yachts in the fleet are now starting to make their way to Shelter Bay Marina on mainland Panama in order to prepare for their canal transit. The first yachts are expected to transit the canal on 25th January, but not before a few more parties at the Dock Restaurant in Shelter Bay Marina.