...Must come to an end, and last night it was the turn of the 22nd edition of ARC Portugal where all the participants gathered for a farewell supper and final prize giving at Marina de Lagos. They all had the opportunity to reflect on their achievements, challenges and friendships made over the last weeks.
The start from Plymouth on 5 June marked the start of ARC Portugal 2016, a rally which enabled participants to cross the Bay of Biscay with confidence and a feeling of safety. Biscay did live up to its reputation on one of the days of the crossing, but despite the challenges the fleet arrived at Bayona one after the other in the same afternoon. Sailing south, the fleet stopped at a number of different ports and saw the spectacles the Portuguese coast has to offer.
To mark the end of their journey Marina de Lagos hosted a magnificient evening with welcome drinks and Portuguese cuisine. The supper was followed by some kind words said by Ingrid Fortunato, the marina manager, before moving on to the prize giving and a little film to remember what the participants had been up to the last few weeks.
Every boat recieved ARC Portugal plaques marking they had finished and arrived to Lagos, a plaque from Marina de Lagos congratulating them on their adventure and an extra ARC Portugal flag. Crews were called up by Andrew Bishop, event manager of ARC Portugal and managing director of World Cruising Club, with brief anecdotes on their funny moments and achievements over the last weeks.
The friendships made on this rally will with no doubt last a lifetime, with many of the boats planning on going into the Mediterranean and one crew going to cross the Atlantic on his own boat in November. The experience of the rally seems to be just the start of an adventurous sailing future for many.