Rally Portugal - Cruising rally departs Plymouth heading for Portugal

by World Cruising Club on 31 May 2010 Rally Portugal crews had the weather gods behind them this year as they blew away earlier rain and south-westerly winds, to bring sunshine and a comfortable west-north-west 15 knot breeze for the start yesterday (Sunday 30 May 2010). There were 19 yachts on the start line off Plymouth Hoe as the gun went to sound the start of leg one of the rally and skippers pointed their yachts south-west and headed out of Plymouth Sound.

West Country sailor Neal Ward from Exeter was keen to make an impression on the start line, in what are his home waters, and was first across the line in his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 39i Serendipity. Tucking in close behind was Paul Miller's Beneteau Oceanis 473Dignity, and Belgian sailors Bob and Lincy Vanhecke on Beneteau Oceanis 432 Nova Star - the first doublehanders to cross the start.

Ahead of the yachts lies 550 nautical miles of offshore sailing as the fleet crosses the infamous Bay of Biscay to make landfall in Bayona, northwest Spain. Whilst Saturday's front had passed by, there was still a residual swell running in the Western Approaches, so most yachts kept close in along the Cornish coast, making the most of the flatter seas inshore. Winds backed to south-easterly overnight, allowing the fleet to make some good westing before heading off the Continental Shelf and into the Bay during Monday.

Rally Portugal is an annual passage making cruise, departing from Plymouth, UK to Lagos on Portugal's Algarve coast, visiting a total of eight ports, and is organised by UK rally specialists World Cruising Club as a fun event for cruising sailors on their way from the UK to the Mediterranean. Rally Portugal is also an attractive option for those simply looking for an enjoyable summer cruise. A number of the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) yachts also use Rally Portugal as a sociable and interesting way to head south. It combines a crossing of Biscay in company and plenty of superb coastal cruising and activities ashore in Portugal. The itinerary has so much to offer everyone, from the experienced long-distance cruiser to those sailing out of home waters for the first time.

All yachts are carrying Yellowbrick Iridium trackers which report their positions to the rally website every six hours, allowing family and friends to follow their progress across the Bay. Most yachts are likely to make the passage in four and a half days, though the larger yachts, including Discovery 55 Casamara and Oyster 56 Pearl Fisher may well cross in less time.

For more information, please visit: www.worldcruising.com