Yachts competing in the Rally Portugal are sailing into the ancient walled city of Bayona having crossed the Bay of Biscay safely. 30 boats are due to moor up in this, the first port of call having set sail from Plymouth up to five days earlier.

For many of the yachtsmen and women this is their first Biscay crossing, like Uta Gosling a 64-year-old sailor who has nine grandchildren.

‘It was wonderful, being in a rally gave us the feeling of safety in numbers.” Her companion aboard their Legend 42, Free Spirit, which has a five strong crew, Rita Baumal, 61, who has five grandchildren herself, said: ”I whistled and made clicking noises at the dolphins which danced around us all the way down.” They keep their boat in Port Solent but are sailing round to Majorca after the rally finishes.

Moody 44 yacht skipper Philip Moreland, a 52 -year-old company director from Leeds and his four crew also made their first Biscay crossing.

‘”It is a good idea -there is a feeling of comfort in a rally and everything is set up when you arrive as well.”” His boat Eliza Fernley II is from Grimsby.

But skipper of White Sands, a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 452, had some words of caution to add. Dr Sheila Shilton Brown and her husband Philip have raced offshore for 30 year but had never made a Biscay crossing before. They came down a week earlier because of crew restrictions and hit a NW gale. ‘”What you have to remember is that there are just two or three of you on a rally, you are not going to be 10 up like you would be on a Fastnet. “” Sheila was almost washed out of the cockpit when a “rogue”” wave swept their boat.