The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, known among sailors worldwide as the ARC, is celebrating its 40th year as crews prepare to cast off from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in November, bound for St. Lucia.
Some 7,890 yachts and more than 30,000 people have participated in the rally since 1986. This year’s installment is offering a discount for any yacht or skipper who sailed in the first rally, as well as for yachts smaller than 40 feet length overall.
The first boat to enter the 40th ARC was the Contessa 32 Teela, owned by Ellen and Mark Catherall. Teela is currently the smallest boat registered to participate. The largest so far is the 94-foot Free at Last.
The ARC was the brainchild of sailor Jimmy Cornell, who wanted to create a reason to depart for the would-be ocean sailors gathering in the Canaries every autumn. His focus on increasing safety and confidence has been the guiding principle of every World Cruising Club rally since.
The ARC’s original press release stated that the event was aimed “not for racing’s elite of semi-professional and sponsored professional yachtsmen, but strictly for true cruising enthusiasts.” That’s still true today. Late November is now widely known as “ARC season” in Las Palmas, and for many locals, waving the fleet off is an annual tradition.
After four years of finishing in Barbados, St. Lucia became the destination in 1990 and has remained so ever since. Another change involves participating boats. In the past 10 years, the number of multihulls has doubled and now comprises a third of the fleet. Meanwhile, the average age of boats has decreased, with around one in five launched in the previous 12 months.
In 2013, the ARC expanded with a sister rally, ARC+, starting in Las Palmas two weeks before the ARC and sailing for Mindelo in Cape Verde, before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Port Louis Marina in Grenada. ARC+ attracts a slightly younger demographic and a higher percentage of families and multihulls, the organizers say.
The makeup of the participants has also changed over the years. The first ARC in 1986 had 204 entries from 24 countries. In 2024, a record 46 nationalities were represented.
When does the ARC 2025 begin? The 2,700-nautical-mile rally is scheduled to start November 23, with prize-giving in the Caribbean on December 20.
Where to learn more: visit worldcruising.com
