With all essential maintenance carried out, supplies restocked, and crew members well rested, the time has come to bid a fond farewell to Las Palmas. The remaining vessels of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta fleet are leaving for Bermuda…
Rona II (UK) looks set to cross the start line 200 miles south of Gran Canaria first, while the rest of the fleet is making good progress to cross within the “start gate window.” From there, the ships will begin the epic Transatlantic crossing to Bermuda.
Paul Bishop, Race Director of the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta, has some special words of thanks for Las Palmas, and he looks ahead to the tactical decisions facing the fleet as they cross the Atlantic.
“On behalf of the Sail Training International and Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta fleet, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone in Las Palmas for making this technical stop-over on the race between Sines, Portugal, and Bermuda such a great success.
“I would really like to thank the Port Authority, Tourism Board and Council of Las Palmas for all the support they have provided. They have been excellent in the way they have supported the fleet with any technical issues that have arisen, especially with the assistance they have provided to Peter von Danzig (Germany) with her new shaft. It really has been first-class service
“The Race Committee has studied the weather forecast for the last 24 hours, as have the captains. The good news is that there are better winds forecast now, which means the vessels will not need to go so far south to get into the Trade Winds, giving them a more direct course to Bermuda.
“It looks like the fleet will have good winds for the first week, and we’re expecting good to average speeds across to Bermuda. Each captain will decide how far south to go or not. The further south they go, the greater the wind, but the further they will have to sail. These are the decisions they will have to make over the next week.
“Looking ahead, we’ll see particularly interesting strategy decisions closer to Bermuda, when the fleet starts heading north. Some captains will head north sooner, but some will stay south for longer to make use of the stronger winds. It really is going to be an exciting finish as the fleet converges on Bermuda.”
Paul Bishop, Race Director, Sail Training International
A special Birthday in Las Palmas
Today (Wednesday 10 May), is also a very special day for Rodrigo de la Serna, captain of Atyla (Vanuatu). Happy birthday, Rodrigo, and fair winds and following seas to Bermuda!
Caption reads: “Today is our captain’s (Atyla) birthday. In spite of his youth, the whole crew sees him as a master, and we are confident in our captain, going across the ocean.”
LOOKING FORWARD TO EXOTIC BERMUDA
Bermuda is a stunning Caribbean island that’s exceptionally proud of its outstanding natural beauty, golden sands, safe harbours, and stunning coral reefs. The island will also welcome the 35th America’s Cup, presented by Louis Vuitton, at the same time as the Tall Ships fleet, which will create an electric atmosphere and some incredible sailing!
Bermuda has hosted the Tall Ships Races and Regattas five times in the past – the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta will be its sixth event. Whilst on the island, you can experience some of the best swimming, sailing and on-the-water experiences in the world on the island. It’s also surrounded by coral reef, which is home to scores of colourful fish. And it boasts many old shipwrecks, which makes for truly memorable sightseeing offshore.
FOLLOW THE FLEET
Watch the action as it happens and follow the fleet’s progress using YB Satellite Tracking.
GET INVOLVED
You can still be part of this adventure of a lifetime. Berths are available for Race 3 (from Bermuda to Boston) onwards. Why wait? Secure your place today. Check out the available places on our Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta event pages.
You can book your place directly with a participating vessel, or if you’d like help simply email our friendly team on enquiries@sailonboard.com, who can make recommendations, answer questions and process your booking for you.
Photo: Trainees letting their hair down in Las Palmas (featured image and banner image). Rodrigo de la Serna, image courtesy of Valery Vasilevsky.