ARC Europe welcomes first arrivals in the Azores
by World Cruising Club 30 May 2023 03:10 UTC
The first boats in the ARC Europe fleet have started to arrive in Horta, on the island of Faial after their crossing from Bermuda. The fleet have had very light winds on the crossing so it has been slow progress with six boats having arrived so far and more expected overnight and tomorrow. The fleet is coming into Marina da Horta and are greeted by stunning views of the bay surrounded by rolling hills.
Sea Child II was the first boat to arrive on 28th May just after 2am closely followed by Skyelark 2, Bluewater Mooney, Norm the Storm and Charlotte av Skaerhamn on 29th May. Pantiki, a Lagoon 380 sailed directly from St. Maarten double-handed and arrived in the Azores after over 3 weeks at sea.
The participants will enjoy a full programme of events in the Azores Islands including tours of Faial island and a guided walking tour of Angra, a UNESCO World Heritage site on Terceira island. There are also welcome drinks and crew suppers when they arrive in Horta and a prize-giving and farewell dinner in Ponta Delgarda on São Miguel to celebrate their achievements on this leg of the rally.