It has been a busy couple of days as the World ARC fleet complete Leg 8 of the Rally and make themselves at home in the Port of Darwin. The sailing conditions on the leg were reported as excellent and the average passage time was very quick with very little motoring. The first boat across the finish line was Gunvor XL, covering the 750 or so nautical miles in just under 4 days. Umineko, the Japanese catamaran that joined the rally in Mackay, did their very best to sail all the way from Thursday Island, but reluctantly had to give up the attempt only miles from the finish line when the winds died completely and the current picked up to 2 knots in the opposite direction! A valiant attempt nonetheless! 
With half of the fleet now berthed in the sheltered Tipperary Waters marina, crews are starting to get out and enjoy some of the many fun things to do around town, like the 'deck chair outdoor cinema' and the famous 'Crocosaurus' park in town where you can swim in a tank adjacent to deadly crocodiles! With the rest of the fleet due to move round to the marina tomorrow following quarantine clearance, the rally programme in Darwin gets underway, with drinks & nibbles at the nearby Dinah Beach Yacht Club on Thursday, and the opportunity to venture inland on an organised tour of one of the areas’ national parks on Thursday and Friday. There’s plenty to do here in Darwin and the surrounding areas, rounding off a great stopover in Australia. |