22nd November 2010: DEPARTURE!! A personal note from the Skipper
26:23.9N 16:22.1W Five, four, three, two, one… GO!! After 30
years of dreaming about this and 3 years of planning, the long awaited moment
has arrived. The endless sea is ahead of us (and, of course, many of the 250
sailing boats setting off with us, heading for their own transatlantic
journey). This is very much a personal experience. I (Manuel Sr.) am writing to you today more on a
personal note, as planning this adventure (and making it happen) has meant so
much to me. Savouring the moment, the day of departure, is a unique experience
and I wish I could stop the clock to avoid missing many details. We put a lot
of energy into planning, and then the moment passes by too fast. I remember
having a similar sensation, on the day of Catarina’s (my daughter)
wedding, last June… But let’s go back and review the day. We all
woke up early and enjoyed our last meal ashore as a brunch at Sailor’s
Bar. This friendly watering hole, right in front of ARC office in the marina,
had good wireless connection and great atmosphere. Last minute photos,
cleaning the deck, filling up water tanks and saying goodbye to Julia, who saw
our departure from shore and is flying back to So we left the dock and joined the fleet, already
exploring the departure line and testing the best way to be the first to cross,
without being too early (or risk shame and a 3 hr penalty for the time). The
view was fantastic, the whole city of The weather is pleasant, with light winds. Our friend
Joao Cabecadas advised us on the weather and suggested we take the route south,
not too far from the coast of The dream is becoming a reality, come along and savour
the moment with us. Manuel PS: For the following blog entries, I will hand over
back to the Enigma Crew, with Boyan as the main writer, as we have had great
feedback from many of you. |