RECONHECIMENTO INTERNACIONAL
O Texto que se segue, foi-nos enviado pelo Comodoro Peter Ronaldson e refere-se ao “Azores Rally Irish Cruising Club and Royal Cruising Club” levado a cabo por esses dois clubes neste arquipélago insular de 17 a 29 de Julho de 2009.
Chamamos a atenção do leitor para as partes do texto em que se refere o seu autor, supracitado, à recepção que tiveram nesta ilha de Santa Maria, ao modo como o faz e o que menciona sobre o Clube Naval de Santa Maria.
De salientar que o texto em causa será alvo de uma publicação numa revista da especialidade, pelo que vos convidamos à sua leitura.
“The Azores Rally Irish Cruising Club and Royal Cruising Club: 17th – 29th July 2009
Peter Ronaldson
Commodores of their respective Clubs. Sadly Anthony did not live to see the idea become a reality. The RCC has a long history of organising gatherings on far distant shores, but for the ICC this would be somewhat of a leap in the dark being the first time that the Club would be involved in an event which required an ocean passage of more than a thousand miles, just to get to the first party!
The idea of having a rally to the Azores in partnership with the Royal Cruising Club was first suggested by Cormac McHenry and the late Anthony Browne about three years ago, when they were
Commodores of their respective Clubs. Sadly Anthony did not live to see the idea become a reality. The RCC has a long history of organising gatherings on far distant shores, but for the ICC this would be somewhat of a leap in the dark being the first time that the Club would be involved in an event which required an ocean passage of more than a thousand miles, just to get to the first party! The considerable time commitment to cover the distances involved, and take part in all the events, necessarily limited the number of potential participants, but we hoped that the very fact that a rally was being organised would encourage some members, who would not normally consider making an ocean passage, to make a special effort to attend. This indeed turned out to be the case, with the ICC fleet being made up of a mixture of hardened long-distance voyagers and newcomers to ocean passage-making. In the end fourteen ICC boats and nine from the RCC indicated a firm intention to take part, but unfortunately Alan Leonard was forced to withdraw at the last minute, leaving a fleet of 22, not all of which attended every event. All regions of the ICC were represented in the fleet, with five from the South, three each from the North and the East and two from the West. At the end of the cruise everyone who took part agreed that it had been a resounding and most enjoyable success, and the various logs which appear elsewhere in the Annual provide an interesting insight into various crews’ experiences. A full list of those boats which took part appears at the end of this note.
The organisation of an event more than a thousand miles away and involving two clubs provided a considerable challenge, but we were fortunate that David Whitehead volun – teered to look after the ICC side of things, with Paul Heiney representing the RCC. The Clubs owe them both a great debt of gratitude for the effort they put into making the rally such a success, so it was particularly disappointing that illness prevented David from attending to enjoy the fruits of his labour.
The Port Authority for the Azores went out of their way to ensure that we w
ere made most welcome everywhere we went, and their International Liaison and Marketing Manager, Carla Cook, looked after all the arrangements for our functions ashore, and our berthing in each marina. She was, despite her diminutive appearance, a tower of strength when it came to making sure that everything ran smoothly, and thanks to her efforts we also learned much about the history, culture and traditions of the islands as well as seeing at first hand their spectacular natural beauty.
Generally speaking, the RCC ran the parties at the beginning of the cruise on Sao Miguel, while the ICC ran those at the end in Angra do Heroismo on Terceira. The only other organised events took place on Santa Maria, which had been visited by Ed Wheeler on his way home from West Africa last year, and where he received such an outstandingly warm welcome that he insisted that the island should be included in our Rally. He was absolutely right, and indeed for many participants the time spent on Santa Maria turned out to be the highlight of the whole Cruise.
The spacing of the “official” club events left plenty of time to explore the other islands in the archipelago, with Horta on Faial proving most popular, to enable first timers to leave their mark on the harbour walls, and old hands to refresh previous efforts, and of course sample the delights of Peter’s Bar which has changed little over the years. Needless to say throughout the cruise many impromptu parties developed throughout the fleet, enabling the Clubs to mix together and get to know each other better.
Five of the ICC boats opted to sail directly from Ireland to the Azores, and all experienced fairly foul weather at some stage or other. Strong headwinds were the order of the day even when approaching the islands, when they might have expected more gentle conditions. Most reported scary experiences, none more frightening than Pure Magic’s close encounter with an almost submerged container which they didn’t see until it was astern! Seven ICC boats came via Spain or Portugal, but they also often experienced uncomfortable headwinds on the passage out to the islands. The only ICC participant who reported an easy, quiet, sunny and enjoyable passage was Cormac McHenry in Island Life, who had the good sense to arrive from the Canaries via Madeira! On arrival in the islands we were all pleasantly surprised by the ease with which all the entry formalities were completed. In the past entry and departure formalities in Portugal were time consuming and tedious, and while all the controls still exist they are now handled quickly and efficiently by friendly and polite officials.
The most dramatic and unusual passage to the islands was undoubtedly made by RCC member Mervyn Wheatley on Tamarind, who started by taking part in the Single-handed Transatlantic Race from Plymouth to Newport RI, in which he won his class and came second overall. He then sailed singlehanded from Newport to the Azores, arriving in time for the first party! Not surprisingly Mervyn won the joint RCC/ICC award for the most meritorious passage to the Rally. We were particularly delighted that Paddy O’Sullivan and Anne Kenny were able to join the rally by chartering a boat in Portugal. They arrived in Ponta Delgada in time for the opening reception, but unfortunately had to leave after the parties on Santa Maria.
They were the popular recipients of the prize for the most meritorious passage to the rally by ICC members.
They were the popular recipients of the prize for the most meritorious passage to the rally by ICC members.
By the time the Opening Reception was held by the RCC on 17th July many of the ICC crews had been in Ponta Delgada for a few days, and had found their way round the local hostelries, including one in which you cooked your own meat at your table on a piping hot stone slab. Its potential as a party venue was obvious, and Evie used her Portuguese skills (which proved to be very useful throughout the Rally) to persuade the manager (who had no English) to reserve most of the restaurant for a party, following the Opening Reception. This Reception was generously supported by the Azorean Port Authority, and held on the quayside outside a bar at the marina, where the local wine flowed freely, there was plenty of finger food, and we were entertained to a fine display of traditional Azorean music and dancing. Nigel Wollen, Commodore of the RCC, welcomed us all to the rally and he and many others soon joined in the dancing. About sixty of us from both Clubs repaired to the restaurant, and enjoyed a good noisy meal which inevitably ended with (mostly Irish) music and song, which rendered the professional musician redundant and brought a smile to the bar manager’s face.
The following day the RCC arranged for us to be taken on a guided coach tour of the spectacular eastern end of Sao Miguel, visiting the ancient capital of the island, Vila Franca do Campo, and viewing from the shore Ilheu da Vila, an island formed by an almost drowned miniature volcanic peak, with a crater flooded by the sea making a perfect natural swimming pool. We toured the dramatic Vale das Furnas, with its sulphurous steaming fumaroles, and were eventually left to our own devices to find lunch in the village of Furnas. Needless to say “lunch” meant different things to different people, and it was with some difficulty that we were gathered together for a tour of the Parque Terra Nostra with its lush tropical gardens and warm yellow lake, into which some brave souls plunged without any obvious ill effects. In the evening the RCC arranged an evening of typical Azorean food and wine at the very rural White Horse restaurant, in the village of Santa Barbara on the north coast, which involved another coach trip along roads and through villages unchanged since the days of the horse and cart, and totally unsuited to modern traffic. Thankfully our drivers were skilful enough to avoid most of the overhanging roofs and balconies, and ensure our safe arrival. The meal was an interesting experience with the content of many of the dishes remaining a mystery, but it was, however, most enjoyable and gave us another opportunity to meet and mix with the members of our sister Club. The return journey to Ponta Delgada was relaxed and painless and so ended the first part of the Rally.
Over the next day or so the fleet sailed to Santa Maria, which is the most southerly and easterly of the islands, and which until recently was rarely visited by cruising sailors. For many of us the sail from Sao Miguel was the first time we had the wind abeam since leaving Ireland, and spinnakers and cruising chutes even made an appearance.
The welcome we received in Santa Maria was simply outstanding. The marina at Vila do Porto is new, and the islanders were keen to show it off to us – they had never hosted any sort of cruising rally before and the whole community, local council, yacht club, tourist board, and port authority, bent over backwards to make our visit memorable for all the right reasons. They even gave us free berthing while we were there. The harbourmaster, the ever cheerful Armando Suares, could not have been more helpful – not only had he cleared the whole central pontoon of the marina for us but he had also allocated each boat its berth in advance, so that we all knew exactly where to go, and in addition he arranged for all the paperwork to be completed quickly on board each boat by a polite and cheerful young policeman.
When all the support facilities are in place this marina, while not very large, will be one of the best in the Azores from the point of view of comfort and security both afloat and ashore.
On Tuesday 21st July the formal events started when we gathered at the Clube Naval by the marina, and watched an absolutely mesmerising and outstanding display of drumming by the Bei-ja-Tum, a local group of about twentyfive young people – mostly long haired girls dressed in white swirling skirts, who created an amazing and fascinating spectacle as they moved and swayed to the infectious rhythms. The group played for about fortyfive minutes and received rapturous applause – for many members this was the highlight of the whole Rally!
When all the support facilities are in place this marina, while not very large, will be one of the best in the Azores from the point of view of comfort and security both afloat and ashore.
On Tuesday 21st July the formal events started when we gathered at the Clube Naval by the marina, and watched an absolutely mesmerising and outstanding display of drumming by the Bei-ja-Tum, a local group of about twentyfive young people – mostly long haired girls dressed in white swirling skirts, who created an amazing and fascinating spectacle as they moved and swayed to the infectious rhythms. The group played for about fortyfive minutes and received rapturous applause – for many members this was the highlight of the whole Rally!
An excellent and prolonged lunch provided by the Clube Naval followed, with plenty of local wine, after which we exchanged gifts with the Mayoress of Vila do Porto, the Presidente of the Clube Naval. and the Harbourmaster.
I thanked everyone for the marvellous welcome we had received, and Evie made a short speech of thanks in Portuguese, which was greatly appreciated by the Islanders, most of whom spoke no English.
We also took this opportunity to present Mervyn Wheatley with his trophy, as he would be unable to attend the final party, and I was even presented with a birthday cake by the Club.
A local group of folk musicians, singing and playing traditional twelve and sixteen string guitars, then entertained us and accompanied a display of traditional Azorean costumes worn for different purposes, and explained for us in English by Carla – we were even encouraged to dance with the ‘models’ afterwards.
Heads were still a bit fragile when we gathered the next morning, for a tour of the island provided for us by the Council of Santa Maria. This turned out to be a wonderful opportunity to see the o
utstanding scenery of the island which is quite different from Sao Miguel.
Some hardy souls went swimming off the almost deserted beach at Baia do Praia, while others had a dip at Sao Lourenco, where every scrap of fertile land has been terraced and divided up into tiny patches, surrounded by pumice stone walls which act both as windbreaks and heat stores for the vines.
We called at the tiny Chapel at Baia dos Anjos, where Columbus landed on his way back from America in 1493, and passed the huge airport built by the Allies during WW2 despite Portugal’s neutrality.
We were back at the Clube Naval by lunchtime, where another huge spread awaited us – for a modest charge of €10 – and to our pleasant surprise the Mayoress returned and presented each Skipper with a selection of the Island’s produce, and a souvenir in the form of a miniature version of the unique chimney found on every house on Santa Maria. This was the last formal gathering before the final functions of the cruise a week later, and gradually we reluctantly tore ourselves away from Santa Maria, with nothing but the best memories of the wonderful welcome we had received from its friendly people.
The fleet dispersed among the other islands as they wished – most seemed to end up in Horta on Faial at some time – and gathered together again at Angra do Heroismo on Terceira in time for the final parties on 29th July. Once again the marina staff were most helpful, despite the fact that we were “double booked” with an inter-island racing fleet. Unfortunately some of the berths, particularly those occupied by larger boats near the entrance, were subject to a considerable scend and were decidedly uncomfortable. Angra turned out to be another excellent venue on another most interesting island, and many members hired cars, taxis, and minibuses to visit the many interesting features of the island, ranging from caves to ancient fortresses to lush green countryside. The city of Angra itself is a World Heritage site, and boasts many fine, well-maintained and colourful traditional buildings on narrow cobbled streets. It is hard to believe that it was struck by a severe earthquake as recently as 1980, which damaged three quarters of its buildings.
On Tuesday 28th July Evie and I held a very informal Bucks Fizz and nibbles party on board Faustina ll and Island Life, whose owners, John and Ann Clementson and Cormac and Barbara McHenry, generously but probably unwisely allowed their boats to be used for the gathering. We invited the crews of all the Rally boats in the marina, and I have no idea how many people came – suffice to say that the noise level was high and not only were the two boats well down on their marks but the adjacent pontoons were in danger of sinking. We were delighted to entertain Carla, her husband Frederico and baby son David at the party, and thankfully no one fell in, before many members of both clubs adjourned to a nearby hotel for yet another convivial dinner.
Wednesday 29th was the final day of the rally and the celebrations began with a reception on the quayside, hosted by the marina management, and to which the racing crews were also invited. Plenty of local wine and finger food put everyone in good form for the final party, which began on the terrace outside the Aquaemotion Restaurant beside the marina, with some outstandingly good traditional Terceiran music and song, performed by a well-known and very professional group who chose to play for us, rather than a more prestigious event elsewhere that night. It was most enjoyable and lasted for nearly an hour, with Carla explaining the meaning of the songs and significance of the music in local folklore. We eventually went into the restaurant, where an enormous spread awaited us.
It was all locally produced, prepared using traditional methods, and was delicious, with copious amounts of Azorean wine to accompany it. We all ate and drank heartily, and the new friendships made during the past few weeks were cemented in typical cruising club ways. Our guests included Carlos Adalberto Silva, the President of the Azores Port Authority and his wife, and of course Carla Cook who contributed so much to the smooth running of the Rally, and who brought the Islands to life for us all. They both proved to be cheerful, helpful and generous friends throughout the event. Mike Gill, representing the Commodore of the RCC, and I thanked everyone involved; we were presented with mementos of the occasion by Carlos and also by the City of Agra and the evening ended with the odd song or two and a lot of very contented people.
It was all locally produced, prepared using traditional methods, and was delicious, with copious amounts of Azorean wine to accompany it. We all ate and drank heartily, and the new friendships made during the past few weeks were cemented in typical cruising club ways. Our guests included Carlos Adalberto Silva, the President of the Azores Port Authority and his wife, and of course Carla Cook who contributed so much to the smooth running of the Rally, and who brought the Islands to life for us all. They both proved to be cheerful, helpful and generous friends throughout the event. Mike Gill, representing the Commodore of the RCC, and I thanked everyone involved; we were presented with mementos of the occasion by Carlos and also by the City of Agra and the evening ended with the odd song or two and a lot of very contented people.
And that was it! After years of planning and preparation it was all over, and everyone made their various ways to their home ports in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe, mostly enjoying better conditions than on the way out. The rally was undoubtedly a success, encouraging more than twenty boats to make the effort to make the long passage to the Azores. It brought together members of two of the most important Cruising Clubs and created friendships that will surely last. We are all most grateful to David Whitehead and to Paul Heiney for their work in setting it all up, and of course to everyone in the Azores, especially Carla, for helping to make our visit to their beautiful islands so memorable. Finally I must finish on a more personal note by thanking John and Ann Clementson most sincerely for inviting Evie and me to join Faustina ll on the cruise – although I must admit there were times during some of the dark, wet and windy nights on the outward passage that I wondered if it was such a good idea!
The following yachts attended the rally:
A Lady – Stephen & Aileen Hyde ICC
Diva Maria – John & Flavia Philips RCC
Ear to Eternity – Peter Whatley RCC
Faustina ll – John & Ann Clementson ICC
Fidget – Martin & Suzanne Read RCC
Genesis of Drumbuoy – Ian & Helen Morrow ICC
Island Life – Cormac & Barbara McHenry ICC
Jessamy – Roddy Innes RCC
Nyaminyami ll – Francis & Karen Williams RCC
Pastime – Anthony & Julia Wells RCC
Pennypincher – Alan & Penny Spriggs RCC
Pure Magic – Peter & Beverly Killen ICC
Quicksilver – Mike & Hilde Gill RCC
Rosemarie of Cuan – Terry & Maureen Anderson ICC
Saoirse of Cork – Colin Hayes ICC
Shady Maid – Frank Ranalow ICC
Shelduck – Neil Hegarty ICC
Sueste l – Paddy O’Sullivan & Anne Kenny ICC
Tamarind – Mervyn & Penny Wheatley RCC
Tara – Bob & Bairbre Stewart ICC
Toirse ll – Richard Cudmore ICC
Yoshi – Dan & Jill Cross ICC “
Diva Maria – John & Flavia Philips RCC
Ear to Eternity – Peter Whatley RCC
Faustina ll – John & Ann Clementson ICC
Fidget – Martin & Suzanne Read RCC
Genesis of Drumbuoy – Ian & Helen Morrow ICC
Island Life – Cormac & Barbara McHenry ICC
Jessamy – Roddy Innes RCC
Nyaminyami ll – Francis & Karen Williams RCC
Pastime – Anthony & Julia Wells RCC
Pennypincher – Alan & Penny Spriggs RCC
Pure Magic – Peter & Beverly Killen ICC
Quicksilver – Mike & Hilde Gill RCC
Rosemarie of Cuan – Terry & Maureen Anderson ICC
Saoirse of Cork – Colin Hayes ICC
Shady Maid – Frank Ranalow ICC
Shelduck – Neil Hegarty ICC
Sueste l – Paddy O’Sullivan & Anne Kenny ICC
Tamarind – Mervyn & Penny Wheatley RCC
Tara – Bob & Bairbre Stewart ICC
Toirse ll – Richard Cudmore ICC
Yoshi – Dan & Jill Cross ICC “
Do Clube Naval de Santa Maria e da parte que nos toca directamente, o nosso muito obrigado, esclarecendo que o fizemos com muito gosto e com sincera amizade, que o voltaremos a fazer e que o faremos sempre por Santa Maria!
