The event began on Friday (September 14) morning with a registration breakfast, courtesy of Marina de Lagos, where skippers were briefed on competition rules and safety regulations.

Paul Mallet, Director of Bluewater Algarve told the Algarve Resident: “With 27 boats registered on the Friday we motored out into the bay with a gentle breeze blowing from the south, once in the bay we found no wind at all, not even a tickle, so we waited and luckily, a breeze eventually showed up.

“The course was set, the five minute gun was sounded and the countdown began. But to much disappointment, the wind disappeared again, initiating a very long wait that prompted organisers to open the bar set up for the occasion early, and sailing for that day was cancelled.”

On Saturday, participants arrived at a very foggy Marina with a grim-outlook on the day’s possibility for sailing.

“Regardless of the fog, we got everyone to motor out about 500 metres from the Marina, and to our surprise, the weather began to clear and a gentle breeze started coming in from the south,” said Paul.

With just enough wind to get the boats moving, the race finally began.

Triangle courses, also known as ‘around the cans’, used for the regatta enabled all the competitors to sail relatively easily.

Paul said: “The wind stayed with us for the rest of the day allowing us to get a second race in and then it was back to the bar for some light refreshment, shade and friendly banter.”

The third and final day on Sunday gave sailors the best winds of all the days.

“With 10-15 knots from the south west, we had two races, first around the cans and secondly a race was made from Lagos to Praia da Luz, then onto Alvor and back to the finish line in Lagos. It was a fantastic race to finish the weekend with.”

To conclude the event a prize giving and farewell party was held on Sunday evening, at a special sailors’ village marquee, set up in the Marina.

“The evening was perfect, and saw all guests enjoy a free bar, pig on a spit, a BBQ, and paella. Live entertainment was also given by the Jazz Bastards, who set a great party atmosphere,” Paul commented.

Prizes were awarded by Paul to the third place winning boat, Tonga, skippered by Ferry Jantzen. The second place winning boat, Seita 2, which is skippered by Antonio Viejas, and the first place winning boat, Carnage skippered by Paul himself.

“As the first place was won by myself, all prizes dropped to the next in line, giving Firefly skippered by Rob Clark the third place prize,” said Paul.

Prizes included a meal for four including drinks at the Lighthouse (Lagos Marina), boating equipment such as a boat lift, hard standing and antifouling, plus more.

“A fantastic time was had by all. Special thanks go to Marina de Lagos, Algarve Marquees and Premier FX for all sponsoring the event,” Paul concluded.

The law in Portugal with regard to the payment of the circulation tax (Imposto único de circulação) has changed completely and the amount that a boat owner has to pay, has gone up considerably.

The regulations concerning Light Dues (‘Farolagem’) have not changed and the amount payable hasn’t increased any more than a little, but I mention this tax here to remind all boat owners who keep their boat in Portugal that this tax must be paid every year.

Circulation Tax (Imposto único de circulação)

The amount payable is based entirely on the size of your boats engine(s) and it is based on the power of your engine(s) in kilowatts. This causes some initial confusion because all the engines that I have anything to do with are rated in horse power. However, there is a simple conversion: 1 kilowatt = 1.341 horsepower and so to convert for instance an engine of 260 horsepower you divide the horsepower by 1.341 which gives you 194 kilowatts. For each kilowatt the tax payable is €2,05 and so a boat with an engine of 260 horsepower would cost 194 x €2,05 = €397,70.

A boat with two 260 horsepower engines will cost you twice as much tax as the above example and if for example you have a boat with two 580 HP engines, the total of 1160 HP equates to 865 KW which makes your tax bill €1774.

The tax should be paid to ‘Finanças’ (tax office), and in order to pay it you should have a fiscal number, however if you haven’t got a fiscal number you can get round it by taking someone with you who has one and they can act as your ‘personal representive’, make sure that that person takes their fiscal card with them when you go to Finanças. If your boat is Portuguese registered you can go on-line to www.e-financas.gov.pt and pay your tax on the Internet.

If your boat is Portuguese registered the your tax should be paid in January every year and you must pay it regardless of the amount of time the boat has spent in or out of Portugal..

If your boat is foreign registered you only have to pay the tax if your boat is berthed in Portugal for a total of 183 days following January 1st or if your boat arrived in Portugal after January 1st, from the date that the boat arrived in Portugal. If your boat was here on January 1st and is still here on July 2nd and has not been out of Portugal during that period then your tax is due on July 2nd. If however during that period your boat has been for instance to Ayamonte in Spain for a night and you have a receipt from the marina in your boats name for an overnight stay then your tax will not be due for 183 days from the day that you return to Portugal. If that date is January 1st of the next year or later, then you do not have to pay the tax.

In order therefore to avoid having to pay this tax boat owners need to take their boat to a marina in Spain at the latest on July 1st. If they only stay one night there and come back to Portugal on July 2nd and then stay here until December 31st their boat will be spending only 182 days in Portugal in the second half of the year and so will not qualify to pay the tax in the second half of the year either. Please note: this is not tax evasion (which is illegal) but tax avoidance (which is legal).

One problem is that on July 1st all the marinas just over the border such as Ayamonte, Isla Canela and Isla Christina may well be full, so to get a marina berth you may have to go to Mazagon, Chipiona, Cadiz, Barbate or even Gibraltar. If your boat is a motor cruiser and you have to go as far as Barbate or Gibraltar your fuel will cost you as much or more than the tax, but at least you will have had some fun spending it, whereas paying it to ‘Finances’ could hardly be described as fun!

If having taken your boat out of Portugal once or twice in the year, so that you won’t have to pay the tax there is no requirement for you to inform ‘Finanças’ that you are not going to pay it, BUT keep your marina receipts with you on the boat with all your other documents so if you are stopped by the Marine Police at sea you will be able to show them the evidence. Also remember you MUST have the passports of everyone that is on board when you are at sea AND the boats registration document.

If your boat does qualify for this circulation tax and you don’t pay it when you should, if you are stopped by the Marine Police at sea or if they come to your boat when you are on board in the marina, you will have to pay a substantial fine or even have the boat confiscated.

There is an exemption for circulation tax and it applies to all boats registered before 1986 (22 years old) and / or boats with an engine of less than 20 kilowatts (27 HP).

Light Dues (Taxa de Farolagem)

Should be paid by the owners of all boats berthed in Portugal every year. They are payable to either a Capitania (maritime authority) or a Delegação Maritima (maritime branch), there is at the least one of these offices in every port in Portugal.

Portuguese registered boats must pay from 6 euros in category 5 to 56 euros in category 1, this is an annual payment and should be paid when the boat is registered and before it goes in the water, this payment is for a year and so should be renewed a year later. Don’t forget when you go to pay your light dues to take your registration document (livrete) with you.

Foreign registered boats must pay when they arrive in Portugal. If they arrive by sea it is assumed that they are in the equivalent of category 1 and therefore must pay 56 euros. If they arrive by road transport they must also pay 56 euros unless the owner can prove that the vessel is in the equivalent of a lesser category. Visiting boats must pay 2 euros for a stay of up to six months, if your boat is going to stay here for longer than six months then you must pay for a whole year.

In the fifth edition of the Lagos Fun Sail Regatta, this years forthcoming event is expected to welcome a record 50 sailing boats to the Marina de Lagos on September 14, 15 and 16.

The regatta, organized by Bluewater Algarve, is a three day competition for all nationalities who share a love of sailing.

For the first two days of the event participants will compete in on a course known as “around the can” in yachting terminology and is based on a triangular formation in the Lagos bay.

Day three will see the regatta’s first pursuit race where the slowest boats will set off from Lagos first to sail to Burgau and back while the faster boats of the group will follow in an attempt to catch up and win the race.

Paul Mallett, Director of Bluewater Algarve, a yacht services and brokerage based in the marina, said: “Everyone is welcome to come along and take part. The event is just about having fun, socializing and making new friends”

“We have had people in the past who take part in regattas all over the world tell us that the Lagos Fun Sail Regatta is the best they have ever taken part in – it really is a fantastic couple of days,” he added.

To participate in the event, entry fees are €50 per skipper and €40 per crew member which includes breakfast, evening drinks on the first two nights, an event T-shirt, plus a hot meal and drinks on the final evening when prizes are handed out.

All drinks and food will be served at a large marquee set up in the Lagos marina.

“The days are so relaxed, some people do not even take part to win, they simply just want to be out on the water having fun, whereas others are a little more serious and like to form their own races with boats in the group,” said Paul.

“If you have a boat you should be out with us no matter what boat you have. Come out and participate in the fun and enjoy the social side afterwards.”

Sponsors of the Lagos Fun Sail Regatta are Marina de Lagos, Bluewater Algarve, Clube de Velha Lagos, Premiere FX and Algarve Marquees.

The competition is filmed and complimentary photographs and footage is given to all participants after the event.

Entries are still open and being taken by Bluewater Algarve.