Tourism boost as foreign yachts arrive in Richards Bay
All the boats safely completed the crossing of the Indian Ocean and survived the tricky passage from La Reunion to Richards Bay, arriving over the past 10 days.
CREWS from a fleet of 14 boats participating in the 2015-2016 World ARC Cruise were received in style at the Zululand Yacht Club on Friday evening.
Representing Britain, Portugal, Sweden, Australia, Iceland, Netherlands, America, France and Switzerland, the sailors were treated to a typical Zululand welcome with Zulu dancing, traditional music, a potjie feast and ‘bokdrolspoeg’ as entertainment.
This is the fourth visit of the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) armada, with Richards Bay an established and favourite port of call as the yachts circumnavigate the globe.
All the boats safely completed the crossing of the Indian Ocean and survived the tricky passage from La Reunion to Richards Bay, arriving over the past 10 days.
The Zululand Yacht Club affirmed its reputation as a friendly and well organised venue, with customs officials also making the formal clearing of the boats as easy as possible.
In-between doing minor repairs and acquiring provisions for the boats, the crews are making the most of the stopover by visiting the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Park and other tourist highlights.
After a well-deserved rest, they will leave independently for Cape Town over the next few weeks before tackling the Atlantic Ocean and heading for St Helena in January.
