The World ARC fleet set off from Darwin this morning towards their next destination on the rally, the Indonesian island of Lombok.
Conditions were great for the 10:00 start with a 12-15knot almost-downwind NE breeze, warm sun and clear blue skies. The boats took the start line off Stokes Hill Wharf on Darwin waterfront, with many excited locals looking on.
With the consistent breeze and perfect sailing angle for a fast downwind start, the boats took off at a great speed, with Lunatix crossing the line first, followed by Atla and then Alora.
Three of the fifteen boats still remain in Darwin, and will depart in the next 2-3 days. Niobe are waiting on their Skipper Bence to return from a quick visit back to Spain and aim to leave on Thursday afternoon. Both IceBear and Footloose have been finishing some repairs onboard and hope to also get going on Thursday / Friday.
The fleet have had a really enjoyable and slow-paced stopover in Darwin, and most crews have managed to get out and about to see a lot of the nearby inland national parks and waterfalls. Despite it being almost mid-winter in the Northern Territory of Australia, daytime temperatures have been around 33-34 degrees (91-93F) and there have been clear blue skies and light winds for the whole 10 days of the visit.