The 39th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is officially underway, with a record-breaking 234 yachts leaving Gran Canaria to begin their 2,700-mile voyage to the Caribbean. Split across the ARC and ARC+ routes, the fleet showcases a vibrant mix of cruisers, racers, and multihulls, all setting their sights on Saint Lucia.

At 12:30 p.m. local time November 24th, 45 multihulls—the largest division ever for the ARC—were first to cross the starting line in a gentle southeast breeze. Leading the charge was Two Hoots, a Lagoon 400 helmed by Mark and Penny Belcher (GBR), with their sea dog Benji marking the first four-legged crew member to begin the journey. Close behind were Kenneth Frantz’s Fountain Pajot Elba 45 My Cherie Amour (USA) and Francesco Rongoni’s Neel 47 Ferdinand (FRA).

The IRC racing fleet followed at 12:45, highlighted by Jean Philippe Blanpain’s sleek Vismara 62 Leaps & Bounds 2 (MLT) and ARC racing veteran Jean Pierre Dick on his Swan 76 La Loévie (MLT). Mathias Mueller von Blumencron’s JV 43 Red 2 (CHE) and Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze (AUT) rounded out the early contenders.

Finally, at 1:00 p.m., the cruising division enjoyed a smooth white-sail start as the wind picked up to 10–12 knots. The close competition at both ends of the line included Bengt Lyckåsen’s Mormor Alice (SWE) and Sebastian Gylling’s Swan 51 Eira (FIN). Meanwhile, Johanna Schalander aboard Greta (SWE) added a touch of cruising charm, baking and serving fruit pies as her yacht crossed the start.

World Cruising Club’s Paul Tetlow emphasized that the ARC is more about the journey than the finish line: “This is a marathon, not a sprint. Settle into your routines and enjoy the experience.” Weather expert Chris Tibbs predicts light southerlies veering through the day, encouraging many crews to aim for the traditional Cape Verde route before catching stronger trade winds.

Over the next few weeks, 820 sailors will face the challenges and joys of ocean voyaging. Some racing yachts may reach Saint Lucia in under 10 days, but for most cruisers, the crossing will take 14 to 21 days. No matter when they arrive, every crew will be warmly welcomed at IGY Rodney Bay Marina with a celebratory rum punch and congratulations from ARC’s iconic “yellow shirts” team.

Track the fleet’s progress on the YB Races app or at worldcruising.com as this global sailing tradition continues to unite adventurers on a shared Atlantic odyssey.

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ARC Season 2024 is officially underway, with the first boats preparing to depart soon. Some 1,300 people on 240 yachts are expected to sail in the ARC and ARC+ transatlantic rallies. They are gathering now in the Canary Islands, where they will prepare before sailing across the Atlantic to the Caribbean in November.

This will be the 39th edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to St. Lucia, and the 12th edition of the ARC+ rally, which sails from Las Palmas to Cape Verde and then to Grenada.

Both rallies attract sailors of all nationalities, ages and backgrounds, on a variety of yachts from custom builds to production family cruisers. Multihulls are increasingly popular, with a record 46 catamarans and two trimarans listed for the ARC, and 26 multihulls registered for ARC+.

Some 94 yachts are registered for ARC+ to Grenada, and 146 for ARC to St. Lucia, with 1,300 crew from 38 countries ages 9 months to 83 years.

In fact, 53 children younger than 16 are expected to cross the Atlantic this year with the ARC rallies. ARC+ via Cape Verde is the more popular route with families, as the stop in the islands provides opportunities for exploring new places. There are 19 family boats with 37 children scheduled to sail the ARC+ route, with 16 children on eight boats in the ARC.

The children hail from 10 nations and include three sets of twins. All children 6 to 16 years old can join the complementary ARC kids’ club in Las Palmas, giving parents time to make final preparations. Rally activities in Las Palmas begin two weeks ahead of each rally start.

The safety inspections, cruising seminars and activities such as a liferaft demonstration and sextant workshop all help to build bonds among the sailors.

More than 60 boat manufacturers and brands are represented across the ARC fleets, from Allures to X-Yachts, with Beneteau and Jeanneau leading at 18 and 16 entries, respectively.

The smallest yacht registered this year is Hallberg-Rassy 340 Aria Legra, and the largest is the Southern Wind 105 No Rush.

After departing Las Palmas on November 10, the ARC+ fleet will make landfall in Mindelo on São Vicente in the Cape Verde islands, 850 nautical miles and five to seven days’ sailing away. Then, on November 22, the fleet will head 2,150 nautical miles west to St George’s in Grenada, which should take around 12 to 16 days. The final prizegiving is December 12 on Grenada.

As for the ARC fleet, it will sail on November 24 from Las Palmas some 2,800 nautical miles direct to Rodney Bay in St. Lucia, a voyage of 18 to 21 days for most boats. The prizegiving takes place on December 21.

Which boats will finish first? Eleven yachts are racing under the IRC this year for racing purposes. The ARC record from Las Palmas to St. Lucia with no motoring was set in 2016 by George David’s Rambler 88 in eight days, six hours, 29 minutes and 12 seconds.

Potential first-finishers this year include the Volvo 70 Green Dragon, the Vismara 62 Leaps & Bounds 2 and the Swan 76 La Loévie, which is skippered by three-time ARC racing division winner Jean-Pierre Dick.

Where to learn more: visit worldcruising.com.

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In 2025, the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers will host its 40th edition. Boats will depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, bound for St. Lucia in the Caribbean.

It’s projected that when the 2025 rally concludes in St. Lucia, more than 8,000 boats and 40,000 sailors will have sailed the Atlantic with the support of the ARC.

To celebrate this achievement, there are discounts available now for all boat entries smaller than 40 feet and for any boats or skippers who participated in the inaugural rally in 1986. In addition, a portion of every entry fee will be donated to the newly formed World Cruising Positive Impact Fund.

“Forty years is a landmark anniversary” Paul Tetlow, World Cruising Club managing director, stated in a press release. “Supporting local organizations on our route has always been a part of the rally, from the ARC Forest in Gran Canaria to supporting local sailing in St. Lucia, and our new Positive Impact Fund will enable us to reach more charities and communities in the countries we visit.”

Sailors who prefer to contribute hands-on donations of time can plant trees in the mountains above Las Palmas, working with Fundacion Foresta. So far, 3,770 trees have been planted in what has become known as the “ARC Forest,” helping to capture carbon and improve rainfall retention.

Sailor Jimmy Cornell devised the ARC four decades ago to be a fun event for true cruising enthusiasts. The rally has always been intended to increase safety and enhance participants’ confidence on board, as well.

The first rally, in November 1986, attracted 209 yachts from 24 countries. Nobody could have foreseen just how much the event would grow throughout the years. Today, late November is known as “ARC season” in Las Palmas—and a sister event, ARC+, has been added from Las Palmas to Mindelo in Cape Verde and then on to Grenada.

To date, 7,656 yachts have crossed the Atlantic with the ARC and ARC+, sailing a combined total of more than 22 million nautical miles. The course record is eight days, six hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds, set by George David’s Rambler 88 in 2016.

Have any boats already entered this autumn’s rally? Oh, yes. More than 160 boats are entered for ARC 2024, while ARC+ 2024 has 103 entries. ARC 2024 boats range in size from a Hallberg Rassy 352 to a Wally Yachts 83.

Where to learn more: click over to worldcruising.com

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For the second year in a row, the World Cruising Club’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers Plus (ARC+) fleet arrived in Grenada in late December after much preparation and anticipation. Crews were greeted on the island with trays of cold rum punch, warm smiles from rally organizers, and celebratory air horn salutes from other rally participants and friends. The docks buzzed with conversations of fish caught, sails torn, and the challenging conditions that plagued the first few days of the 2,150-nautical-mile Atlantic crossing.

The first Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) departed Las Palmas in 1986 as an amateur race across the Atlantic. The WCC now organizes a variety of events including circumnavigations, ocean crossings and regional rallies. The ethos remains the same: to support cruisers and amateur sailors with an emphasis on Corinthian spirit, safety and camaraderie. This year is the 10th edition of the ARC+, and the second to arrive in Grenada as the final destination.

The ARC+ began as an addition to the traditional ARC route that crosses the Atlantic directly from Las Palmas to St. Lucia. Adding a stop in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, the ARC+ breaks the 2,700-nautical-mile passage into two legs, and has become increasingly popular with families. This year, more than 30 children crossed the Atlantic with the ARC+, aboard 90 boats carrying over 400 crew from 30 nations. They set sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on November 6 for the five- to seven-day passage to Cabo Verde. After a few days of rest, repairs and reprovisioning, the fleet embarked on the second leg of the passage on November 18, with the majority crossing the Atlantic to Grenada in 12 to 16 days. 

Participants sailed aboard an array of yachts, from classic 1970s Swans to self-builds, racing monohulls and newly built multihulls. One of the new boats was Helia2, an Outremer 51 owned by Rob and Ginny Beams from Marion, Massachusetts, that left the factory in early 2022. It’s their sixth boat and second WCC event. They first took part in the WCC’s Caribbean 1500 in 2012 with their three daughters, then ages 8, 11 and 14. The main differences in doing a rally without them? “Less fun, more sleep,” Ginny says. This time around, their crew included two experienced sailors and two non-sailors, “though very good cooks,” she added. 

The couple plans to spend the season cruising the Caribbean, with each of their daughters joining them for various intervals. “We’re excited to revisit a number of places that we really enjoyed 10 years ago,” Ginny says. This includes the Grenadines, specifically Union Island and Bequia, plus the Îles des Saintes, Barbuda and Dominica. “Our eldest will be sailing with us the longest, and her favorite island was Dominica,” Ginny adds. “Everyone’s favorite island was Dominica.” Ultimately, they’d like to sail up the East Coast of the United States to Canada, cross to the Azores from Nova Scotia in July, and spend another season in the Mediterranean.  

Many other participants have less of a plan. “The fun thing with living on board is that you don’t need to plan too far ahead,” said racing sailor Viktoria Björnberg. You have your house with you, we have everything we need, we can figure it out along the way.” Her husband, Kim Silfving, added, “The only restriction is money and the hurricane season.” The Swedish couple met on the racecourse, married and started a family in Stockholm, spending holidays sailing around the Stockholm archipelago. A few years ago, Viktoria was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, prompting a change of pace. They sold their home, moved aboard their 40-year-old Baltic 51, Alexandra, and began readying the boat to cross the Atlantic with their children, 10-year-old Juni and 6-year-old Nora-Li, along with two other crew.

Amy and Simon Warwick also traded urban life for boat life with their three kids: 8-year-old Evie, 6-year-old Harry and 4-year-old Rosie. Theirs was another among the 18 family boats taking part this year. Originally from the United Kingdom, they’ve lived in Alberta, Canada, for the past 10 years, where Simon is a doctor and Amy is a stay-at-home mom. He grew up sailing and gained further experience while in the military, skippering groups of sailors for adventure training in the Baltic. She had no sailing experience until they bought a 23-foot Hunter to cruise a local lake near Calgary. “The lake freezes for nearly eight months of the year, and it just wasn’t enough for him,” she says. Their dreams of adventure really took hold while wandering the docks of Nassau, Bahamas, during a family vacation. “It became his obsession,” she says. “I called it his affair: YouTube and boats.” They ended up buying their Oyster Lightwave 48, Pacific Pearl, sight unseen during the height of the pandemic. The family spent summer 2021 cruising the south coast of the United Kingdom and the Isles of Scilly before registering for the ARC+.

Although the ARC was originally designed as a way for amateur sailors to cross the Atlantic in the safety of a group, many experienced sailors also take part for the community and camaraderie. “We missed sailing in company,” Steve May, a California native, says while sitting aboard his Catana 53, Hanuman. He and his wife of 15 years, Mandula, have spent extensive time cruising the West Coast of the United States and Mexico, and more recently across the Pacific to Australia and the remote waters of Papua New Guinea. When people ask why they joined a rally, their answer is, “For the people.”

Steve and Mandula originally met in high school but didn’t reconnect until years later, after they’d both had what they call “practice marriages.” They bought their first boat in 2007 and Hanuman in June 2021. Their first season aboard the newer boat, they spent 5,000 nautical miles in the Mediterranean in preparation for the 2021 ARC+. On the way to the start line, the boat was struck by lightning, adding six months of unexpected repair work. They recouped, joined the 2022 ARC+ and made it to the start line, only to have a major collision halfway through the first leg of the rally.

“It was 3 a.m., when all bad things happen,” Steve says. They were sailing dead downwind at 9 knots when the port bow collided with something that brought them to an abrupt stop. The collision spun the boat sideways, and what they now believe was a partially sunken wreck dragged down the interior of the starboard hull, caught the exterior screen of the starboard engine-room through-hull, and broke it clean off. The engine room immediately began taking on water, but the crew were able to get it under control and plug it with a wooden bung. With immediate and continuous support from the ARC+ team, Hanuman made it safely to port in Mindelo, Cabo Verde, where the necessary repairs were undertaken. 

Steve grew up sailing in the San Francisco Bay area, and when he was 14, his aunt gave him the Robin Lee Graham book Dove, the story of a 16-year-old boy who sailed around the world. “I thought to myself, Oh, you can do that?” he recalls. “Since then, it’s been a dream percolating throughout my whole life.”

The fleet’s youngest skipper and one of this year’s four female skippers, Ronja Dörnfeld, was also heavily influenced by the accomplishments of young sailors. She’s 25 years old and from Berlin, sailing aboard Malouine, a Moody 41 borrowed from a charter company she worked for in exchange for use of the boat for her three-year circumnavigation. Jessica Watson’s book True Spirit and Laura Decker’s One Girl, One Dream lent inspiration to the decade-long planning process. Ronja recently graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in geology. She finished and sent her thesis while en route to the start line, and was getting ready to do her final presentation via video chat. “We need to stay near Wi-Fi until then,” she says.

Many participants this year have been talking about the sea state and challenging conditions they had during the crossing: short, steep waves; strong trade winds; and overcast, starless nights led to eerily dark conditions. 

“You don’t know where the bow is. You don’t know how the boat is relative to the waves. It was stressful on the helmsman,” says Giulio Gatti, the skipper of Fra Diavolo, a Mylius 60. Despite the conditions, Fra Diavolo was first over the finish line with a new course record of just over nine days. The owner, Vincenzo Addessi, is a racer who recently decided to transition to cruising life, with loose plans to race the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in Australia, a longtime dream.

Jean and Christiane Metz on A Plus 2, an Amel 54, intend to continue through the Panama Canal and across the Pacific with the World ARC this year. They have doublehanded more than 80,000 nautical miles aboard A Plus 2, with many of those miles being part of WCC events such as the 2014 ARC, the 2015-16 World ARC and the ARC Europe in 2016. “It’s just a fantastic program,” Jean says. “It’s a floating village.” On long passages, he practices a version of polyphasic sleeping where, throughout the night, he wakes up every 20 minutes to check the sails and instruments for one to two minutes, and then is able to fall straight back to sleep. Christiane isn’t blessed with this ability, and tends to sleep through the night.

Grand Crew, a Fountaine Pajot Saona 47, ran a more traditional watch-keeping rotation. With five crew aboard, one of the owners, Debra, was the full-time quartermaster, taking care of the provisioning and managing the meals. Each day, one of the four remaining crew was her sous chef. Debra and Scott Burkhardt, are from Denver. They met on a sailing singles website in 2014. While Scott has been cruising for 20 years, this was their first time across the Atlantic, and they were looking forward to spending the next few years sailing around Grenada and the Southern Caribbean. 

Roz Preston is also planning an extended stay in the Caribbean aboard her boat, Sweet Dreams, a one-off Bill Dixon design that she and her husband, John, spent seven years building themselves at Lyme Regis Boat Building Academy in the United Kingdom. They launched in 2007. After John’s sudden death in 2017, Roz wasn’t sure she’d ever sail again, but after fulfilling one of his final wishes—to have his ashes scattered off the coast of a remote Scottish isle—she decided to cross the Atlantic on her own. 

The second day of the crossing was the fifth anniversary of John’s death. “I could have been at home drowning my sorrows, but I was out there on the ocean carrying on his legacy,” Roz says, adding that this was her first and only ocean crossing. “He’d be furious at me for doing it without him, but mostly, he’d be incredibly proud.”

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Nineteen days after leaving the Canary Islands, Maurice Mason was exuberant upon arrival in St. Lucia aboard his Nautitech 46 Open, Jadamama. 

“What a great reception,” Mason said. “The people are not only friendly, but also capable. That makes things so much easier after crossing the Atlantic. Someone even arranged for us to watch the rugby.” 

Mason and his fellow Irish crew, Maryrose, Marc and Paul, were among some 800 sailors from 36 countries on 137 boats taking part in the 2022 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), an annual transatlantic sail in company organized by World Cruising Club (WCC). ARC Event Manager Andrew Pickersgill says, “This year’s ARC was certainly back to its pre-pandemic spirit … IGY Rodney Bay Marina is alive with the unique post-Atlantic buzz fueled by Saint Lucia’s inspirational hospitality.”

The fleet departed Las Palmas on November 20, 2022, and boats arrived in St. Lucia throughout the first half of December. After crossing the finish line, where photographer Tim Wright snapped each arriving boat—day or night—ARC boats pulled into Rodney Bay Marina to a festive fanfare. Fellow ARC participants cheered and waved, and families who had flown in to meet loved ones jumped up and down in anticipation of that first hug. Once each boat was secured to the dock with the help of WCC “Yellowshirts” staff, a representative of the St. Lucia Tourism Authority handed each adult an ice-cold rum punch (or a fruit punch for the kids). Each arriving boat also received a basket of fresh fruits, local spices, pepper sauce, more rum, and even recipes, “so it’s not a mystery basket,” said Rodney Bay Marina manager Sean Devaux. “The arrival atmosphere is so much fun: horns blowing, flags waving, everyone welcoming the crews to the marina and St. Lucia, and celebrating their accomplishment,” he said.

As ARC tradition goes, those first moments of jubilation are followed by cleaning and repairs, sharing passage stories at the marina’s bars and restaurants, and enjoying the sights of St. Lucia.

As for the sailing, it was a tale of two halves, according to World Cruising Club communications director Jeremy Wyatt, who noted a shift to light airs had plagued the later arrivals. 

“[It was] perfect tradewinds, a bit too strong for some boats, for the first half of the route, followed by frustrating calms on the second half, as the winds were switched off by a large low 700 nautical miles north of the rhumb line,” Wyatt said. 

Mason on Jadamama agreed: “We could’ve used more breeze toward the end, but we kept to the southern route and overall were very happy.”

This year’s rally was not without incident, however, as some participants found the trans-Atlantic passage even more challenging than usual. Hailing from Sweden, the Wennberg family (Jorgen, Louise and their children, Alex and Inez) who had enjoyed an “amazing” crossing in 2014, this time around were hindered by a broken mast at the gooseneck more than 1,300 miles short of the finish line aboard their Grand Soleil Take Off. A family friend who had joined for the crossing, was injured in the dismasting, and with the help of a doctor aboard the nearby ARC boat Aphrodite 1, was safely evacuated onto a ship heading for the US.

The Wennberg family, experienced sailors with a circumnavigation under their belts, opted to press onward. 

With the boat freed from the broken mast and rigging, they set up a jury rig with a spinnaker pole and a storm staysail. With that stabilizing the boat and giving up to a knot of speed, they headed onward to St. Lucia. But they’d need to motor and, coordinated by ARC Rally Control, six other boats in the fleet made transfers of fuel to them en route by floating jerry jugs tied to a line across the waves.

During the fuel transfer from the Dufour 520 Grand Large Salt, a line became fouled in Take Off’s prop. Robert Falck, crewing on Salt, swam over, borrowed some dive gear and cleared the prop. He decided to remain aboard to help the Wennbergs complete the crossing and eleven days after the dismasting, Take Off arrived in St. Lucia.

“The welcome we received when we came in was beyond imagination,” Louise said. 

A hero’s welcome indeed. And deservedly so. 

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Sailors helping sailors is a time-honored maritime tradition, and now the organizers of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers are adding a virtual twist to things with a four-night series it’s dubbed Bluewater Cockpit Conversations. The free, open-to-all series runs from May 25 through 28.

Among the experts who will participate are previous ARC skippers, yacht surveyors and refit specialists. They will be on hand to offer advice on how to find the right boat for a bluewater, ocean-crossing voyage, as well as answer more general cruising questions from the live audience. Each evening’s program runs from 17:30 to 19:00 BST (12:30 to 14:00 EDT).

Each night will have its own theme, including “Choosing the Right Boat for Bluewater,” “How to Buy a Boat,” “Planning Your Refit” and “Cruising Amazing Places.” There will also be a series of pre-recorded webinars along with inspirational videos that attendees can watch.

Yacht broker Berthon International is a sponsor of the series and will provide virtual tours of some of their bluewater listings as well as boats owned by previous ARC sailors.

World Cruising Club has been organizing transatlantic and round-the-world rallies for more than three decades, and has a wealth of information to share.

For information and to register, visit the World Cruising Club training site.

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Following years of planning, months of trepidation, days of stowing, and hours of farewells, over 300 crew set sail on Sunday, November 22, 2020, from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the start of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers:ARC 2020. It was a day that marked a great triumph for the sailors that have formed a unique community in Las Palmas Marina over the past two weeks of preparations. Additional challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have, of course, altered some things this year, but the vibrant mood and palpable excitement of departure day was as evident as it has been throughout the rally’s 35-year history, and the ocean beckoned for the eager sailors to begin their adventure to St. Lucia.

Ahead of the start, the sailors have enjoyed their time in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria with the port city providing a warm welcome for the international crews. A series of online seminars, individual Safety Checks, and assistance with local information from the World Cruising Club team has helped support skippers’ preparations, and this year there have been many returning sailors in the fleet to offer advice for those crossing an ocean for the first time.

Robin Lemmens, sailing with her young family on Hanse 455, Veni Vidi Vixi was amazed how the time in Las Palmas has flown by, “In one short week we’ve prepared Veni Vidi Vixi to cross the great Atlantic. From provisioning to cleaning, weather routing to tuning into information sessions; there have been piles of laundry cleaned, folded and tucked away and food stored in every small space available. Amongst ticking items off the seemingly never ending ‘To Do List’, we’ve managed to connect with some of the amazing fellow sailors who will be there on the VHF, YB app or at least at the other end in our destination of Saint Lucia. Already, I am so looking forward to deepening the connections that have sprouted here in Las Palmas and I feel so grateful for the camaraderie—we are all in this together.” said Robin.

Easterly winds blowing across Gran Canaria from the Sahara brought the ARC fleet hazy sunshine for departure day, with a light breeze of 8-10 knots carrying through the inshore starting area. A procession of yachts large and small, monohulls and multihulls, made their way out of Las Palmas Marina as crews stowed fenders and lines and began to prepare their sails for the start. Horns echoed as they waved goodbye to spectators, some adorned in matching crew shirts and special outfits to mark the occasion, and at 1235 the countdown began to the first start sound for the Racing Division.

RELATED: Fun in the 2019 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers

Whilst the ARC is predominantly a rally, not a race, it attracts some of the world’s greatest competitive sailors to take part. Sailing legend JP Dick returned for his third ARC, this time sailing his JP54 named The Kid double-handed with fellow Frenchman Fabrice Renouard. But it was pro-sailor and big-boat racing veteran Peter Perenyi who sailed his Marten 68 Cassiopeia 68 with an all Hungarian crew on board across the start line first at 1245. With many miles ahead, it will be an interesting duel for the IRC-rated racing fleet, with boats ranging from 39 feet to over 80 feet.

The Cruising and Multihull Divisions began their adventure at 1300 with white sails set to glide through the line. The light winds gave a bit of a challenge for the skippers to navigate as they jostled to pass the Committee Boat and bid farewell to Gran Canaria. There were big smiles and cheers as they passed over the line to begin their ARC adventure.

Now the yachts are at sea, crews will adapt to ocean life and quite a change of pace from the pre-departure rush. As boats get south of Gran Canaria there should be some nice E-NE trades forming, with the classic route southern route looking best for the cruising fleet. Their progress can followed on the YB Tracking App and Fleet Viewer page of the World Cruising Club website. From the ARC departure today, the majority of boats will take 18-21 days to make the 2,700 nautical mile Atlantic crossing, arriving in Rodney Bay Marina, Saint Lucia.

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Great! You’re just in time for an arrival,” said Sarah Collins, the communications manager for World Cruising Club’s Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, more commonly known as just the ARC. I was still a little bleary, having arrived in St. Lucia late the night before, but this is what I was here for—to meet some of the crews who just arrived in Rodney Bay after crossing the Atlantic.

I hustled down the long dock (seriously, IGY Rodney Bay Marina is enormous) to find the correct slip. It wasn’t hard—I just needed to look for the gathering of Yellow Shirts, the name given to the team from World Cruising Club that handles all the on-site logistics and, you guessed it, are easily identified by their bright yellow shirts. Along with the team in yellow, the greeting committee included a steel-drum musician, and a pair from St. Lucia tourism who ­provided each arrival, no matter what time of day or night, with a fresh fruit basket and some rum punch. A warm welcome to the Caribbean indeed. Arriving now was Altair, a Saga 48, from Annapolis, Maryland, one of 22 American boats in the event (Great Britain had the greatest representation at 54). Capt. Joe Reed backed smartly into the slip while his two crew passed lines to waiting Yellow Shirts. In a moment, the engine was shut down, wobbly legs were stretched, rum punches handed out, and congratulatory hugs and handshakes passed around. So how was everyone feeling after the crossing? “Exhausted, and pleased,” Reed said, smiling. And with that, the tired crew went about the business of showers and clearing in, and the welcoming committee moved on to the next arrival.

The ARC, which began in 1986, attracts about 200 boats and 1,200 people each year. The route is a classic trade-wind run that departs Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in late November, and ends roughly two and a half to three weeks later in St. Lucia, one of the Caribbean’s Windward Islands. Due to the size of the ARC, and its longevity, I have been intrigued by the event for years, and was eager to learn more about it and what makes it remain so popular after three decades.

As I wandered around the marina and chatted with participants and Yellow Shirts at the on-site ARC headquarters, I quickly learned to let go of any preconceived notion I may have had of what a “rally person” is—this event covers the gamut, and I was blown away by the range of sailors and their boats. In all, the 2019 ARC had 190 entrants—­including 40 multihulls—representing 35 countries. The boats ranged in size from a Dufour 34 to the 104-foot superyacht Ulisse. As for the sailors, participants included 42 children and at least one octogenarian, circumnavigators and crews fairly new to sailing, veteran ARC sailors, and first-timers.

Russell Hall, aboard Kathryn del Fuego, a Hallberg Rassy 46 hailing from the United Kingdom, had completed a trans-Atlantic in his 20s, and was excited to repeat the adventure with his wife, Kathryn, and sons Hugo, 8, and Felix, 6. “I was against [joining the ARC] at first,” he said.

“Yeah, Russell was against it. I wanted to do it,” Kathryn added. “I wanted to do the crossing with other people, and I wanted the kids to meet other kids so they would feel like this was a normal thing to do. And it’s been great.”

Russell agreed: “The main apprehension wasn’t the nearly 3,000 miles of ocean—it’s that we were doing it as a family.”

So how was the crossing? “The first week was good—light winds, so it was easy to cook, easy to get into a ­routine and do a bit of homeschooling,” Kathryn said. “But the second week was really tough. We had two sets of waves, the seas were confused, and there was a 12-foot swell. That week was really, really hard. The kids did well though. They weren’t ill, did arts and crafts every day, had movie nights. It’s nice to have the camaraderie of the ARC—we literally could always see another boat on AIS during the crossing, which was amazing. We didn’t expect that.” With the long voyage under their belt, the Hall family was looking forward to hanging out in the Caribbean for a bit before heading toward Panama and the Pacific.

Down the dock from Kathryn del Fuego, I found the Norwegian Dufour 430 VakiVaki, and the crew definitely had an interesting story. Aboard were Thomas Lien and his wife, Susann Nordhagen, and their two kids, along with friend Jo Borkhus and his two kids. “Yeah, it’s definitely a kid boat,” Nordhagen laughed.

Lien, a filmmaker, already had a circumnavigation under his belt, and the whole family had extensive sailing experience in the Pacific as well as around Norway. VakiVaki was a new boat for the family, chosen because “it was the smallest boat that could fit two families,” Lien said. “It has eight beds, and we like the layout.”

“We actually weren’t going to go traveling,” Nordhagen added. “We were planning to bring the boat home to Norway [from Germany]. And then we turned left instead.”

“And here we are!” Lien said.

Although everyone aboard had plenty of experience, it was their first ARC. “Before we thought, The ARC is more for the old and settled—we’re the hippies; we don’t need to do the ARC.” Then Lien laughed and added: “Now we’re old and settled ourselves. We thought it would be fun, mainly for the kids. We didn’t join the ARC so much for the safety reasons, more for the fun.” The family’s extended plans include spending time in the Caribbean, followed by travels north to the US, Canada, Greenland, Iceland and then home to Norway. Lien is planning to film another season of the family’s series, Message in a Bottle, along the way (check out season one on YouTube below).

Buzzing around the docks and the small ARC headquarters office, the team of Yellow Shirts kept everything running smoothly—and there was a lot to juggle. From organizing the daily excursions and activities that crews can sign up for to the evening parties and all the logistics of the constant stream of arriving boats, the team was busy—but clearly enjoying what they do. “In St. Lucia we operate a watch/shift pattern for welcoming arrivals, with no two shifts the same,” Collins said. “Over this time, we get to know the participants and share in their adventure, which is a great buzz and very rewarding. Possibly the most difficult aspect is, in the same way as the fleet, we have to be adaptable to weather conditions, which can present challenges. In 2019, the weather was kind to the fleet, with few breakages or significant problems at sea; however, it meant the fleet all arrived in Rodney Bay at a similar time, so coordinating berthing requirements was a big logistical challenge. Organizing the shoreside program, we are also at the mercy of the weather the boats experience during the crossing. The workdays are long, but we support each other and have a lot of fun along the way too.”

Managing director Andrew Bishop has been at the helm of World Cruising Club since 1999, when founder Jimmy Cornell retired. How has the ARC changed in the 20 years since? “I think it’s become more established, more well-known,” Bishop said. “In the early days, there were more people who were doing it as part of an Atlantic circuit, whereas now we get people who are sailing the ARC because they want to sail across the Atlantic, and it’s not necessarily part of a circuit. They’ll do the crossing and have their boats shipped back. We’ve focused on developing the program around the ARC. Obviously, we can’t be with participants at sea, so the improvements have to come with the program that we deliver at the beginning and the end. It’s a pretty ­well-oiled event now.”

All over the docks, from the participants to the Yellow Shirts, the word I kept hearing over again was “camaraderie,” and it was plainly visible among everyone I met. “Everyone’s nice, everyone helps out,” Russell Hall noted. “When we were sailing to the start in Las Palmas, and would fly our ARC flag in an anchorage, people would come over to talk about it. Everyone seemed to know what it was, and because you have the flag up, they know you’re going on a long-distance adventure.”

Jennifer Brett is CW’s senior editor.

Note on the 2020 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers: The World Cruising Club is optimistic that the new coronavirus pandemic will have subsided enough by November to allow for the events to happen as planned. Visit worldcruising.com for updates.

Things to Do in St. Lucia

Pigeon Island National Landmark: This park is a quick taxi ride or about a 45-minute walk from Rodney Bay. The hike up the hill to the fort will stretch your legs for sure, and the view at the top is breathtaking. After, enjoy tasty Caribbean fare at the beachside Jambe de Bois restaurant.

Tet Paul Nature Trail: Learn about the flora and fauna of the island from a knowledgeable guide on a hike that takes you to some of the most beautiful views of the iconic Pitons mountains.

Gros Islet Friday Night Fish Fry: Just a 15-minute stroll from Rodney Bay is the little village of Gros Islet. Head there on a Friday night for a real St. Lucian experience.

Sulfur Spring Park: The hottest and most active geothermal area in the Lesser Antilles, this park offers an interesting look at the bubbling crater, and an opportunity for a mud bath in the warm sulfur pools.

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The end of the Atlantic hurricane season marks the beginning of the annual cruising migration to the Caribbean, and this past week the Salty Dawg Rally arrived in Antigua and Eleuthera, Bahamas, and the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers departed the Canary Islands for their transatlantic run.

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association hosted its ninth Fall Rally to the Caribbean with 69 boats participating. Monohulls made up 67 percent of the fleet, but the 23 multihulls taking part in the rally made this the largest fleet of multihulls ever to depart the U.S. in an organized event!

Captains in this year’s rally, which departed Hampton, VA on November 2, could choose from two arrival ports—Antigua or Eleuthera, Bahamas. Both locations welcomed the sailors with open arms and a week or more of planned activities.

These “Safe Arrival” celebrations honored everyone’s offshore accomplishments with happy hours, yacht club receptions, an official Safe Arrival Dinner and much more. The boats in this year’s rally hailed from seven different countries and ranged in size from 30-70’ with the majority in the 40-49’ range.For more information and to join the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, visit the SDSA website.

Over 1,000 sailors on more than 250 boats crossed the 2019 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers starting line in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on November 24. The majority of boats will take 18 to 21 days to make the 2,700-nautical-mile Atlantic crossing, arriving in Rodney Bay Marina, Saint Lucia. Whatever time they make landfall, every boat will be met at the dock by Saint Lucia Tourism Board and World Cruising Club staff bearing a welcome rum punch and cold drinks. There is a full schedule of events in Rodney Bay for all ARC crews and their friends and families, culminating in the ARC prize giving on 21 December. Learn more about the ARC and track all of the boats as they make their way to the Caribbean at the World Cruising Club website.

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On Saturday 12 January the World ARC 2019-20 fleet set off from Saint Lucia at 12 noon beginning their adventure of a lifetime following years of dreaming, thinking, planning and preparations. Departing were a fleet of 26 yachts from 12 different nations and their gathering out in Rodney Bay made a great spectacle as the first leg of the 9th edition of World ARC got underway. On the docks before departure, World ARC participants wished one another well for the voyage and said their final farewells to the friendly staff of the businesses around IGY Rodney Bay Marina who have helped prepare them for start.

In total 38 boats and over 250 people will take part in World ARC 2019-20; some sailing the full 26,000 miles, and others joining for a part of the route before taking time out to explore further afield then re-joining the next edition of the annual rally. Leaving Saint Lucia were seven boats sailing double-handed as well as six family boats with thirteen children aged from 2 to 16 all eager to begin their adventure. The largest boat is 19.37m Oyster 625 Nikitoo (GBR), and the smallest is 11.98m Nautitech 40 Babsea (AUT). The fleet leaving Saint Lucia included seven catamarans with a further five set to join in future ports showing the growing popularity of cruising on two hulls. Featuring for the first time on the World ARC entry list is a Neel 45 trimaran, Peikea (ESP). The oldest boat is the proven bluewater cruiser Hallberg-Rassy Aurora B (GBR) built in 1996 which already has one circumnavigation under her keel, whilst there are seven boats launched within the last 12 months. A varied fleet as ever but these differences will lose relevance over time as all crews get to know one another better and enjoy this experience exploring the world together.

Weather conditions on the start line were very favorable for the fleet and indeed described as “near perfect” by meteorologist Chris Tibbs. Sunny skies and steady 10-15 knots easterly breeze blowing off the land created patches of stronger and lighter winds in the bay as the yachts prepared for the start.

Although World ARC is a rally not a race, friendly competition was already evident as leading the way across the start line was the German-flagged Hanse 575 Seaside (DEU) closely followed by Jopie Helsens’ colorful cruiser Sky (USA) and Australian catamaran _Resolute II _(AUS). The rest of the fleet followed in close succession leaving Rodney Bay keeping the Barrel ‘O’ Beef to starboard and then making their way along the coast down to Castries. On reaching the mark, the fleet gybed away from the Caribbean island which has hosted the start of their adventure raising their downwind sails to make the most of the glorious trade winds.

The start marked the end of a varied program for the World ARC crews in Saint Lucia including social evenings and pre-departure seminars. The program would not be possible without the support of several local organizations including the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, the Events Company of Saint Lucia, IGY Rodney Bay Marina and the Saint Lucia Yacht Club.

“The crews have had a busy and enjoyable program in Saint Lucia whilst getting ready for the start of this amazing adventure.” said World Cruising Club Managing Director Andrew Bishop. “They represent different nationalities, ages, motivations, and crew dynamics, and so in between the serious preparations such as safety checks, seminars and briefings, this week has been about getting to know new cruising friends, who’ll be together for the many months ahead. The start from Rodney Bay was a spectacular end to that program and beginning to their sailing adventure with World ARC.”

Next stop for the fleet will be Santa Marta Marina on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. The stopover is one of the most popular on the World ARC route, with plenty of good food, exceptional beaches and warm hospitality awaiting their arrival. They can expect good trade wind conditions along the way with occasional and isolated squalls typical of ocean sailing. The boats should start to make landfall from Thursday 17 January. Their progress can be followed online via the Fleet Tracker on the World Cruising Club website.

Join the Fun!

It is still possible for boats to join the World ARC fleet in Australia in late August 2019 for the Indian Ocean crossing to South Africa, and onwards to the Caribbean. This route keeps well away from areas of hostility, and allows the participants to enjoy experiences as diverse as the remote atoll of Cocos Keeling and the great animals of South Africa.

World ARC sets sail from Saint Lucia every year and so far 21 yachts are set to join the next edition of the rally departing from Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia in January 2020.

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