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Blue Wonder - Ed is enjoying a swim in the Bay before the ARC+ start in Mindelo
Blue Wonder - Ed is enjoying a swim in the Bay before the ARC+ start in Mindelo
Risque Business - Ready to go
Risque Business - Ready to go
17/11/2023

Valent - Ready to go

The clock is ticking down and we are ready to go on Valent. Jobs complete, including removing and refitting the forestay, changing the main sheet block and stitching a small tear in the bimini. Shoes have been scrubbed and fresh produce stowed. In a few minutes we will remove shore power and set up the Hydrovane and Watt&Sea hydro generator. Some boats still have outstanding work so not everyone will be departing today. We have 2,200nm ahead of us and much lighter winds forecast than experienced on the trip from Las Palmas. The Parasail is ready. All being well we will arrive early December. image0. read more...


21/11/2023

Risque Business - Ready to go

16:53.10N 24:59.30WOur 5th day in Mindelo, the 2nd largest town in the Cape Verde islands, but on one of the most barren islands in the archipelago called Sao Vincente. It’s a mad African mix - utterly charming in places but also clearly very poor elsewhere.The main news is that David has finally rejoined the crew here after overcoming his illness, however we’ve lost Patrick who has returned back to the UK. He’s sadly picked up a nasty chest infection and all the medical advice was he’d be daft to continue. Thewhole crew is gutted to have said goodbye earlier today.So our days in Mindelo are spent doing various boat jobs, repairs, upgrades, checks, then more recently trips to the various markets here to get fresh fruit, veg and meat. We’ve not bought any fish, as the fishing squad are. read more...


Valent - Ready to go
Valent - Ready to go
Blue Wonder - Ed is ready for his Atlantic crossing
Blue Wonder - Ed is ready for his Atlantic crossing
B Emz - Large Mahi Mahi from B Emz
B Emz - Large Mahi Mahi from B Emz
Loreley - Testing sails … wonderful!
Loreley - Testing sails … wonderful!
16/11/2023

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -3 [16-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa

TAHIRA ARC BLOGD-Day -3 [16-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa Our first sail together in Gran Canaria.  Our objective today was about making sure the boat was ready for our trip and that the team was working efficiently.  It turned into a 5-hour round trip into the bay off Las Palmas and then back to themarina, and was a very productive day but not without its challenges. The most noticable thing when arriving at the boat this morning was that it looked tidy, and everything appeared to be in its place other than some of Kate's clothes - Kate being John's daughter who had been on the leg to deliver Tahira to GranCanaria a couple of weeks earlier.  It felt like we were ready, and probably somewhat ahead of the other boats in the Marina. Getting out into the bay. read more...


Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -3 [16-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa
Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -3 [16-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa
16/11/2023

Saida - Saida is getting ready for the big trip

Our artist has done great work in Las Palmas!  . read more...


Saida - Saida is getting ready for the big trip
Saida - Saida is getting ready for the big trip
16/11/2023

Blue Pearl - Blue pearl log 5

Hard to believe it’s nearly a week ago since we arrived in Mindello, we have been busy most days completing jobs on the boat and yesterday crossed the last one of the list! It’s not all be work thought, we spend a lovely morning going on a tour of the island. Exploring the highest point of the island and seeing all the beautiful areas all while learning about the culture of the Cape Verde’s. With the start tomorrow on the horizon we are all looking forward to setting off again and with all the preparations made we are ready to go, we think! . read more...


15/11/2023

Risque Business - One in, One out!

16:53.10N 24:59.30WOur 5th day in Mindelo, the 2nd largest town in the Cape Verde islands, but on one of the most barren islands in the archipelago called Sao Vincente. It’s a mad African mix - utterly charming in places but also clearly very poor elsewhere.The main news is that David has finally rejoined the crew here after overcoming his illness, however we’ve lost Patrick who has returned back to the UK. He’s sadly picked up a nasty chest infection and all the medical advice was he’d be daft to continue. The whole crew is gutted to have said goodbye earlier today.So our days in Mindelo are spent doing various boat jobs, repairs, upgrades, checks, then more recently trips to the various markets here to get fresh fruit, veg and meat. We’ve not bought any fish, as the fishing squad are. read more...


15/11/2023

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -4 [15-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa

Welcome to our provisioning - what we are going to eat and drink. Provisioning the boat for our departure has presented some unique challenges for Quartermaster Bryan.   - We have 6 people consuming 4 litres of drinking water daily for 28 days (21 days expected crossing plus 7 day contingency).  So we need over 672 litres squirreled away in 1.5l, 5l and 100l containers - weight 672kg.  In addition, we have adesalination plant that can generate 35litres of water in an hour (but consumes power - more of this later) and we have a cunning plan for collecting rainwater - when it rains - The usual 3 meals a day will also go out the window.  Whilst our aim is to meet once a day at 6pm to reflect on the day, to drink our rum ration and to eat our meal - breakfast and lunch. read more...


Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -4 [15-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa
Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -4 [15-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa
15/11/2023

Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -5 [14-Nov-23]

TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -5 [14-Nov-23] Location: Gran Canaria - West of Africa Welcome to our crew.  We have a highly experienced team of 6 with over 200 years of sailing experience in all regions of the world, and an average age of 105 :) - Chris Stott: Chris is a qualified Yachtmaster and is the Tahira skipper, and our leader and coach.  He is pulling the team together and starting to define the roles for each member of the crew - forging us from a bunch of hopeless individualsinto a finely-tuned cohesive team - we shall see! - Peter Lindsay: Peter is an experienced sailor and co-owner of Tahira.  He is the only one to have previously sailed the Atlantic - completing the ARC in 2022.  His experience is proving invaluable as we seek to define our own way. - John. read more...


Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -5 [14-Nov-23]
Tahira - TAHIRA ARC BLOG D-Day -5 [14-Nov-23]
15/11/2023

Loreley - Loreley is sailing beautifully!

The captain and the crew are happy!image0. read more...


Loreley - Loreley is sailing beautifully!
Loreley - Loreley is sailing beautifully!
15/11/2023

Loreley - Good night everybody!

We are eight crew members now and there are two more to join us soon.image0. read more...


Loreley - Good night everybody!
Loreley - Good night everybody!
14/11/2023

Loreley - Competition is strong and ready!

It will be a good race across the Atlantic!image0. read more...


Loreley - Competition is strong and ready!
Loreley - Competition is strong and ready!
14/11/2023

Loreley - Food is coming on board!

Loreley is being stuffed with food in every corner! image0. read more...


Loreley - Food is coming on board!
Loreley - Food is coming on board!
Blue Wonder - Ed is living exploring Cape Verde
Blue Wonder - Ed is living exploring Cape Verde
14/11/2023

Cassini - 860 miles and leg 1 of ARC+ 2023 complete….

Six days after we left Las Palmas, and we finally arrived in Mindelo, Cape Verde at 8.30 am on Saturday morning. Conditions for the trip overall were… interesting! For the majority of the passage, we had 20-25 knots of wind, some fairly rough seas (don’t look behind you) and squalls where the wind got well above 30 knots for a short while. But by Saturday morning as we approached the finish line, the wind finally began to die off and we slowly cruised into the harbour in 8 knots of breeze. We made a boisterous start to Leg 1 in Las Palmas, where despite my best intentions, we took a racing line, reminiscent of my inshore racing days, cutting close to the Committee boat with a gaggle of similarly minded boats and crews. Only a few miles in though, the fleet soon spread out and we all. read more...


Cassini - 860 miles and leg 1 of ARC+ 2023 complete….
Cassini - 860 miles and leg 1 of ARC+ 2023 complete….
14/11/2023

Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands

So we have now been in the Cape Verde Islands for a few days and are beginning to fell like locals…almost!  It is a strange mixture between African and European, but to be honest so far we have seen very little Colonial architecture, and the people seem toidentify as African.  Our guide told us that in DNA terms the population are something like 90% African.  In the early days when the first settlers from Portugal (1460’s) they found the islands completely virgin, uninhabited and rather inhospitable, any fertileland being way up in the mountains and very inaccessible, so almost immediately they set off to nearby Africa to get some slave labour to help them.  The result almost 500 years later is that almost every inch of mountain side which is not sheer rock has. read more...


Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
Wild Goose - Tales from the Islands
14/11/2023

Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November

At 14.05pm we crossed the finshing line. A journey of 1,040 miles at an average speed of 7.3 knots , 6 nights at sea and the longest journey any of the crew have ever done. A great achievement by the whole crew.We seem to have travelled the furthest of all the boats with our long run to the African coast during the first 24 hours which has now resulted in much of the boat being covered by Saharan sand ! At least Cat the only crew member who has never been to Africa has a slight taste of what it is like ! The last 12 hours before we arrived were torturous . The wind died to 7/8knots out boat speed fell to 4 knots but we decided to not put on the engine despite another boat encouraging us to do so as they were further behind us with a penalty for using the engine they would beat us !Now. read more...


Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
17/11/2023

Blue Wonder - day 1 - Champagne Sailing

What a cracking start to leg 2 of the ARC+. With 5 minutes to go until the start, we still were unsure about whether to crack out the parasailor in the middle of the fleet, or set out main and jib. Audrey chickened out, and said she couldn't handle the stress of double handed setting of the parasailor with so many boats about. So we set the main, on second reef as that was the way it was set when we last brought it down. Unfurled the jib just as the start was announced. Once the fleet spread out and we were at the end of the pack, we dropped the white sails and raised the parasailor. Only to find it had somehow twisted. So down it came, and we tried again. With great success the second time around. Sending our boat flying off at 10 knots of boat speed to catch up with the majority of the. read more...


14/11/2023

Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November

At 14.05pm we crossed the finshing line . A journey of 1,040 miles at an average speed of 7.3 knots , 6 nights at sea and the longest journey any of the crew have ever done . A great achievement by the whole crew . We seem to have travelled the furthest of all the boats with our long run to the African coast during the first 24 hours which has now resulted in much of the boat being covered by Saharan sand ! At least Cat the only crew member who has never been to Africa has a slight taste of what it is like ! The last 12 hours before we arrived were torturous . The wind died to 7/8knots out boat speed fell to 4 knots but we decided to not put on the engine despite another boat encouraging us to do so as they were further behind us with a penalty for using the engine they would beat us. read more...


Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Northern Light II - Saturday 11th November
Blue Wonder - Ed is living exploring Cape Verde
Blue Wonder - Ed is living exploring Cape Verde