Pete's Sport Bar

This was given to me in September 1999 by none less than Pete himself in his famous Sports Bar in Hotra in the island of Fayal, Azores. Pete’s bar is a sailors’ legend and a mandatory stop for all visiting yachtsman. Pete opened a second, and much bigger, bar in Lisbon but this is the original one. There is a tradition of leaving some bits of boat memorabilia in the bar. The head of Aerial’s spinnaker was donated in 1997 and was still there two years later.

Clipper 96 and Clipper 98 both visited Horta after sailing from Brazil as it was in a direct line to the finish in Plymouth. This logic was slightly flawed as was almost impossible to estimate the week, let alone the day of arrival in Plymouth as the whole area is ruled by the large Azores High Pressure system (I think there’s a clue in the name there). This meant that after leaving the Horta boats could wallow for a week or more and make barely 100 miles. This was not good when loving families are on the breakwater forlornly looking out to sea day after day. Deciding a date for the final Prize giving and crew party was an even harder decision which was quickly passed up the ladder to the most senior management level.

I remember once as the boats left Cape Town one family demanded to know exactly what time the boats would enter Plymouth Breakwater. I fear we must have been a disappointment to them.