The highly anticipated ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) and ARC+ fleets have begun making landfall in the Caribbean, marking another successful season of transatlantic adventure. Starting in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in November, the ARC+ fleet sailed to Grenada via Cape Verde, while the ARC fleet took a direct route to Saint Lucia.
ARC+ Arrives in Grenada
The ARC+ fleet of 94 yachts embarked on their journey with a stopover in Mindelo, Cape Verde, before setting sail for St. George’s, Grenada, on 22 November. After covering more than 2,100 nautical miles, the fleet’s first arrivals demonstrated the dominance of family-crewed Outremer catamarans.
Salto (NOR), an Outremer 52 sailed by Henrik and Anne Vestnes with their three children—Sara (9), Vetle (6), and Birk (2)—plus crew members Ola and Pernilla, claimed the honor of being the first to finish. The family completed the crossing in 11 days, 17 hours, and 10 minutes.
“It was a great achievement for us,” Henrik said. “The children were really excited to finish the long crossing. We had fun, fished, played, and even baked Christmas cakes.”
The Cook family’s Outremer 55 Sizzle (GBR) followed as the second finisher, boasting the youngest participant in the fleet, 9-month-old Charlotte. Third place went to the Outremer 52 Appa (USA), which also had young sailors aboard.
Among monohulls, Luminous 3 (GBR), a Solaris 74RS skippered by John McDonnell, was the first to finish on 4 December. That same day, the Xp-44 Born to Run (NOR), co-owned and skippered by 24-year-old Peder Stiansen, claimed line honors as the first yacht to finish without motoring, completing the crossing in 11 days, 21 hours, and 31 minutes.
ARC Yachts Reach Saint Lucia
On 24 November, the 140 yachts of the ARC fleet departed Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for their direct voyage to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
The largest yacht in the rally, the Southern Wind 105GT No Rush (IMN), owned by Ghada Barsoum and skippered by Diogo Cayolla, was the first to finish on 6 December. Despite a cautious sail plan prioritizing safety, No Rush achieved a top speed of 22.6 knots.
“We just wanted to cross and have a good experience,” said Cayolla.
The same day, Leaps & Bounds 2 (MLT), a Vismara 62 skippered by Jean Philippe Blanpain, was the first to finish in the IRC racing division. Following closely was Red 2 (CHE), a JV43 helmed by Matthias von Blumencron, who completed the 3,135-nautical-mile journey in just under 14 days.
“We had great fun!” Matthias exclaimed.
In the cruising division, two Italian-flagged Swans took the lead. Alessandro Fabbri’s Swan 75 FD Maimai (ITA) crossed the line on 8 December, with Daniele Banchini’s Swan 82 S Nazca 2 (ITA) following just six hours later. Among cruising multihulls, the MC75 Jack (GBR), skippered by Morgan Hayes, narrowly outpaced the Outremer 5X Addiction (CHE) to claim first place. Laurent Chatelenat’s Addiction finished just 30 minutes later, followed closely by Christian Prié’s Marsaudon ORC 57 Avel Vaez (FRA) in the early hours of 9 December.
A Season of Challenges and Triumphs
While crews celebrate their achievements ashore, the 2024 ARC season was not without tragedy. The sailing community mourns the loss of a crew member from Ocean Breeze, whose family and friends remain in everyone’s thoughts.
Over the course of the rallies, the 234 participating boats experienced a wide range of conditions, from classic tradewind sailing to strong squalls. Lighter winds are now forecast for those still at sea. The final yachts are expected to arrive in Grenada by 11 December and in Saint Lucia by 21 December, just in time for the prize-giving ceremonies.Track the progress of the fleet on the YB Races app or the fleet viewer at worldcruising.com.
