Published 15 years ago, updated 6 years ago

This year is a significant milestone for the famous Atlantic Rally for Cruisers – better known by its acronym ARC – as the 25th edition of the ARC will set off from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia this November.

To help celebrate the occasion, event organizers World Cruising Club are keeping to hear from some of those who took part in the historic first rally in 1986, especially from any ARC’86 children.

Commenting on the quest for ARC history, Communications Director of World Cruising Club, Jeremy Wyatt explained, “The first ARC was a great adventure for all those involved, especially families sailing with children. Family boats have always been an important part of the rally ever since the first ARC in 1986. We would love to hear from anyone who was under 16 years old when they sailed in ARC’86; we’d like to know your story, your memories of the ARC, whether you still sail now as an adult. We know you “ARC kids” are out there, so please get in touch!”

Previous ARC participants can contact World Cruising Club on email address mail@worldcruising.com or post a message via the website at www.worldcruising.com.

Looking ahead to this year’s ARC, there are already some veterans of the first ARC, both sailors, and yachts, taking part in ARC 2010 and World Cruising Club are preparing to give them an especially warm welcome.

• ARC 2010 will depart from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday 21 November.
• The finish destination is Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia, a distance of 2,700 nautical miles from Las Palmas and it’s a passage that will take most of the yachts between 18 and 21 days.
• Whilst fundamentally a fun rally for cruising yachts, the ARC does have a more serious Racing Division, run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). Yachts in the Racing Division are not permitted to use their engines for propulsion (unlike the cruisers), although the use of autopilots is allowed.
• ARC Official Entry list – www.worldcruising.com/arc
• ARC 2010 is sponsored by the Tourist Board of Gran Canaria, the Port Authority of Las Palmas, the Saint Lucia Tourist Board, Rolnautic, and is run in association with Yachting World magazine.