Today the World ARC fleet set off from Vanuatu headed for Australia. We leave the rally here and plan to sail upwind to Fiji, where we will leave the boat for a couple of months, waiting for the weather to be favorable for the trek to New Zealand.
Vanuatu has been the perfect last place to visit on this half-circumnavigation. Although the weather has been "iffy" (high winds and frequent rain), the abiding memory is of the charm of the people. They are extraordinarily pleasant , relaxed and welcoming. The villages are the poorest we've seen (rudimentary thatched huts with small vegetable gardens), but while they have no worldly goods they are hospitable, generous and charming. Vanuatu has been the perfect country to provide the last memories of our Pacific odyssey.
My memory of the experiences this trip has engendered is a melange of places, faces, hospitality and events. We left Southampton (UK) 9 months ago and it seems that it has been all go since then. We've enjoyed some great sailing and suffered through some indifferent weather. We have seen paradise after paradise, but there has always been the lure of the next destination to look forward to.
Above all, we have been part of a community of like-minded crews from a variety of countries, who, over time, have become companions. Indeed, the saddest thing about leaving the World ARC is parting with so many dear friends that we have sailed with, dined with and partied with.
We thank the World ARC organizers and Paul and Suzana for their unfailing help throughout the adventure.
And we wish all the yachts fair winds and happy passages as they continue their circumnavigation. We will follow you on the web, with not a little envy, and I suspect we will re-live our own adventures through reading about yours.
Farewell, friends and companions. We will miss you all!