Sadly 'all good things must come to an end' and Rally Portugal 2009 is no exception. The Rally sponsors, Marina de Lagos, hosted a superb Rally prize-giving event on Wednesday evening in the Waypoint restaurant at the Marina. Crews gathered for pre-dinner drinks at the restaurant’s outside bar before moving inside to enjoy some splendid food and wine, and then the prize-giving itself.

At World Cruising Club we have always believed that crossing the Bay of Biscay is often seen as a hurdle for yachtsmen heading south for their first extended cruise. So this year we decided to find out how true this was by asking participants whether this was their main reason for joining Rally Portugal, shortly after their safe arrival in Bayona, having completed the first leg of the Rally from Plymouth. The answers are revealing and make interesting reading.