Annual Barca Rebelo boat race results.

[Andy Velebil]

I'm not 100% sure, but I think Fonseca's boat won the race today. Anyone else heard any news?

[Derek T.]

Whoever it was who crossed the line first the others will all remain convinced that they cheated

[Andy Velebil]

Whoever it was who crossed the line first the others will all remain convinced that they cheated

That's the best part

[Andy Velebil]

As you can see it was a very close race with many of the boats finishing together. Only ten (10) minutes seperated first and last place. But a congrats must go out to Fonseca team for pulling off a victory.

here is the finishing order

1. Fonseca
2. Dow's and Calem (tie)
3. Cockburn's, Warre's, Ferrao (Sogevinus), Rebello Valente (all tied)
4. Porto Cruz, Burmester, Distinto-Q.V.B. (tied)
5. Sandeman (Vau), Offley (Boa Vista) (tied)
6. Rozes
7. Ferreira and Graham's (tied)
8. Corte-Q.U.B.

[Derek T.]

I am reliably informed that the Sandeman boat suffered from carrying excess balast in the form of our friends Uncle Tom and Axel Probst

[Andy Velebil]

I am reliably informed that the Sandeman boat suffered from carrying excess balast in the form of our friends Uncle Tom and Axel Probst

And too much balast isn't good for the rudder, so I hear

[Symington Family]

Hello everybody,
It was a good race this year, we had a fair wind from the west, in fact it turned slightly south west during the race. This made the race fun this year rather than the boring drifting that has occurred in some years when nothing but the incoming tide pushes us up the river.
The other major advantage was that the Confraria finally got round to organising a proper start. We had complained bitterly to them about the total shambles of previous years. The start used to be given by the sounding of a horn, but this was exactly the same horn that is used by everybody to celebrate São João and as used constantly by the little boats that buzz around us as we are ready for the start. So nobody knew which the real horn was. Chaos resulted every year. The safest bet was not to raise your sail until all others had started and even this got you into trouble in some years. So this year there was some bloke standing on the cabin of the river police boat with his arms raised, when he dropped them, we were allowed to start (we assumed). We were also told that two little jury boats would have red flags and when these were changed to green, that also meant that we could start. The flags seemed to be on the end of short broom sticks. This was definitely not the Americas Cup...
Fonseca ran a good race; they had a good spot for this year's wind, isolated on the far left side of the start line, nearest to Oporto. They pulled away well and managed to stay away from other boats. A well deserved win, although at one stage it looked like the Dow or the Calem boat might catch them.
I was on the Warre's Cavadinha (I am usually on the Dow's Rio Torto), and we were drawn in the middle of the start line. The trick here is to stay away from all other boats and avoid crashing into everybody else. Some crews clearly have no idea at all about boats, or they have a huge hangover from São João that has made them blind, but it is probably both. These boats veer across the river in front of other boats and hurl abuse at as they crash into you and as they wave large and dangerous looking boat hooks. What they actually do is make 100% sure that neither they, nor anybody that they career into, has a chance of winning. Graham’s Malvedos was spectacularly rammed twice in this way. I was mildly surprised to see the Malvedos boat still afloat and my cousins and colleagues from Graham’s still alive at the end of the race.
It is true that the people controlling the rudder on these old Barco Rabelos cannot see forward because of the large sail. But some of us have worked out that having a person on the deck that can see forward and who calls the direction to the people manning the rudder, can be really quiet useful.
Still it would be a lot less fun if it was taken too seriously and the amateurs were replaced by professionals….

[Andy Velebil]

Paul,

Thanks for the recap of the race and glad no one got hurt after getting rammed.

Some crews clearly have no idea at all about boats, or they have a huge hangover from São João that has made them blind, but it is probably both.

Having only watched the race once, I'd go with both and add in their on-boat consumption as well.