Can you ever truly be ready to sail half way around the world? The start of the World ARC rally is always going to be something of an event, and this year didn’t disappoint. The last few days are crammed with seminars to frighten, skipper’s briefings to confuse, farewell parties to survive, and to-do lists to conquer.
Ressie’s own quiet crisis was our spinnaker sock. The new one arrived the morning of the race start, and at start minus 2 hours, we discovered it was 4 metres too short. Bummer!
The boys – Karsten and Bernardus – provisioned the boat to the gunnels, and then Karsten’s lost luggage showed up at the last minute, complete with kilos more of fine cheeses, boutique gin and deli items – we’re not going to starve.
The sail? Brilliant – fast, comfortable downwind sailing. Ressie ate it up, and we rolled away from the fleet with our old kite and a heavily reefed main. We quickly fell into onboard routine, and the days flew by, punctuated by a dolphin visit, the occasional squall and gourmet dinners, including a steak BBQ at 9 knots one night.
4 days later, we sailed down the Columbia coast in 35 knots, surfing the waves into Santa Marta. It is a truly spectacular landfall, and as soon as we dropped our sails, a helicopter and drone came to welcome us.
Santa Marta is a surprise. The old centre of town is buzzing with music and street theatre seemingly all night long. There is visible poverty, particularly from newly arrived Venezuelans, but there is also lots of music and dancing and a sense of community. Of course, we have no real sense.
With over 100 people currently on the rally, it is a stretch to get to know everyone, but it is also amazing how quickly people connect when they have a common interest and experience. Ethnically and demographically, this group is fascinating and diverse. We are just at the very start of this adventure.
Next stop – San Blas Islands, with Cupcake, Prue and Mike. The islands sound amazing, and a great place to hang out before the Panama transit in early February.