The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is an annual transatlantic sailing event for cruiser yachts held since 1986 by the World Cruising Club in UK.  ARC starts at the end of November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and usually ends before Christmas at Rodney Bay, in one of the most picturesque islands in the Caribbean, Saint Lucia.

The ARC is the largest trans-Atlantic sailing event in the world and regularly attracts over 300 boats of many different shapes and sizes. Even though it covers over 2800 nautical miles, the race is not only about who reaches Saint Lucia island first, but it’s also a strong social event, allowing each participant to have his/her own pace, while crossing the Atlantic safely in a group.

The first race was organised in 1986 by Cruising World Magazine under the name Atlantic Race for Cruisers (ARC). The founder, journalist with Romanian origins Jimmy Cornell, had the idea to create an amateur event and to add some zest to the long and lonely voyage across the ocean and strengthen bonds between cruising sailors. Another point to consider was to build the confidence by organising a passage of large number of yachts at the same time.

In the first year the route started from Las Palmas and ended in Bridgetown Barbados, with 204 yachts at the starting line. The fastest monohull, 62-foot Moonshadow sailed across in 14 days and 3 hours. The winner of Yachting World Trophy for first yacht to arrive in Barbados was 54-foot trimaran Running Cloud.

“I was certainly very impressed, but I must admit, 
I never thought there would be a second one. I thought it was a one off. 
We never thought there should be another one, and then the letters started coming in from people who had missed the first ARC.”

Jimmy Cornell

In this article:

ARC Calendar
ARC Routes
ARC Terms and Conditions
ARC Preparation
ARC Social Events
Who is Jimmy Cornell

ARC Calendar

The ARC starts every year at the end of November in Gran Canaria. Yachts around the world use to arrive in Gran Canaria a couple of weeks before departure. The usual crossing takes between 8 and 21 days, depending on weather conditions, sailing style and boat size and type. The fastest crossing was established in 2016 with. a total time of 8d:06h:29’:15”.

The ARC ends around mid-December, in Saint Lucia port at Rodney Bay and is accompanied by an extensive programme, including Christmas parties.

Each year, more than 1.400 people take part in this race, including senior sailors, children and pets. Regarding pets, they must comply with regulations of their home country and regulations of countries to be visited. 

ARC Routes

Each year, more than 300 boats leave Las Palmas and take the course to Saint Lucia, on the trans-Atlantic adventure that builds memories for a life time. This a not stop, direct crossing and it takes around two weeks to reach the destination port, however, on the other hand ARC+ rally starts two weeks before and their first stop is in Mindeo, Sao Vicente on the Cape Verde Islands. The crossing takes 5 to 7 days. A 3 to 5 days break is planned here, during which the island can be explored by foot, together with meeting amazing people and local cuisine. The journey then continues towards the Caribbean, with a crossing of 12 to 16 days. Taking part in the ARC+ has the advantage of including a stopover on the way and also and taking a more southern route gives ideal wind conditions and less doldrums.

ARC Terms and Conditions

In order to be part of the World Cruising Club rally, you will need a seaworthy boat, with which you must prove that you have already made an offshore trip the year before the rally. The type of boat is not stipulated, so everything is permitted from small to large super yachts.

The accepted vessel criteria are the following:

• Monohulls must be at least 8.23 m and no more than 29.91 m in length (LOA)
• Multihulls must be at least 8.23 m and no longer than 18.29 m
• Larger boats, like super yachts up to 32.10 m, can participate by invitation

For other equipment, such as refrigerators & electronics, there are no specifications, so you can decide whether to race with the latest technology or go traditional, with as few electronics as possible, but remember that the race is not just only about winning, it’s also about spending quality time with your friends and family.

One of the rules says that there must be at least 2 people on board for the rally, with sailing experience. Following the above rule, it is recommended for the captain and at least one crew member to have attended training in safety and communication equipment, bad weather sailing and crisis management within the last 5 years. It is also recommended to have tested your boat and equipment thoroughly before participating and to be familiar with it as much as possible. If you decide to rent a boat in Las Palmas, it is recommended to spend as much time as possible to discover the boat, and also to check if everything is working as expected.  It is much easier to repair defective equipment in your home port than at sea or in a foreign country.

The World Cruising Club offers some seminars and workshops to prepare for the ARC, which you will find very useful during the crossing. 

ARC preparation

If you decide to take part in the ARC, and see your dream come true, our advice is to prepare in advance and research a lot about the event. You will receive a booklet containing valuable advice and information based on experience gained since the first rally in 1986, containing step-by-step instructions for preparing your boat and crew.

It also includes information on organisational matters, such as any visas that are required, remember that if you have pets onboard you need all necessary documents before departure.

In general, an understanding of how your boat works and a good supply of tools and spare parts helps to increase independence, because once you departed you need to solve different issues by yourself. If you are not an experienced craftsman, you should go on a course or have a close look at how your boat is fixed and maintained, asking as many questions as possible.

“People don't realize they need at least a full year to sort out a new boat before they 
can start voyaging. The size of the boat doesn't matter at all, 
it's the same for big boats and small ones. Boats aren't like cars, you can't just drive off 
and never have a problem. Every single new boat I've ever seen had some sort of issue 
that needed to be addressed. You can't just leave a boatyard with a new boat 
and sail across the Atlantic”.

Jimmy Cornell

ARC social events

Two weeks prior to departure, Gran Canaria offers an extensive programme with seminars, workshops and parties, as well as special offers for children. This time can be used not only for final preparations, but mainly to get to know the other participants, because even as an experienced sailor you might feel a bit uneasy about embarking on a long trip across the Atlantic. Being able to talk to other participants and share concerns and knowledge will help you feel more relaxed before starting the crossing, and makes it also a good time to make new friends that you can keep in touch with via radio at sea.

Upon arrival in Saint Lucia, each boat is assisted in docking and the crew is welcomed with rum punch, fresh fruit and chilled beer - no matter when they arrive, day or night. Successful crossing is celebrated in the days after arrival with a welcome party, live music and of course the award ceremony. There is a lot to see and do in Saint Lucia, and many of the participants spend Christmas on the island. Others take the opportunity to sail further through the Caribbean in small groups after their arrival. 

Who is Jimmy Cornell

Jimmy Cornell has made a great influence on the contemporary cruising scene more than any other sailor. An accomplished sailor, public speaker and author, he has sailed over 200.000 miles in all oceans and seas of the world including three circumnavigations, as well as voyages to Antarctica and the Northwest Passage.

Thousands of sailors have fulfilled their dream of blue water cruising with the help of Jimmy Cornell’s books, among them the international bestseller World Cruising Routes, book that every captain should have at hand. Now in its 8th edition, and with over 200.000 copies sold to date, this is one of the bestselling nautical publications in the world.

As the founder and father of the highly successful ARC transatlantic rally, Jimmy Cornell is credited with having devised the offshore cruising rally concept. In the last four decades, Jimmy Cornell has organized 38 transatlantic rallies, five round the world rallies and one round the world race, with over 3.000 boats and 15.000 sailors having participated in his sailing events.

Speaking about the highlights of his sailing career, Jimmy Cornell said:

“The first one is when I'm cruising with my family, I very much enjoy being with my family at sea. 
The other is just being on the boat, with everything that goes with it. 
Being in the middle of an ocean on your own boat is just such a rush, such an uplifting experience. I'm so sorry that so many people miss it. 
The cruising, and visiting other countries, that comes afterwards. 
It's not the point. Sailing is. I find it brings me alive. 
And I am alive”.

Jimmy Cornell