Three Days to Start of 21st ARC

November 24, 2006 by World Cruising | 0 comments

Crews make final preparations for World's largest transocean sailing event. 226 yachts representing 27 nations expected on Sunday's start line

Start Day
Yachts taking part in the 21st Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (the ARC) are currently gearing up for their imminent departure at 1300 on Sunday 26th November from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. As of today’s date, the organisers, World Cruising Club, are expecting 226 yachts on the start line with 1,100 sailors representing 27 different nations taking part. The smallest yacht amongst the fleet is Anton Weekamp’s 9m Jupiter 30 Twist from the Netherlands. At the other end of the scale at 31.31m (100ft) is the largest yacht, Fantasticaaa a Swan owned by Italian Lan Franco Cirillo. There are 21 new boats competing but the 1936 Peter Von Seestermühe from Germany has age on its side.

Record Breaking Year?
Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia is the final destination, a distance of 2,700 nautical miles from Las Palmas and yachts taking part in the ARC Racing Division, run for many years under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), will be trying to compete for the course record set by Hamish Oliphant’s Spirit a VOR 60 in 2003, of 11 days, 13 hours, 12 minutes and 20 seconds. Visitors to the official Event website will be watching closely as positions are updated regularly each day from Monday 27th November. Could the Wally 80 Indio match or, indeed, beat the record?

Weather Watch
Weather is the main topic of conversation in the packed Marina, as Chris Tibbs, meteorologist for the ARC, provides an overview of forecast for the fleet: “There is a ridge of high pressure to the north of the Canary Islands, so we are expecting a light northerly wind for the start. As the yachts head south, the wind should increase and stay in the northeast quadrant, with moderate to strong tradewinds expected for the first week.”

Final Preparations
In the final few days before the start, the Muelle Deportivo is busy with crews making final preparations, ensuring that everything is stowed on board and provisions are in order. Deliveries are arriving daily from the local supermarkets and include an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables as well as bottled water and other necessary items for the Atlantic crossing which on average takes between 17 and 21 days.



Parties Galore
As well as taking part in a wide range of useful seminars and demonstrations over the last ten days, crews have been enjoying getting to know their fellow participants and yachts docked on their pontoons at a whole host of parties, happy hours and dinners. Friday evening will see a spectacular Farewell Cocktail Party hosted by the Tourist Board of Gran Canaria and on the evening prior to departure they also host one of the biggest firework displays at midnight to send the fleet off in style. ARC2006 is sponsored by the Tourist Board of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, the St Lucia Tourist Board, Rolnautic, and is run in association with Yachting World magazine.