The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
by World Cruising Club 11 Aug 2023 11:29 BST
Parade of flags for the 37th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers © World Cruising Club
For thousands of amateur sailors from across the world, the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) has made the dream of sailing some 2,700 nautical miles across the Atlantic a reality.
Throughout its thirty-eight-year history, sailing as an organised fleet has provided mutual support and an element of fun, for boats crossing the Atlantic, and the experienced rally organisers World Cruising Club offer a safety net of support to adventurous sailors.
Once again, it's a sell-out for the bucket-list event, with two established routes leaving Gran Canaria in November. Each fleet features the classic ARC mix of old-hand and new ocean sailors. Cruising couples, hardy racers, family boats, and crews of friends all feature, with the international flavours of the ARC maintained with multiple nations coming together for the shared ocean crossing experience.
About ARC+ 2022
Gran Canaria > Cape Verde > Grenada
ARC+ 2023 is scheduled to set sail from Gran Canaria on 5th November, with the entire rally running for five weeks including two ocean passages and three ports. Beginning with a 10-day pre-departure programme in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria featuring social events, safety demonstrations, and seminars, the ARC+ route includes a 4-to-6-day stopover in Mindelo, Cape Verde, from where the fleet will restart bound for Grenada on 17th November. On the other side of the Atlantic, every boat will be met with a warm welcome and an ice-cold rum punch making landfall at Camper & Nicholson's Port Louis Marina from the 29th November-4th December. The rally will conclude with the prize-giving ceremony on 7th December 2023.
ARC+ 2023 Schedule
25 October: Rally office opens in Las Palmas
29 October: Last date for arrivals in Las Palmas
5 November: Start of Gran Canaria - Sao Vicente leg (865nm)
10-12 November: Arrival in Mindelo, Sao Vicente (Marina Mindelo)
17 November: Restart from Cape Verde
29 Nov-4 Dec: Arrival in Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada
7 December: Prizegiving in Grenada
There is an anticipated fleet of around 90 yachts sailing on the two-stage ARC+ route, with approximately 500 crew. 15% of the fleet are new builds, fresh out of the factory in 2023 and ready to put their first Atlantic miles under their keels. One-third of the fleet are multihulls, and the route is a big hit with families with 40 children set to sail with ARC+. Visit here for the entry list