Great Raids

[Craic]

Highlights from the Raids circuit 2009:

Sail Caledonia 2009
May 23 - 29, Great Glen, Scotland, UK
http://albums.phanfare.com/isolated/xB8udOCm/2963156/4023713

Velalonga Raid 2009
June 2 - 5, Venice, Italy
http://circolovelicocasanova.provincia.venezia.it/Velalonga%20Raid%202009%20home.htm

Dorestad Raid 2009
Sept. 9 - 13, Netherlands
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mdag5_cQYPQ

[Craic]

We Raiders look at sea areas and waterways differently from other people, don't we?

While hiking on the Caminho Portugues between Oporto and Santiago this late September I literally stumbled across a truly superb location for a future Raid, the Rio Minho (or Rio Mino with a circumflex over the n in Spanish).
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://fotos.sapo.pt/aZpEEeQJz7KNt5oFoa12/340x255&imgrefurl=http://gondomil.blogs.sapo.pt/14644.html&usg=__e-tgQ7DpBEeb-Ji2ztwAuNpk9N8=&h=255&w=340&sz=23&hl=de&start=11&um=1&tbnid=0Jpyj35AETnMbM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drio%2Bminho%26hl%3Dde%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:de:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7MEDA_de%26sa%3DX%26um%3D1

It is the border river between North Portugal and Galicia, Spain.

All perfect: Weather, water, good wind, tricky shallows and currents, scenery and history, hospitality, excellent food and seafood, onshore accommodation, launching and retrieving, trailer parking.

Do look it up on Google Earth, a hidden gem for a raid.

Too far off the beaten track? -Not really, considering the first Raid in Europe was held thereabouts, on the river Douro in Portugal in 1997. Time to get back there.

Let's drum up a Raid there, one of these years. A true expedition and adventure. Any takers?

[Tony]

Hi, Claus.

Rio Minho looks great....much better than my home "port" of Carsington reservoir. Ha Ha!
Tapas and Rioja (or should that be Pontevedra?) will make a nice change from pie and chips at the sailing club.
Its a long drive, though. 2500km from my front door,5000km round trip, which is actually further than my annual pilgrimage to Ancona for the Greek ferry. A ferry to Santander might suit me better (No ferries to Vigo, it seems.) and at about 550 quid might work out cheaper than all the tolls, hotels, petrol etc and would certainly be easier on the old Subaru and her driver! 

Certainly looks do-able - and whats the point of having a boat as easily trailed as the BayRaider if you dont actually go anywhere, guys?
Count me in, once Ive checked the Sterling/Euro situation next year. (i.e. got permission from the family!)

My very best to your excellent crew.

Cheers!
Tony

[Craic]

Cheers Tony,
I count you in, delighted.
That ferry Plymouth/Portsmouth to Santander is fantastic, I had no knowledge of it.

>>"whats the point of having a boat as easily trailed as the BayRaider if you dont actually go anywhere?"<<
That's exactly the point. Why carry on suffering all the downsides of the European Union while not at least making best possible use of the upsides? I think it's a huge and singular gift to our generation that we can freely roam this beautiful part of our planet without borders and fuss.

Winewise, you can have great choice there. On the south shore of the Rio Minho it's the light ice-cold and somewhat fizzy portuguese Vinho Verde (white AND red btw), on the norther shore it is the excellent Ribeiro. 

Pontevedra, thanks for mentioning it, we could actually launch there and sail past Baiona and Guarda and up the Minho then. There is a train and bus service between Tui and Pontevedra to go back to collect the cars and trailers. Or we can walk it.

Timewise, I have seen it in in late September and it was a dream then. 30 C, no clouds, ripe Oranges, figs and peaches hanging from trees, grapes across many paths.

Let's find more takers, from about 10 boats up we can start planning. I would like to establish contact with the Club Nautico San Telmo in Tui, and find some basque, galician and portuguese boats for company too.

Kind regards,
Claus

[Tony]

Hi, Claus.

Oh, you silver tongued gastronome! You certainly know how to temp a chap! I think Ill need a bigger boat to carry all the wine.

Cheers!
Tony

[Tony]

Hi, Claus.   (et al)

Anita caught me looking at your pictures of Rio Minho and has expressed a wish to join me for a weekend out there - if she can fly out and stay in a nice hotel, that is. I dont often get her to crew in temperatures below 30 deg C.-or to leave work mid term come to that - so Im going to make encouraging noises.

By the way.
Ive always fancied the Gulf of Finland (since reading "The Summer Book" by Tove Jansson)
Has anyone on the Forum been that way by any chance?

Cheers!
Tony