Alanya and The Vasco da Gama Rally 2012

Blue Magic
Mark & Chris Dewey
Sat 22 Sep 2012 14:43

Position 36:33.54N 31:56.884E

 

6th Vasco da Gama Rally

 

We have decided to embark on one more adventure before heading West through the Med towards home.

 

The Vasco da Gamma rally starts on 22nd September 2012 from Alanya and heads along the Turkish Coast, across to Southern Cyprus and on to Port Said.

The rally then goes through the Suez into Egypt and on to Sudan and Eritrea.

 

Since we missed out on sailing up through the Red Sea at the end of our circumnavigation last June we decided we would like to back track and visit the ancient sites of Egypt and dive the Red Sea during this winter.

We plan to leave the rally in Hurghada and re join them again in March to sail back into the Med springtime 2013.

 

The rally is being led by Dutchman Lo Brust in his yacht ‘Mistral’ and he is joined by Gertruud and Mustafa along with two VIP crew members, Lo’s dogs, a welsh terrier and a fox terrier.

 

 

Lo trying to organise the dogs for a photo, and Lead yacht ‘Mistral’.

 

 

 

 

 

Friday 21st September Farewell Party

 

After an afternoon briefing from Lo and the distribution of some good notes from Elizabeth on ‘Medea’, we enjoyed a farewell party at the Marina ‘Pub’ with free drinks and an excellent buffet dinner.

It was strange meeting new rally members and bought back memories of our first introductions at Blue Water Rallies three years ago.

We are delighted however to be joined by our great Kiwi friends, Lica and Gavin on their Cat ‘Sol Maria’, who we met when they joined the BWR in Fiji.

 

There are a total of 15 yachts, 12 leaving from Alanya and the other 3 meeting us on route.

There are 3 Dutch yachts, 1 Kiwi, 1 Swiss, 1 German and 8 British yachts.

 

Blue Magic dressed in her rally numbers, ready to go.

 

 

Saturday 22nd September Rally Start

 

Our first radio net at 0800 prior to our departure at 1000, the weather report was for a sunny day and light winds on the nose, of course.

 

 

 

We left the marina in convoy at 1000 to the sound of fog horns blaring and with some well wishers to wave us goodbye.

 

 

 

 

 

First stop Gazipasi, 25 miles away……..