37:57.05N 08:51.97W

Saturday 21^st June

9.00 am the Rally organisers come round and inform us that the start has been brought forward from 11.00 am to 10.00 am. So madcap panic to get the boat ready and get out to the start line. Light wind from the South West and a strong tide under us made judging the approach to the start line very tricky. (engines have to be turned off 5 minutes before the start) In the event, we got it just about right and swept over the start line in second place behind Bouzouki (who else!). Arwen slipped past us, but we kept up our boat speed and overtook Bouzouki to stay second. The three of us then opened up a substantial lead over the rest of the fleet, although Bali Hai began to close up on us after an hour or so. At this point the wind came round to the North West and so of course all the boats with spinnakers etc. hoisted them up and away they started to fly. However, although Arwen and Bouzouki quickly pulled away and Bali Hai swept past us, cameras clicking, the rest of the fleet took forever to gain any ground. In fact it was not until the 30 mile mark that Blonde Moment and Sea Lion finally caught us putting us into 6^th place. Sadly for everyone, the wind died about 10 miles from the destination and so eventually all but Blonde Moment switched on their engines and motored in.

The excitement for us on this leg was the sighting of a pod of 5 pilot whales, but Arwen (who were only 200 yards from us at the time) were surrounded briefly by 50 to 60 dolphins. They swam off ignoring us totally, presumably because we were playing David Bowie in the cockpit at the time. (Very intelligent animals by all accounts!) An hour later Orchid (Bavaria 47) called the boat behind them as they had just witnessed a mass of bubbles around their boat. In fact it transpired that they had been watching what looked like a white horse (breaking wave top) except that it was travelling along at speed! It was then confirmed that there was a periscope passing across their bow which was all very exciting. We were in a submarine exercise area so it was not as unlikely as it sounded, but bloody typical that we finally see some whales and then miss a submarine.

Hopes for a quiet couple of nights before the 75 mile final leg to Lagos were dashed when we were ushered into a finger pontoon berth alongside Bali Hai. In the event, we had drinks on board Bali Hai along with the crews from Blonde Moment and Sea Lion until around 10 pm when we retired to Serafina and Sarah cooked some salmon, new potatoes, broad beans and peas. Very civilised!

Sunday 22^nd June

Sines is a commercial and fishing port and it provides the first shelter and refuge after 35 miles of unbroken sand dunes running south down the coast of Portugal from the Rio Sado. Like so many of these harbours, it is overlooked by a fourteenth century fort which has the added distinction of being where Vasco de Gama was born.

Prize giving was at 11.00 am in the town hall and was as usual an entertaining mix. We then all headed into the town for lunch and we joined up with the adults (!) from Blue Beyond and chose a wonderful little restaurant.

It was not long before we were joined there by the newly extended crew off Arwen and then Bali Hai. Sarah and Bev headed off from there to find a supermarket whilst Ray, Mark, Maxine and I headed back to Blue Beyond to prepare some mid-afternoon Pimms. Bali Hai skipper, Neal joined us briefly, but left leaving a half filled glass! Late afternoon, Sarah cut my hair and we settled for a quiet night aboard ready for a very early morning tomorrow.