Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine - December 2019

— Continued from previous page
As this issue of Compass goes to press, this year’s total ARC entry list comprises
280 boats: 195 on the original direct route, 73 stopping the Cape Verdes en route to
St. Lucia, and 22 finishing in St. Vincent after a Cape Verdes stop.
The ARC fleet is always diverse. Boats are sailing under the flags of 36 nations,
with United Kingdom representing 30 percent of the entries, USA ten percent and
Germany nine percent.
WORLD CRUISING CLUB / CLARE PENGELLY (2)
the top five (in order) being Beneteau, Lagoon, Bavaria, Oyster and Jeanneau. A
testament of their enduring cruising pedigree, the oldest boats in the fleet are both
Swans, built in 1973: the Swan 48 Montana, and the Swan 65 Vahine. Twenty-two
boats in the fleet were produced this year. Interestingly, multihulls make up nearly
half of the new boats (those less than 18 months old).
Meanwhile, tried and true cruising designs are represented by Neverland, an Allied
Princess long-keeled 36-foot ketch from 1976; Escapade of Plymouth, a 1977
Hallberg Rassy 41; and Songster, an Oyster 39 from 1979.
Before the start in Las Palmas, a full program of workshops and seminars offers
practical and informative advice for the Atlantic crossing. Included are safety seminars,
tips on weather routing and provisioning, and much more.
The 95-strong ARC+ fleet departed from Las Palmas on November 10th. Following
a three- to five-day stopover in Mindelo, Cape Verde, 73 of the boats will sail to St.
Above: Fourteen ARC+ boats will be sailing with children on board. They had opportunities
like this beach party in Las Palmas to get to know each other before the start.
Right: Prior to the Atlantic crossing, ARC participants have a full program
of workshops and seminars that includes practicing getting into a liferaft.
The smallest boat this year is the German-flagged Amel Fango Falema at 33 feet
(ten metres), sailing with three crew on board. She is a pocket cruiser with saltwater
in her veins and proof that you can cruise on a small, 30-year-old boat. Falema is
one of 22 boats under 40 feet (12.2 metres) overall sailing the ARC direct route.
Twelve percent of the boats in the ARC fleet are less than 40 feet long and half are
between 40 and 50 feet (15.3 metres).
The largest ARC 2019 boat is Ulisse, a 105-foot (32-metre) luxury superyacht
owned by sailing enthusiast and Prada CEO Patrizio Bartelli. She is entered in the
Racing Division and crewed by a host of ex-America’s Cup sailors. Twenty-three
percent of the fleet is 50 to 60 feet (18.3m) and 15 percent is larger. The trend
towards cruising with multihulls continues in this year’s rally, with multis making
up just under 20 percent of the fleet, similar to last year.
Nearly 70 different boat brands/builders are represented in the fleet this year, with
SAINT LUCIA
Lucia, and 22 to St. Vincent. The ARC+ routes, with their shorter legs (850 and 2,150
nautical miles respectively), have proven especially popular with families. Fourteen
ARC+ boats will be sailing with children on board, a total of 33 kids. The youngest
participant will be Oisin Bee-Fenix, who will be just 19 months old at the start of the
rally. He’s one of seven children under the age of six taking part.
The direct Canaries to St. Lucia fleet will depart on November 24th, as this issue
of Compass goes to press.
IGY Rodney Bay Marina in St. Lucia and Blue Lagoon Marina in St. Vincent are
rolling out the welcome mats for the ARC and ARC+ 2019 arrivals. The finish line is
ready and the ice for the welcome rum punch is in the freezer — now it’s up to the
boats to get here!
We’ll have a full report in next month’s Compass.
For more information visit www.worldcruising.com.
december 2019 CARIBBEAN COMPAss pAGE 17
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