After a day relaxing in Lagos, enjoying wandering around town, getting small repairs done and some saying goodbye to crew, the Rally Portugal participants gathered at the Waypoint Restaurant for the final prizegiving dinner hosted by event sponsor Marina de Lagos with the support of the Camera Municipal de Lagos, represented by Deputy Mayor, Jorge Serpa.

For many in Rally Portugal, their first long passage.

Many have gleaned stories of this notorious stretch of the Atlantic Ocean from Patrick O'Brien's maritime novels set in the Napoleonic Wars, through World War II Naval histories to more recent yachting stories from books, magazines, friends and acquaintances.

In actual fact, the Bay of Biscay is like any stretch of open water when it starts to get windy. Conditions can change quickly and because of certain geographical nuances can become rather uncomfortable.