Bom Dia Lagos! It's another scorcher of a day on the Algarve coast of
Portugal, with temperatures peaking at 27'C or 81'F. Normally the
'nortade' or northerly winds would be blowing but this afternoon it was
a very light wind finish for the first ARC Europe boat arriving here,
Tosca. From the Cape St Vincente all along the south coast to the finish at Marina de Lagos the crew from Tosca reported very light conditions. Not all that fun bobbing along in the hot sun especially when compared to the day before when they topped out at 19 knots boat speed!
Out on the reception pontoon to greet Tosca, as she does for all of the rally boats, was marina manager Ingrid Fortunato. Wih her team of marina staff they ensure that all boats are welcomed and once through the bridge are assisted with lines at their berth. The Marina de Lagos is a first class facility and a welcome finish for the rally yachts after having sailed across the Alantic. Not only are the majority of the ARC Europe boats finishing here but in a week's time the ARC Portugal rally that set off from Plymouth recently will be finishing here aswell. A great home on the Algarve coast for many rally boats, we have even met a few boats already heading south for the start of the ARC in November.
The rally yachts are all closing in on Cape St Vincent and will expect to see a lot of shipping as there is a busy TSS (Traffic Seperation Scheme) off this famous headland. With many vessels passing from the Med to Northern Europe and vice versa crews will have to keep a good watch. In days of old it was thought to be the 'fim do mundo', end of the world, and there weren't many sailors that ventured beyond the Cape and into the unknown. Nowadays as yachts round the cape they traditionally dip their ensigns in respect of Admiral Nelson and the battle he won here in 1797.
