Café Sport in Horta is the world’s most famous meeting-place for sailors making ocean passages.

About 50 years ago the owner, Jose (“Peter”) Azevedo, took to welcoming transatlantic sailors and giving them practical help in an era when a local contact was an enormous asset. Peter’s grandson (also Jose) continues this tradition with modern updates including a shop next door that offers designer clothes carrying the Café Sport sperm whale logo. Amoret usually wears two burgees: Port Solent Yacht Club and the flying fish of the Ocean Cruising Club.

The OCC’s links with Café Sport go back to the early day; Peter and his descendants have all served as Port Officers providing a welcome and help to OCC members. Accordingly we introduced ourselves to Jose who was generous both with his time and his beer. Café Sport is festooned with burgees and other nautical items from distinguished visiting boats;

 Jose was happy to provide wall space for Amoret’s Port Solent YC burgee, suitably inscribed.

Be sure to look for it next time you call in Horta, though you may have to remove a layer or two of more recent contributions.