Royal Air Force Yacht Club

 Wouldn’t you one day love to leave the British winter behind and enjoy a Trade Winds passage to the warmth and sun of the Caribbean - as skipper of your own boat, as crew for a club colleague, or just sharing the dream as a helper?  Club members Peter Baker and Conny Viol plan to do just this, leaving Europe in late 2014, and should there be sufficient interest in joining them have volunteered to lead a club rally following the same route that the very successful RAFYC Trade Winds USA Rally took in 2001/02.

To register your interest in participating, helping, or just learning more click here,

 Pete and Conny were first introduced to the RAFYC when they took a break in their careers to join the 2001/02 rally as crew members.  They enjoyed the experience so much they’ve acquired a boat and have joined the club, and now they have more time available for sailing they wish to revisit the rally destinations. 

 Chala and I were fortunate enough to find the time to complete that rally on our own boat and although not available to do it this time around I’ve volunteered to help with the organisation and shore-based support, and I’m pleased to confirm that the club executives have already indicated their support for this becoming the club’s third Trade Winds Rally (TW3), provided there is sufficient interest. 

 We already have a sufficient level of interest to establish an interest group which is developing a provisional plan, but we need more people to join us.  A programme of educational seminars and planning workshops will be arranged in good time to help participants with their preparation and passage to Lagos on the Algarve where participating yachts will assemble in October 2014, for a departure at the end of the month.  The route will be via Tenerife (Canaries) and Sao Vicente (Cape Verde) to Antigua (for Christmas), then through the Leeward and Virgin islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba to Florida, then optionally to return to Europe via Bermuda and the Azores, arriving June 2015, to continue up the East Coast of America to New York and Rhode Island, returning to Europe via the Azores, arriving August 2015, or to leave the rally to pursue individual cruising in the US, Bahamas and Caribbean.

  This rally will be self-funding, but our costs will be low compared say to ARC (in 2012, ARC costs £1225 for an eleven metre yacht and four people, and for this you get only a one-leg voyage from Gran Canaria to St Lucia).  We expect costs to be somewhat less, even for the full round-trip route. 

  Whatever your interest (skipper with boat, crew, home-based helper, or merely wanting to know more), and however tentative it may be at present, please sign up for the event so we can really make this happen.  You can use the on-line booking service (click here), sign up on the club notice board or via telephone to the club office.  If you’ve any questions I can help with please contact me direct (details in members handbook, or a private message to TonyF).

 Tony Fiske (PM to TonyF)