Piment Rouge first ARC+ boat arrives in Mindelo
by World Cruising Club 13 Nov 2021 18:49 AEDT
With the first boat due to arrive in the early hours of Friday morning (12 Nov), the ARC+ yellowshirt team were ready and waiting to take their lines as they docked in Cape Verdes at Mindelo Marina, after their 865 nm passage from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Pierre De Saint Vincent, owner of the French Outremer 51, Piment Rouge took line honours, announcing their arrival on VHF after crossing the finishing line at 0233. The joy of completing the first leg of the rally was felt long before the boat touched the dock, with Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes blasting out from the boat as they entered the harbour, showing the enthusiasm and happiness of their arrival by the six crew members on board. It was then cheers all round as the French team were welcomed on the dock before being briefed on local Covid-19 protocols and the programme in the next few days during for their stay on the island. Celebrations then continued with crew photos being taken as the Piment Rouge crew proudly sang their national anthem: the Marseillaise....
Second to arrive in the Cape Verdes was the largest boat in the ARC+ fleet, Peter Griffiths' British Oyster 72 (22m) Latobe, arriving just as daylight broke at 0706. Nearly three hours later, Helmut Rainalter's Beneteau Oceanis 58 Blue Passion crossed the finish line at 0956 on Friday 12th November, with a happy crew from Germany, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland and Denmark who will be celebrating the first part of their transatlantic adventure and looking forward to seeing fellow participants as they stream into Mindelo over the next few days.
The ARC+ team also look forward to the arrival of the remainder of the fleet and to the start of the cultural and social programming offered by the World Cruising Club and Mindelo marina.