September2013,CowesUK

HistoryoftheARC
AstheEuropeansailingseasondrawstoacloseintheautumn,hundredsofboatspreparetoundertakethe longtransatlanticvoyagetotheCaribbean.TheCanaryIslandshavebeenthetraditionalpointofdeparture eversinceColumbusfirstprovisionedtherejustover500yearsago.Columbushadnoideaofwhattoexpect ontheothersideoftheocean,whereasthemodernsailorknowsthatwinterintheCaribbeanbeckonswith perfectsailing,steadytradewindsandfineweather. 27yearsagoyachtingjournalistJimmyCornellfirstwenttotheCanariestointerviewskippersabouttheir transatlanticpassagepreparationsforanarticlecommissionedbyYachtingWorldmagazine.Thepeoplehe spoketowereasdiverseastheirboats,representingwiderangingnationalities,ages,andincomes. Theatmosphereamongstthesesailorsastheypreparedfortheirvoyagetheexcitement,apprehension,and camaraderiegaveJimmytheideaoforganisingaraceacrosstheAtlantic.Jimmyseventwastohavean entirelydifferentemphasistosetitapartfromotheroceanraces.Itwastobearacethatfocusedonthefunof takingpartandonethatwouldincreasesafetyandconfidence,especiallyamongstthosemakingtheirfirst longoceanpassage. CruisingsailorsandmediaalikeweresopositiveintheirresponsetoJimmysideathatitwasapparentthatthe timewasripeforsuchanevent.ThusARC86,theAtlanticRallyforCruisers,wasborn. AssoonastheRallywaslaunchedentriesbeganrollinginfromallcornersoftheglobeand,afterafew months,thelistofentrieshadtobeclosedandawaitingliststarted. SettingaWorldRecord On25November1986,thestartingcannonwasfiredfromaSpanishNavyfrigateand204yachtsfrom24 nationssetoffontheinauguralARCfromLasPalmasdeGranCanariaonthelargesttransoceanraceever staged,earningitselfanentryintheGuinnessBookofWorldRecords. TheaimoftheARCboththenandnowistoemphasisetheamateur,Corinthianspiritasopposedtothe moreprofessionalnatureofotheroceangoingevents.Forthisreason,rulesarekepttoaminimum.Although oneofthethoughtsbehindthisRallywastoaddsomezestandfriendlycompetitiontothelongpassage, anotherconsiderationwastoincreasesafety.Oneofthefewrulesstipulatedthateveryboatshouldcarrya liferaftandalsoanEmergencyPositionIndicatingRadioBeacon(EPIRB).DuringtheRally,aVHFlisteningwatch waskepttodealwithanyemergenciesthatmightarise. Overtheyears,longrangecommunicationshavebecomemuchmoreaccessibleandnowmostyachtstaking partwillhaveeitherSSBHFradioorsatellitecommunications.Thisgreatlyincreasesthesafetyfactorandin everyARC,participantshavebeenhelpedviatheradio,eitherwithtechnicalormedicaladviceorbyother yachtsassistingdirectlyinemergencies. RacingDivisionintroduced Althoughplannedasafunevent,itsoonbecameapparentthatmanycrewswantedtocompeteratherthan simplycruise.In1989,aRacingDivisionwasintroducedtoenableanyonewishingtoracetopittheirskills againstlikemindedsailors.Entriesinthisdivision,usingtheIRCrating,formsome15%ofthefleeteachyear, whilstthemajorityhaveremainedintheCruisingDivisioninwhichlimitedmotoringisallowed. SaintLucia TheARCorganisers,WorldCruisingClub(WCC),alwayshavethebestinterestsoftheparticipantsinmindand tothatendwillalwaystrytoincorporatethemorepopularideasandproposalsputforwardtoimprovethe event.ThiswasthemainreasonforaswitchinthedestinationfortheARCfromBarbadostoRodneyBayin Saint.Luciabackin1990.TheyachtingfacilitiesaresuperiortothoseavailableinBarbadosandforthefirst timeitwaspossibletohavealltheyachtsinonemarinaattheendoftheRally,astheywerebeforethestart, andthisprovidesanexcellentatmosphere.

 Somethingforeveryone WCCtriestosatisfyeveryonetakingpart,byprovidingprizesforperformanceeitheronspeedorhandicap,as wellaspresentingotherprizessuchasthoseawardedforthebestfamilyperformance,theoldestboat,the lastarrival.Oneyearaprizewasevenawardedtothemosttroublesomeskipper! Fromtheoutset,theARChasdevelopeditsownspecialcharacter.Overthepast25yearsmanyfriendships havebeenforgedintherelaxedatmosphereandtheprofoundsenseofcamaraderiehasbecomethehallmark ofthisveryspecialeventthatenticespeoplebackyearafteryear. NewRouteAddedfor2013 ARC2013seestheintroductionofanewroutefortherally,withARC+CapeVerdes.Fiftyyachtswillsetoff2 weeksaheadofthemainstart,witha45daystopoverinMindelo,CapeVerdesbeforecontinuingontoSaint Lucia. SinceitsinceptiontheARChascontinuedtothrive,reachingarecordentryof235yachtsin1999,and regularlyexceeding220entrieseachyear.Ithasbecomeafirmlyestablishedeventontheinternationalsailing calendarandcelebratedits25theditionin2010. NotesforEditors Start:ARC2013departsfromLasPalmasdeGranCanariaonSunday24November. ARC+CapeVerdes:departsLasPalmason10November,andMindeloon20November. Finish:ThefinishdestinationisRodneyBayMarinainSaintLucia,adistanceof2,700nauticalmiles fromLasPalmasanditisapassagethatwilltakemostoftheyachtsbetween18and21days. TheARCisafunrallyforcruisingyachts.Boatsareallowedtomotor,althoughmotoringtimesare takenintoaccountwhencalculatingtheresults. YachtsintheRacingDivisionarenotpermittedtousetheirenginesforpropulsion. Entries:ARCOfficialEntrylistwww.worldcruising.com/arc Tracking:followtheARCboatsonlineusingtheFleetViewerwww.worldcruising.com/arc/viewer.aspx andreadtheiratseablogswww.worldcruising.com/arc/dailylogs.aspx ThefirstARCleftLasPalmasin1986andhasruneveryyearsince. ThecurrentARCcourserecordis11days,5hours,32minutesand30seconds,heldbyItalianmaxi yachtCapricorno(RinaldoDelBono),inARC2006 ARC2013issponsoredbytheTouristBoardofGranCanaria,thePortAuthorityofLasPalmas,the SaintLuciaTouristBoardandisruninassociationwithYachtingWorldmagazine. Photography:Aselectionofcopyrightfreephotographsandmapsareavailableforeditorialuse: ARCgeneralimages:http://tinyurl.com/ARCgeneralimages Pleaseapplyviaourpresscentreatwww.worldcruising.com/press.aspx MediaInformation Forimages,statistics,interviewsandotherARCandWorldCruisingClubinformation,pleasecontact sarahcollins@worldcruising.comorcall+44(0)1983296060 GeneralEnquiries ForinformationaboutparticipatingintheARCorotherWorldCruisingClubrallies,pleasecontact mail@worldcruising.comorcall+44(0)1983296060