And still have signal with the local sim in the iPad. It was a “Gate start” just motor out of Harbour, set your sails 1 nm out and take your own start time, supposed to be between 10 and 11 but almost all the boats left early – we started at 09.58 and only 3 boats behind. There is no wind so we are motoring in the sunshine. 1400 miles to Richards Bay in South Africa, we may have to stop in bay in southern Madagascar to avoid crossing the Agulhas current in bad weather. We had a great week in Reunion, it’s very French, uses euro and the phone even works. Despite much of it being so steep and mountainous Reunion is more developed than Mauritius but the public toilets are much better in Mauritius.

Anita, and Ros and Howard from Misto, got in some alternative spinnaker practice, going parapenting. Great views, easy take off and landing. We leave tomorrow for Richards Bay in South Africa.

The shortest passage of the World ARC rally, just 130 miles between Mauritius and Reunion. But during the passage we had wind from every direction, every strength from none to F6, every point of sail and just about every sail combination we have. Reunion is probably more French than France. A smallish high volcanic island – with one volcano still active, about 850,000 people. There is a mainly dual carriageway road all round the coast, though they are building a new bit out on stilts just north of here (you don’t expect your passage by yacht along the coast to be obstructed by road building!), then some steep and convoluted small roads heading into the mountainous interior of the island, none go right across. Though just when you think your hire car can’t possibly make the next bend, you realise that this is the bus route. Most of the cars, especially the hire cars are white. There was a trip to the volcano, then we spent a couple of days touring with Ros and Howard from Misto, going up to the Cirque of Cilaos (caldera of an old volcano) to do some walking and in fact we stayed the night in a sort of b&b. First time we haven’t slept on the boat since March.

This is the long Indian Ocean Passage – 23000 miles. The conditions were interesting. We sailed over the start line and cleared the Islands and set course – into a flat calm. Got wind after a couple of days, then rather too much of it, a confused sea broadside on made for an uncomfortable and wet ride. First thing me I’ve ever seen our cockpit gratings floating, luckily we had just shut the hatches. It got calm again, but eventually after 16 days we made it round the north end of Mauritius to Port Louis. Mauritius is a lovely island and we were very pleased to be able to meet up with Steve’s old friend and medical class mate Vidia, who is from Mauritius. Vidia and his family just happened to be out here overseeing the laying of the foundations for their retirement home which they are building in a lovely location high up in the middle of the island. They also looked after us very well.

It is an island of contrasts, lovely beaches, some beautiful country inland, also some developed malls and the teeming city of Port Louis where we are berthed. We have not seen a Dodo but there are some giant tortoises, imported from Seychelles as all the native ones were eaten by the Dutch in the 1700s. Most people speak French or Creole although the island was most recently British until independence in 1968. There is a whole mix of French, African, Indian, Chinese and even British peoples and influences. The main export from the island is sugar from the many sugar cane fields.

A good passage here, favourable current and almost enough wind. Here there is white sand, coral, blue sea and sky – and coconut palms! Dolphins around the boat as we came in to anchor, also reef sharks.

And other views

Arrived here yesterday after quite a fast passage from Lombok. Shortly after the start we entered the Selat Lombok, the fierce current created a washing machine effect especially for the smaller boats, green water nearly back to the cockpit. After that we were nearly becalmed for a bit, then got the wind and it was a beam reach most of the way, flying the cruising chute for a couple of days until wind and sea got up more and white sails were enough. We have just 48 hours here so trying to get everything done, then see a bit of the island before we sail on to Cocos Keeling.

We leave Lombok this morning after a whirlwind few days. It was a very slow, hot and windless passage from Darwin. Timshel does not carry enough fuel to motor for 900 miles, so after the first few days the rally fleet left us behind as they motored on, and we had to do our best to sail in very little wind. We did make the finish line just before the closing time (more than a day later than the next slowest boat), and we still had enough fuel. Luckily our timing was good for the passage up Selat Lombok between Lombok and Bali. Boats that got this wrong found up to 8 knots against them. But we benefited from the info and advice mailed back by the first boats to finish, creeping up close to the shore we benefited from a counter current of at least 3 knots. We were so touched by the amount of kindness and support we received from this new group of yachts for World ARC 2018 that we have just joined – 2 boats were even offering to go back to the Finish line to bring us fuel! This support and camaraderie between the boats is what World ARC is all about.

We did a tour round the southern part of the island, which is relatively undamaged by the recent earthquakes. Not so for those with more time who toured to the north and saw the devastation with whole villages flattened. It is a beautiful country with happy and hard working people. Who go about on flocks of small motorbikes! We got a ride in a pony and trap, and went to see a colourful market, local villages and pottery being made, and a temple – the people are Muslim or Hindu and this temple is sacred for both. Much of the land is very fertile, lush and cultivated. But even in the south there are many tents – people are afraid to sleep in their houses in case of another quake, and of course the tourist trade has been badly affected.

Then a day or so spent fixing things of the boat, again with help and advice from other rally boats, then we had a great party and prizegiving dinner in the new and almost finished yacht club building at the marina. The remnants from WARC18 rally did rather well, Aurora Polaris with Pia and Terje in 1st place in Class A, Misto with Ros, Howard, Helen and Mick 1st in the multihull category, and Timshel even got 2 prizes, one for 1st two handed boat on corrected time (apparently by 13 secs from Aurora Polaris) and one for the boat with least motoring hours.

Of course this blog only works when we have Internet. We will try to post on the World Cruising Club site https://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/world_arc_2018_eventlogs.aspx while we are going along.

You can track us at https://my.yb.tl/Timshel81 or on the YB races app to see with the other rally boats. Go to https://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/world_arc_2018_eventlogs.aspx and go to Where are the boats. You can download the app for tablets. You need to select World ARC 2018 MacKay onwards.