17 of the 42 ARC+ boats are now safely moored inside Marina Mindelo after their 860NM passage from Las Palmas. With a busy night arrivals ahead, the marina is continues to welcome the ARC+ fleet, and the atmosphere here in peaceful town of Mindelo has developed into something special as crews share stories of their journey so far. The friendly Cape Verdeans have been offering their services on the docks and mingling amongst the visiting yachtsmen. It is fantastic to receive such a welcome and participants are excited to begin exploring the town.
Crews that have arrived already have spent the day preparing for their Atlantic passage ahead and utilising the time they have here to make any repairs and complete additional provisioning they may need. Crews can also take the time to explore Mindelo and visit the ever-friendly Marina Bar, serving good quality home-made food and also has live music in the evening.
On arrival to Mindelo, each boat is met by rally control and guided to their berth. They are welcomed in and given key information to make their stay here as efficient and simple as it can be. All crews have been upbeat upon arrival after a fantastic sail down South, satisfied that ‘their butter has indeed melted’ and now have the opportunity to explore somewhere they have never cruised before. Thanks goes to the marina staff who have been hugely helpful in ensuring the fleet enjoy their time here and are as happy to have us as we are to be here!
We look forward to welcoming the rest of the fleet over the next two days.
Thumbs up from La Rochelle on arrival into Mindelo