Mayflower Marina in Plymouth has begun to welcome participants set to join ARC Portugal 2017 ahead of their departure from the Plymouth Sound this Sunday 4 June, bound for Bayona in Spain. The offshore passage, due to take the cruising yachts 4-6 days, is the first leg of a three week adventure to explore the Portuguese coast on their way to Marina de Lagos on the Algarve. Stopovers on the rally route include Povoa de Varzim, Porto, Figueira da Foz, Peniche, Oeiras and Sines – each are enchanting port locations which offer opportunities to conveniently visit historical sights, enjoy regional wines and local cuisine and experience the warm hospitality of hosting yacht clubs and marinas. This year’s participants are certainly in for an exciting mix of great sailing and great sightseeing in the weeks ahead.
With twenty yachts participating this year, the annual rally has once again attracted a diverse fleet including a mixture of sailors who are new to longer passages, experienced double-handed crews and those who have sailed the Atlantic numerous times. Many of those taking part are familiar faces to World Cruising Club rallies, including three boats who have previously sailed with ARC Portugal and are back for more! For others, this is the launch pad to a new liveaboard life in the Algarve or Mediterranean, and ten boats are set to continue their offshore adventures with ARC later this year.
There is one catamaran,
A'r môr dirion, a Broadblue Rapier crewed by Ian and Westa Hopkins, and nineteen monohulls in the 2017 fleet. The largest boat is Gregg Kelly’s Oyster 575
WikiWiki, whilst Gary Clements’ Southerly 110
Arcarius of Plymouth is the smallest at 10.62m (35ft).
The organised programme for participants will begin on Thursday 1 June when the rally office opens and the team of Andrew, Charlie and Thomas welcome them to the rally with a sailing supper at the Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club. Other activities include provisioning shuttles, a rally briefing and skippers briefing before Sunday’s departure.
Sailing safely is at the heart of all World Cruising Club rallies, and as such each boat will be visited by the team during their time at Mayflower Marina to check appropriate equipment is on board, and the skipper and crew are content to use it should the situation arise. Once they depart Plymouth, rally boats receive daily positions, weather forecasts and one another’s contact information to be able keep in touch whilst underway, whilst being monitored by Rally Control (and friends and family) via YB Trackers, which display positions on the WCC website.
As well as the WCC website, the ARC Portugal Facebook Page will have regular news from the fleet once the programme begins on Thursday. Visit the page for updates over the next three weeks.