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Blue Water Rally

Anyone wanting specific information on the Blue Water Rally should visit their website; Blue Water Round the World Cruising Rally (2-yearly).

The Blue Water Round The World Cruising Rally provides for cruising yachtsmen to realize their dream and to circumnavigate the globe in their own yachts.

It is aimed at crews sailing with families, and friends and there is no racing as the Rally sails at leisure through some of the most beautiful cruising areas of the world.

Independent cruising is actively encouraged, although a dedicated and highly experienced support team will be on hand at main poprts of call to provide professional back-up and help to ensure safety, confidence, and fun.

The routes are planned to allow maximum favorable trade winds.

During the Rally a High FrequecyRadio Net is maintained to ensure safety during passages. Rally organizers provide logistical back-up for the provision of spares and technical support around the world, thus minimixing delays and maximising enjoyment of the voyage. Also included are transit, pilotage and agents fees for the Panama and Suez Canals. The Rally organizers also provide social and tourist programes at major stopover ports.

Professionally established routing is also provided for all Yachts.

Although at this time we are not committed to continue beyond Tahiti with Blue Water Rally we have deferred that decision until we arrive in Tahiti. We are torn between continuing with a professionally organized Rally who will circumnavigate the globe in twenty months or stopping to take the time to enjoy locations such as New Zealand and Australia for an extended period of time on our own. Because of the large migration of international yachts from around the world who follow traditional sailing routes there is no reason for us to ever be alone.

Helen and I look forward to the beginning of our circumnavigation starting Jan, 2004 from the San Blas Islands, just off the coast of Panama.Caribbean 1500 Anyone wanting specific information on the West Marine Caribbean 1500 Rally should visit their website http://www.Carib1500.com.

The benefit of a Rally is that it brings many sailboats together for preparation, social activities, mutual support (psychological & physical), daily check-ins, weather routing, safety checks, and just plain old good advce from both the Rally organizers and other experienced sailors.

Before beginning the Rally I took away two important pieces of information I learned from pre-Rally seminars. These were; "we know you're new at this but you can do it". The second important fact is once "at sea we will do everything to help you but remember you must rely on yourself". These two facts helped us prepare for the Rally and ultimately enjoy and learn from the experience.

We joined the Caribbean 1500 Rally as an opportunity to prepare for our first long distance voyage that would take us from the Hampton, Va. to Virgin Gorda, B.V.I. During our eleven day passage we experienced a gauntlet of weather and sea conditions that although were manageable were unlike anything we had previously experienced.

A radio control operator organized the net from the US and helped us maintain radio contact throughout the Rally. There were periods that I enjoyed the security of knowing another sailboat was nearby and within range although I couldn't see them.

Anyone joining the 1500 Rally without long distance cruising experience will arrive in the British Virgin Islands with two sure benefits. First, they have themselves become long distance sailors with a new confidence in themselves, Second, we have all made friendships that carry on beyond the Rally.

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