Classic Trade Wind Passages for ARC 2022 & those on Trans-Atlantic Passages
Caroline Blatter 20 Nov 2022 Gran Canaria / Grenada / Saint Lucia / St. Lucia / Canary Islands / Caribbean & Central America / Marinas & Moorings / Atlantic Islands / Regattas & Cruising Rallies
2700 NM+ Trans-Atlantics have begun for many yachts leaving the Canary Islands,
including the ARC+ and ARC Rallies
November is the generally the month when yachts start crossing east to west from the MED to the Caribbean, and start heading south from the East Coast USA ...in their hundreds!
Professional charter yachts may be heading to the Antigua Charter Yacht Show (4-9th December), the Caribbean Charter Yacht Show (8-11th December) in St. Thomas or attending the Bahamas Charter Yacht Show (23-26th February 2023).
Whether you are crew on a privately owned large superyacht, or about to embark on a lifetime dream of cruising with your family and friends on your own yacht, its an exciting time as you prepare to cross an ocean.
World Cruising Club have organised and supported yachts crossing the Atlantic in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers ( ARC) since 1986 - a phenomenal achievement! The company was started by Jimmy Cornell, then led by Andrew Bishop since 1998 - whose last year it is at the helm of the team 'yellow shirts'!
Skippers Briefing - ARC 2022 Las Palmas
A total of 230 yachts and over 1200 + crew, with 60 children under 16, are crossing the Atlantic with World Cruising this Autumn 2022, in the ARC+ Rally to Grenada, and the ARC Rally to Saint Lucia.
ARC January 2023 will set off from Las Palmas on 15th January 2023, also bound for Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
ARC 2022 Opening Procession
Flags of 35 Nations are raised
The flags of 35 nations are raised on poles overlooking the docks of Las Palmas, home of the ARC since 1986, the docks filled with a wide range of boats, as eclectic as the crews on board. Around the marina are examples of almost every kind of ocean cruising boat available, with the ARC bringing together one of the most diverse fleets of any sailing event.
From the largest yacht, Oyster 885 Karibu (GGY), to the smallest, French-flagged Vancouver 28 Oberoi (FRA), 105 monohulls, 38 Multihulls and 1 motorboat are set to make their departure with the ARC on Sunday 20 November, including 24 children under the age of 16 this year!
Most yachts will arrive between 8-13 December, with the Prize Giving on 17th December.
There has been a significant swing towards multihulls once again, with 35 catamarans and 3 trimarans on the start line, perhaps once again one will be the first to reach the rum punch at IGY Rodney Bay Marina!
Las Palmas Marina
ARC+ 2022, World Cruising Club’s two-stage transatlantic rally to Grenada, set sail on the 6 November, from Las Palmas, with 90 boats bound for Mindelo Marina, Cape Verde for the first leg of their ocean adventure, then on to Camper & Nicholson's Port Louis Marina, Grenada for their second leg, arriving in the first week of December, with the Prize Giving on 8th December 2022.
Over 400 crew are taking part in this year’s rally onboard boats large and small, old and new.
The smallest boat on the ARC+ 2022 start line, Ciel Bleu (GBR) a Fountaine Pajot Maldives 32, to the biggest Oyster 675 Alika (GBR), This ARC+ Fletet is the largest and most diverse since the event began in 2013.
A total of 60 Children under 16 will be sailing in the ARC 2022 Rallies this Autumn
This two-stage Atlantic crossing has once again proved popular with adventurous families, with 36 children sailing on 18 different boats, the youngest being Herman Habenicht on Ballerina (SWE) aged just 3 years old. The youngest skipper, Ronja Dörnfeld is aged 25 and one of four female skippers who set off on ARC+ 2022.
SY Skyelark 2 - Oyster 62
Washing fruit before stowing
ARC Weatherman Chris Tibbs, respected maritime meteorologist, has forecast a classic trade wind passage for ARC 2022, but with a lively start, as a lingering cold front ‘heats-up’ the wind accelerations zones off Gran Canaria. His advice to cruisers setting off on Sunday 20 November, was to sail conservatively on the first night and head south of the rhumb line course, following the classic ‘south until the butter melts’ trade wind route.
ARC January 2023 will set off from Las Palmas on 15th January 2023, also bound for Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
FAIR WINDS & SAFE SAILING TO ALL YACHTS & CREW CROSSING IN 2022/23
Camper & Nicholson's Port Louis Marina
IGY Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia
Thank you to World Cruising for the Press release news and images
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