Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - February 2019

ATLANTIC RALLY FOR CRUISERS 2018
by Sally Erdle
Aficionados of music on vinyl esteem the “long-playing
33 1/3” records. Well, this is a different sort of 33-and-athird
record, one for sailors: At 33 years old and with the
addition of a third route option, the world’s biggest transocean
sailing event just got even bigger.
Since 1986, consecutive editions of the Atlantic Rally
for Cruisers have regularly seen fleets of over 200
boats sailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to the
Eastern Caribbean.
Now, the ARC is one rally with three routes. The original
ARC route sails directly from the Canary Islands to
St. Lucia. In 2013, to enable greater participation, a second
route, which makes a stop en route in the Cape
Verde Islands was offered — and quickly filled. In 2018,
again to facilitate more entries, a route with a different
landfall — St. Lucia’s neighboring island of St. Vincent
— was added.
The ARC’s three 2018 routes made for a combined fleet
of more than 250 boats of all sorts — ranging from 30 to
130 feet long, multihulls and monohulls, cutting-edge racers
and classics — arriving in St. Lucia and St. Vincent
just before Christmas.
Why is sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, in a diverse
fleet, so popular? We were in St. Lucia for the ARC’s most
recent arrival to find out. See a report on the new ARC+
St. Vincent on page 20.
SALLY ERDLE
33… and a Third!
FEBRUARY 2019 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 18
The 33rd ARC: ‘A Goldilocks Year’
ARC 2018 enjoyed a “Goldilocks year — not too windy,
not too light. Just right,” says Jeremy Wyatt,
Communications Director of the event’s organizers,
World Cruising Club. Consistent east-northeast
tradewinds along most of the route made for a fast
crossing, and staggered starts in Las Palmas allowed the
marina at Muelle Deportivo and World Cruising Club
staff to cope efficiently with all boats’ preparations for
the Atlantic crossing.
ARC+ Cape Verdes departed on November 11th, 2018,
with 72 yachts from 22 countries carrying crewmembers
from 24 nations. Leg 1 sailed approximately 850 nautical
miles to Mindelo, Sao Vicente in the Cape Verdes.
Departing Mindelo on November 21st, Leg 2 sailed 2,150
nautical miles to IGY Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia.
Next up was the brand-new route, ARC+ St. Vincent,
departing Las Palmas on November 15th, with 15 yachts and crew of 12 nationalities.
Leg 1 sailed to Mindelo; Leg 2 departed Mindelo on November 25th, sailing
2,150 nautical miles to Blue Lagoon Marina in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
The original-route ARC 2018 left Las Palmas on November 25th, sailing direct to
Rodney Bay Marina, St. Lucia, approximately 2,700 nautical miles. Over 1,000 sailors
aboard some 170 yachts sailed this route under the flags of 36 nations.
On average, boats in the original-route ARC arrived in Rodney Bay one or two days
earlier than usual. Rodney Bay Marina Operations Manager Sean Devaux tells
Compass, “There was a bigger rush this year; ARC boats were arriving along with the
ARC+ boats, bringing a great atmosphere.” This was evident in the jubilant turnout
for the simultaneous ARC+ Prizegiving and the ARC Welcome Party held on the
marina’s “green” on December 12th.
Other events at the marina included the General Manager’s Cocktail Party, a live
band on the Boardwalk, and a Farmers’ Market twice a week. ARC sailors also participated
in numerous special ARC-related events outside the marina, in different
parts of the island. Sean adds, “We want to make people feel St. Lucia is their home,
and having most of the boats in by now [mid-December, and prior to the ARC
Prizegiving on the 22nd] gives us that opportunity.”
‘Old Lady’ Gets a Chance
The Goldilocks weather for the crossing translated into little drama — including
the course speed record remaining unbroken. Although most ARC participants are
in fun rally mode, there is a Racing Division, run using IRC ratings, and while the
cruisers commonly “head south until the butter melts”, the racers sometimes stay
north in search of more wind.
But “there was no northerly option this year,” says Ross Applebey, who won First
Julius, Bianca and Sascha. The Röhle family’s current plan is to head back to
Europe — but that might change
Overall in Racing Division on handicap on his 22-year-old Oyster Lightwave 48,
Scarlet Oyster [see cover photo]. Ross has won his class in the ARC Racing Division
nine out of ten times he’s entered, and came second once. This was his fourth overall
win. The Kid, Vendée Globe veteran and Transat Jacques Vabre class winner
Jean-Pierre Dick’s new JP54, took Line Honors with a crossing time of just over 11
days and sailing 3,254.5 nautical miles. “The Kid sailed a good race with hugely
impressive speeds,” Ross says, “however, the dead running conditions forced them
to sail some significant extra distance, opening the door just a crack for an old lady
like Scarlet to have a chance of the overall trophy!”
Ross planned to head for Antigua to join the Nelson’s Pursuit Race, and then
race in the RORC Caribbean 600, St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and Antigua
Sailing Week.
Ross obviously sails to win, but why do so many others join the ARC in the cruising
division?
Fun Competition Counts
Echoing the sentiments of many in the fleet, the Finnish skipper Matti Salo on the
Malö 46 Marja II remarks that part of the attraction of the ARC is, in fact, that “there’s
a competitive aspect — although it’s a rally, similar boats can’t help but race!” Marja
II completed the crossing in 17 days, and continued on a circumnavigation with World
Cruising Club’s World ARC, which departed St. Lucia on January 12th.
But when asked why he joined the ARC, the first thing Matti says is, “Of course,
there’s the social aspect — that makes it a lot more fun!”
—Continued on next page
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