Guest Author - Lea Ann Fessenden-Joseph
211 yachts from 21 different nations set sail today, November 23, as participants in the 23rd Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). The rally kicked off at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) in grand style with superior sailing weather for their 2700 nautical mile journey to their final destination of Rodney Bay, St Lucia in the Caribbean.
Under a brilliant sun and perfect north-east trade wind conditions, the cruisers set off with high expectations of a steady passage to St Lucia. For the locals it was quite the spectacle to see over 200 of these magnificent yachts in one place all polished, well stocked and ready for the 14 to 21 day adventure of a lifetime- literally a sea of masts and sails Many participants come back year after year and it has become one of the most fashionable ways to cross the Atlantic. Young and old, families and professional crews all take part in this beautiful competition.
The atmosphere was electric as dockside well wishers sang, cheered and danced to local bands who serenaded the crowd. The “friendly” race was conceived to make the Atlantic crossing safer and more enjoyable. All yachts must carry specific safety equipment including a life raft, VHF radio and EPIRB. In the weeks leading up to the event, all participants are encouraged to attend numerous boating safety seminars available in Las Palmas.
Among the participants this year are 33 children traveling with their parents. Baby Marina on the yacht Madonna is only 8 months old and will be on board the smallest boat of the fleet, a Beneteau 31. The oldest is 15 year old Axel on Crazy Maybe. For those children of school age, the parents will continue their schooling on board with the textbooks and curriculum they need. They will typically continue their lessons on a Monday through Friday schedule and some will of course have to pass a few tests on their return, but most of the parents feel the children will learn a lot more traveling than their counterparts who stay at home. The children are of course exposed to geography, biology, maps, communications and foreign languages routinely as participants. Many of the children have already become great friends in just the few days they have played together in Las Palmas, several promising to stay in touch over radio during the course of the rally. The trip for the children will certainly be something they will never forget!
Once the fleet of ships reaches St Lucia, I’ll report back to you about the winners and their stories.
