We started in St Vincent, sailed down via Bequia to the Tobago Cays, Mayrau and Union.
Turtles in the Bequia sanctuary
Sunset over Union seen from the bar at Mayrau
Taking a break from cruising on Mustique
Wonderful beach on Mustique
The Primary School
Mustique from the restaurant
Celebrating our arrival with a rum punch!
Collecting the prize for coming 3rd in Racing B division
Speed: 0.0 knots @ 299.35°
Position at: 12 Dec 2013 08:00 UTC
Lat/Lon: 14° 4.45 N, 060° 56.94 W
DTF: 2.0 NM
3rd in Racing B
So just after 8:00am UTC ithe Rally is over and Milanto is safe and sound in Rodney Bay Hope everyone on board is now able to go to sleep on a bulk which for once is flat and still!.I am sure the blog will be fully updated later on.
She left 24 Nov 12:45 sailed 2835 NM-12 Dec 05:07
corrected elapsed time 18d 9h 20m 30s Well done to all on board!
After a memorable moonlit downwind sail for the final 20 miles to St Lucia , we first sighted the lights of Martinique and shortly afterwards,St Lucia. It was an immensely satisfying and thrilling feeling after 18 days at sea.
Final preparations were made for the upwind charge to the finish line once we had rounded Pigeon Island and importantly, the Champaign was ready and waiting on ice!
The ARC photographer came out to greet us as we approached the finish line and we crossed at 1:06am local time on on Thursday 12th Dec to hoots of delight from all onboard.
A welcoming rum punch awaited us dockside at Rodney Bay - as did the news that Team Milanto had achieved 3rd place in Racing B division, 6th in all Racing Divisions and 15th on real time out of the entire fleet of boats NOT using the engine. Not bad for such a ragtag bunch of sailors!
In closing, sincere thanks and appreciation to Valerio and Gianni for their guidance and tireless work throughout, to Ros for running the blog and of course to Milanto for capably seeing us through 2,835 mile of blue ocean sailing.
John E, John L,Karl and Nick
Our thanks to all 4 for writing the blog, through the 'thick and thin' of the ARC Rally!
Speed: 7.6 knots @ 234.22°
Position at: 11 Dec 2013 12:00 UTC
Lat/Lon: 15° 29.04 N, 059° 3.63 W
DTF: 169.2 NM
3rd in Racing B
150 miles to go. This will be our last day at sea. Another beautiful day for sailing. Big swell, consistent wind and bright clear skies.We make good progress at around 8 knots and still resist putting up the spinnaker that has proven difficult to handle - our first choice spinnaker having been torn early on in the campaign. This afternoon we relaxed on deck and compared beards. Knot tying lessons have been suspended and fishing was aborted after a suspected Marlin ripped through our lure. Spirits are high.
62 miles to go. Our estimated arrival time is around 1:00 am Thursday 12th.
After 16 days at sea during which the Milanto has seen us through high winds and high seas and through which it has been impossible to stand upright without hanging off the grab rails or any other anchor point, we wonder how we will cope with dry land. General consensus is that a Rum shot with a cold beer chaser will sort us out pretty quickly, a remedy endorsed by the ships designated First Aider/Paramedic, who has also doubled up as the ships cocktail mixologist without even a hint of irony.
ension and excitement is building as we await first sight of land. There is also a touch of sadness that our journey together as the crew of Milanto is drawing to a close. Its been a great adventure that has bonded us together in a shared experience.
Next blog will follow after crossing the finishing line, more news about our performance in racing Division 2 and overall position will follow tomorrow.
PS just as darkness was falling upon Milanto, for the last time at sea, we were visited by a pod of 10 Dolphin that played in our bow wave for about 20 mins. What a great way to end our last day at sea !
Tired but extremely happy to have finished.
Speed: 8.3 knots @ 234.41°
Position at: 10 Dec 2013 12:00 UTC
Lat/Lon: 17° 13.25 N, 056° 17.36 W
DTF: 362.3 NM
3rd in Racing B
posted on the 12th!
Two days seemingly rolled into one.
We are 300 miles out of St Lucia. The Trade Winds are behind us and we roll with the waves and the wind that is steady around 15 knots.Mr Norris is still confined to his bag and we take turns at the helm to get the optimum ride down the waves to maintain a fast pace.The swell is huge, but regular. It sometimes feels we are 50 feet above the ocean as we crest a wave, before gently - and occasionaly crashingly - slide down the other side. The sun beats down and the temperature down below suggests another uncomfortable night trying to sleep in between watches.
Now to Dec 11th.......
