World ARC - Todo bom do Brazil!

by World Cruising on 6 Mar 2017 After arriving in Salvador, spending a full week programme at Bahia Marina, the 13 yachts of World ARC started their free cruising period taking them 435 NM North to the state of Paraiba in Cabedelo for the rendez-vous on 28th of February. Receiving good tips and advices from Eduardo Moura, ex-president of the Sailing Club Association of Salvador during the cruising briefing, the boats started to explore the bay of Bahia going to Ilha de Mare or Ilha do Frade for lunch, stopping for the night to Maragojipe on the Paraguasu River or at Itaparica yacht club to enjoy some pizzas ashore.

Mearra Nieida decided to proceed 60NM south of Salvador to Morro de Sao Paulo and down to Barra Grande, enjoying “absolutely beautiful, crystal clear water” being the only sailing boat at anchor in the bay. Meanwhile the rest of the fleet started their passage to Cabedelo sailing beam reach for “one of their fastest and most pleasant passage” as Trillium would say, joining Resolute II and BlueFlyer who were already there sailing directly from St-Helena.

For the first time on World ARC, yachts arrived at Jacare Marina Village in Cabedelo on the river of Paraiba in time for the beginning of the Carnival. The first boats were welcomed by Francis, Nicolas and Domenico the three French Managers of the Marina who allocated berth to each boats during the slack tides. Once docked participants had time to relax and enjoy their free time using the facilities of the marina, as well as visiting the city of Joa Pessoa or Cabedelo using the little train stopping in Jacare. On the 24th of February all the boats arrived when the cities around were all ready to welcome hundred thousand of people for the Carnival.

Starting on the 24th of February this year participants went on a little bus organized by the marina to the historical centre of Joa Pessoa to discover the atmosphere of the Carnival made of live music call blocos, costume, street food, Caipirinhas and people dancing on the street. Boats that arrived on the 25th also had the chance to get to Joa Pessoa to a different area of the city for a different carnival experienced with lots of concerts.

The following day another bus departed from the Marina at 1400 to drive the 140Km down South to Recife for another type of Carnivals. Participants arrived just at sunset when the city was dressed up, stages up in all the different main square, with thousands of people walking the streets dancing and singing the traditional music from Recife, the Frevo different from the Axe from Salvador or the world famous Samba from Rio.

On the following day participants had a quiet and relax day at the marina with the crew dinner organize by Nicolas, enjoying good food and live music but also some Samba following the move of a little six years girl who took over the stage.

Finally on the last day of the carnival participants took the bus to Olinda to take part to one of the most traditional carnival in Brazil. The bus left at 0800 from the Marina for a full day out partying on the very busy streets of Olinda following the bands. After a long and tiring day, participants went back to the Marina around 1900 for an early night 2 days before the start.

On their last day participants had to go to Immigration office to clear out internationally from Brazil before attending to the skipper’s briefing and receiving all their paper work for the next and last leg of World ARC taking them 2250 NM North to Port-Louis Grenada where they will start to arrive around the 13th of March.