arc at sea femme house yacht cruise

Chicago’s ARC Music Festival Brings ARC At Sea To Miami Music Week [2023]

Auris Presents, the team behind ARC Music Festival, is taking their talents from Chicago to Miami Music Week with four ‘ARC At Sea’ yacht parties.

[2023 Update]: The ARC At Sea 2023 lineup was announced for March 22-March 25, 2023. With Miss Monique, Wax Motif, LP Giobbi, Skream, and more headlining, 2023 will be another memorable year for Auris Presents’ ARC At Sea. Tickets are available now .

[Related]: Read our review of ARC Music Festival 2022 .

[2022 Article] The debut of ARC Music Festival in Chicago was one of the highlights of last year’s festival season. Auris Presents is now expanding ARC Festival even further in 2022, with four ARC At Sea shows during Miami Music Week before (and during) Ultra Music Festival .

The ARC at Sea festivities start on Thursday with Eelke Kleijn . On Friday, Hot Since 82 returns to ARC for a sold out show with SOHMI. Justin Martin headlines Saturday with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and Sunday brings a stacked lineup of Dombresky , CID, Gene Farris, Westend, and more special guests.

ARC At Sea follows last week’s lineup announcement for ARC Music Festival . Taking place in September in Chicago on Labor Day Weekend, the festival lineup has artists like Boris Brejcha, Carl Cox, Chris Lake, Fatboy Slim, Get Real, Gorgon City, Lane 8, Nora En Pure, Paco Osuna, Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, Skream, and Vintage Culture.

All ARC At Sea events are on the Musette Yacht at 1075 Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami. See below for more details on each cruise, and buy your ARC At Sea tickets now before the parties sell out.

Thursday, March 24- Eelke Kleijn – DAYS like NIGHTS

Starting off the weekend on The Musette will be Eelke Kleijn . Tim Green is also on the lineup with openers Samaha , Wassu , Alice Iguchi , and Portals & Parachutes . Boarding starts at 7, and the yacht leaves at 8. Tickets are still available .

Friday, March 25- Hot Since 82 – Knee Deep in Miami

Following appearances at the inaugural ARC Music Festival and his official afterparty, Hot Since 82 is taking the stage on Friday evening. The sold-out event also includes SOHMI , who just opened for Boris Brejcha to a packed house at Radius Chicago. Check AXS for resale tickets .

Saturday, March 26 – Justin Martin – Life Aquatic

In anticipation of his ARC Music Festival debut later this year, Justin Martin will headline the yacht on Saturday night. Opening duties come from DJ Minx and and a DJ set from Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs . Tickets start at less than $40 .

Sunday, March 27 – Dombresky & Friends – On A Boat

Dombresky is bringing a stacked lineup to the yacht on Sunday. His Dombresky & Friends ‘On a Boat’ event will feature sets from CID , Gene Farris , Westend , and more artists to be announced later. Tickets will likely sell out, but are currently still available .

ARC Music Festival 2022 Lineup (Chicago, September 2-4)

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ARC At Sea: FARRIS WHEEL YACHT CRUISE

Mon Sep 02 2024 at 12:45 pm

Anita Dee Yacht Charters | Chicago, IL

Where is it happening?

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Host or Publisher Auris Presents

It's more fun with friends. share with friends, discover more events in chicago.

Waveland Softball Fields

Northerly Island

10001 S Pulaski Rd

Boqueria Fulton Market

Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk

W 26th pl &, S Rockwell Ave, Chicago, IL 60608

Monroe Harbor/Sightseer Boat

FashionBar The Showroom

The SoFo Tap

The Promontory

Virgin Hotels Chicago, North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL, USA

What's Happening Next in Chicago?

ARC At Sea 2022 Lineup Revealed

Feb 24, 2022

Chicago’s ARC Music Festival has revealed it will be bringing the party to Miami during Miami Music Week March 24-27, 2022 with ARC At Sea ; 4 nights of parties on yachts.

March 24 is “Days Like Nights” and will feature Eelke Kleijn on a yacht. Tickets are $65 and fees and are available now.

March 25 is “Knee Deep In Miami” and features Hot Since 82 on a yacht. Tickets are $80 and fees and are available now.

March 26 is “Life Aquatic” with Justin Martin on a yacht. Tickets are $60 and fees and are available now.

March 27 is “On a Boat” with Dombresky. Tickets are $65 and fees and are available now.

Health and safety: ARC At Sea will be adhering to local and state guidelines, which may include proof of a negative COVID-19 test and/or proof of vaccination. View purchase agreement details here.

All 4 events are 21+.

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ARC At Sea: Farris Wheel Yacht Cruise / September 2 2024

Gene farris and friends play on the anita dee ii yacht on monday september 2 2024 as part of the arc after dark festival series of afterparties., 🔵 venue.

Anita Dee II 200 N Breakwater Access Chicago, IL 60601 21+

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September 2 2024 12:45 BOARDING 1:30 SAIL

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https://www.axs.com/events/644188/gene-farris-friends-tickets

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Sailing around the world: Cruising couples’ top tips for a dream voyage

• Helen Fretter
• June 19, 2019

Is sailing around the world with your partner the ultimate bluewater dream? Helen Fretter meets World ARC couples who’ve done just that

Who would you pick as your round-the-world cruising companion? Photo: Tor Johnson

If you could choose anyone to go on a grand adventure with, would it be your life partner? For many couples that’s the ideal.

But what if you don’t have the same level of experience, or one of you isn’t confident to co-skipper? Perhaps you plan to take friends and family with you. But what happens if those plans change halfway round? I talked to World ARC crews near the finish of their circumnavigation to find out how different couples had answered those unknowns over their round the world voyage.

Over the 2017, 2018 and 2019 World ARC rallies (the round-the-world rally organised by World Cruising Club) around 20-30% of yachts set off double-handed. But by the time the fleet reached Tonga or Fiji that proportion had risen to about 50%.

Ruud and Laurie Bosman recruited crew from within the ARC rally after deciding to complete their world voyage

Grenada was a homecoming celebration for the World ARC fleet. While St Lucia marked the end of the 2018-19 rally, Grenada signalled the fleet’s return to the Caribbean. A full circumnavigation for most, 438 days sailing for those who’d completed it in a single World ARC loop.

Some 38 yachts started in St Lucia in January 2018, 16 were gathered in Grenada this March. Some had started in 2017 – or even earlier – but peeled off to linger in the Pacific or return to normal life for a while, then hooked into the 2018 rally on its way past. Others had diverted to explore New Zealand, Ascension Island, or another outpost, before rejoining their fleet.

No matter how they’d done it, all had sailed some 30,000 miles, crossed the Pacific , Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and lived at anchor for months on end.

With very few exceptions, most of the boats belonged to couples taking on their first trip sailing around the world. Some had sailed the entire voyage jointly, on others one partner had flown home for a stage or two. Some had taken crew from day one, others had switched between double-handing and sailing with more aboard. Several started with one plan, and finished with a very different set up indeed.

Article continues below…

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Two years ago my partner Nick and I set off from the UK to fulfill our dream of sailing around…

Onboard creature comforts: Little luxuries for sailing around the world

Cruising sailors who also call their boat their home usually give plenty of consideration to making life on board as…

Personal space

One such couple was David and Wendy Tipton. A former farmer from Staffordshire, UK, David had built up a recycling business that he sold, enabling them to buy Mischief , a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 479, and sail around the world. There was only one problem: Wendy hated the water and considered herself an inexperienced sailor.

Before they set off on the 2017 ARC transatlantic, Wendy had to learn to swim before she could even do a sea survival course. “It was never my dream to circumnavigate, it was David’s. So I went along with it, but it was totally out of my comfort zone,” she recalls.

Wendy’s initial condition of agreeing to do the World ARC was that they would take a crew to sail Mischief with them. They sent a round robin email to friends and sailing contacts to see who wanted to join them, and garnered an enthusiastic response, with many signing up for different legs. One was a very experienced sailor who sailed with the Tiptons for the first six months, which Wendy says gave her a lot of confidence.

David and Wendy Tipton began their World ARC with crew, but later switched to sailing two-up. Photo: James Mitchell

But 15 months is a long time to share your home, with up to six aboard at times, and Wendy admits having no personal space nearly drove her to breaking point. “I did have my bags packed to go home at one point. I was so fed up. It was nothing to do with the sailing, I was just sick of people.

“We were at the stage of needing down time on our own. It’s very intense – I didn’t appreciate how intense the whole trip would be. You wouldn’t have people living with you for six or seven months, and things that wouldn’t normally irritate you become irritating. For my own sanity I needed some time on our own.”

They decided instead to sail on double-handed from South Africa, and arrived in St Helena bowled over by how smoothly it had gone. “It was an absolute revelation,” David recalls. “The watches worked well, the boat worked well, and we were just asking ourselves why have we not done that before?”

The World ARC can include stop-offs for shoreside adventures including a South African safari. Photo: Haley Haltom

Before switching to sailing double-handed Wendy had sought advice from other crews on the ARC, many of whom had become close friends. She particularly asked the women for honest opinions, and says that they were overwhelmingly positive – with the obvious caveat that it could be more tiring sharing the sailing between just two.

They began their first double-handed passage with David sleeping in the cockpit during his off watches, “just in case she needed me quickly,” he recalls. “But after a few days of that regime she said, ‘You might as well go down below, I’m fine.’”

But things didn’t go so well on one of the next stages, from Cabedelo, Brazil, to Devil’s Island, French Guiana. “It was a bit of a catalogue of events,” he explains. “Our radar stopped working, so we were not able to monitor squalls.

“We had another boat who was monitoring them for us, but one came through that went from 7 to 35 knots and we had a spinnaker up in the dark. It broke the spinnaker halyard, the spinnaker went round the keel, the helm wouldn’t come off autopilot so we broached, an outhaul and a batten in the main broke.”

The Bay of Islands in Fiji’s Lau Group. Photo: Haley Haltom

Dealing with such a litany of problems between just the two of them was unknown territory, but Wendy says that while the situation did scare her, they were able to calmly work through and solve each issue.

“What the World ARC has given us – not just from the easy passages, but from the difficult passages – is the confidence that you could throw most stuff at us and we’d be OK,” David added. When they received the Division A 1st prize for the leg to Grenada, sailors across the fleet voiced their pride in Wendy for the progress she’d made.

Another couple that decided they were better off completing the rally two-up were Dan and Agnes Long from Florida on Smoke & Roses . Dan, a former firefighter, and Agnes, a former florist – hence the boat name – ran their Leopard 47 as a charter boat before the World ARC and were experienced sailing in home waters, both holding US Captain’s licences.

Setting off on the Lagoon 47 Smoke & Roses

Like many, they began their World ARC with trusted friends, and were also joined by their adult daughter for stages. But they later took on an unknown crewmember who had been recommended to them.

“She way overstated her sailing experience,” Dan recalls. “She could not trim sails, and she’d argue with you about it.” The final straw for Dan was waking up to find them sailing 90° off course. When he challenged the crew on deck she replied: “Because it’s faster.”

Fearful that they would run aground or make some other catastrophic error, Dan found himself supervising every watch – defeating the point of having a third person aboard. “So instead of being up for my shift, I’m up for my shift and her shift. But with Agnes [on watch] I’ll sleep through the night because I trust her.”

Having sailed two-up for some of the shorter legs around the Society Islands, the Longs also decided to go double-handed from Cape Town and found themselves easily handling the longer distances, setting a spinnaker for three days straight and covering 200-plus miles a day.

Bringing in reserves

For other couples taking on crew turned out to be a positive switch. Peter and Anissa Pappas, from Wyoming, USA, had never sailed any overnight passages with just themselves aboard their Amel Super Maramu 2000 Callisto before signing up to the rally. Anissa describes herself as a very inexperienced sailor, but they sailed from Grenada to Cape Town double-handed.

Their Amel is set up for single-handed sailing, with push button controls from a protected centre cockpit. The duo sailed conservatively, never over-canvassed. “And we set radar guard zones and cross-track error in case our autopilot started wandering around,” explains Peter. But Anissa still found night watches hard.

Night watches can be a long and lonely experience

“I was always worried if we were going to hit somebody. I never felt totally comfortable with that. I always felt that if something is going to happen, it’s going to happen on my watch.” She says she would frequently wake her husband for a second opinion.

But when one crewmember who had been sailing on another boat found himself without a berth for the leg from Cape Town, the Pappas’s made a snap decision to invite him to join them.

“We’d said no on countless occasions to taking other crew,” recalls Anissa. “It’s been hard [going two-up], especially hard on my husband because everything falls to him. But for us transitioning to crew has been easy, and our new crew has been the easiest person.”

With an extra hand they were soon able to carry more sail area, enjoying having the 52ft ketch flying along under four or five sails, including two spinnakers and a staysail.

The start of the 2018 World ARC Leg 16 heading out of St Helena

“With hindsight, I think we should have started out with crew,” admits Anissa. “Peter and I had not really been on the boat together for enough time to really get all the sails up and learn what we needed to learn. And later maybe – or even maybe not – we would have downsized.

“Two was tough, but we did it. But for couples I would say keep an extremely open mind about bringing crew aboard.”

Roving crew

While the Pappas’s made a sudden decision to take a third hand along, the 2018-19 World ARC was characterised by an unusually high number of crew who joined to sail one boat, and ended up becoming such a fixture of the rally community that they extended their trip by joining others.

Several of the roving crew had sailed on three or four different yachts by the time they reached Grenada. Karen Slater, a former fire service worker from the UK, was a very popular member of the ARC family and was about to join her sixth boat for the final cruise to St Lucia.

Freediving with whale sharks in Namibia. Photo Haley Haltom

Having a floating pool of experienced crew became an invaluable resource for some boats. American retirees Ruud and Laurie Bosman on the Hylas 54 Blue Pearl had originally only planned to sail the first half of the rally.

“But by the time we were in Australia Ruud felt very strongly that he wanted to complete the circumnavigation and do it all at once, and I felt very strongly that I did not want to cross the Indian Ocean,” recalls Laurie.

Both aged 71, the pair never wanted to sail double-handed and had organised crew for the Pacific legs, but no further. “Because we had never planned to do the whole circumnavigation we had made no plans beyond French Polynesia,” Ruud explains.

The unspoilt beauty of the Marquesas. Photo: Haley Haltom

When Laurie returned home to spend a few weeks with family, they invited other ARC crew aboard, some staying for the entire second half of the circumnavigation.

“It’s been quite easy, you are relatively familiar with the people because they have been in the fleet. They have a bit of a reputation, and importantly you know why they’re leaving boats,” he adds.

There are still no guarantees that an experienced ARC crewmember will be a good fit. Flashpoints were usually over domestic niggles like food preferences (several couples commented on how provisioning was much simpler with just two aboard, reducing one area of work).

Another issue for the boat-hopping crews was where their ‘home’ base was during stopovers. Peter Pappas commented: “It’s great having crew when you’re underway, but really when you get to your destination you assume they will get off the boat after a couple of days, so you and your wife can have some privacy, and have your home back.”

Many of the World ARC crew strategically took themselves away during long stopovers: diving in Australia, going on land tours, or even climbing Kilimanjaro during the fleet’s visit to South Africa.

Sharing the load

For those who did sail as a couple, how they divided the roles often reflected home life. Peter and Wendy on Mischief , and Dan and Agnes on Smoke & Roses , had both worked together so were used to spending extended periods of time with each other. Other couples, where one had spent much of the marriage putting in long hours at the office, had a bigger adjustment to make.

Mark and Helen Chatfield sailed Mad Monkey with their son Josh. Photo: James Mitchell

Some had chosen to time their world tour with natural breaks in their children’s education. Mark Chatfield on the Grand Soleil 56 Mad Monkey sailed with his wife Helen as well as his adult son Josh, timing it between Josh finishing school and starting university: “I worked as a sales director, with constant travel. So during the week, his schooling and upbringing, I didn’t see a lot of him – for me this trip was predominantly to get to know him better.”

The majority of boats divided roles along fairly traditional ‘pink and blue’ job lines when in port, with the women in charge of provisioning and domestics, the men in charge of repairs and systems. There were exceptions: on Misto British ex-pat Rosalind Cheetham skippered their Nautitech 443 and was hands-on with maintenance.

At sea the roles tended to shift slightly. Domestic jobs were more frequently shared underway, although the majority of ‘skippers in charge’ were the male partners.

Most couples ate an evening meal together before settling into some kind of night watch system, the most popular being a three or four hours on/off pattern, before reconvening for the 10am radio-net. Many adopted a much more fluid watch pattern during the day, each taking naps whenever needed. Several skippers took longer night watches than their partners, but would set alarms to allow 15-20 minute naps on open ocean legs.

Photo: YachtEmily Morgan.com

On Smoke & Roses Dan and Agnes changed their running rigging so reefs could be taken in and out from the cockpit. “It’s made life a lot easier for me because I was getting up for sail changes no matter who was on watch, every single time. Even with three people on the boat I was getting tired,” explains Dan.

They also modified their safety rules. “We did have a rule about not going out of the cockpit at night, but I was in the Pacific just to move the barber-hauler on the genoa,” recalls Agnes.

Several boats started out with conventional spinnakers and ordered furling Code Zero or asymmetric kites to replace them en route as they became more confident in sailing double-handed.

Suwarrow in the Cook Islands is one of the more remote destinations that the World ARC visited

A positive for many crews of joining a rally – and particularly reassuring for double-handed boats – was the option to ‘buddy boat’ for passages, particularly in areas of high traffic, where there were any concerns about piracy, or when one yacht had a technical issue. Even on the final ‘free cruising’ leg to St Lucia several yachts chose to sail in a loose flotilla to enjoy their friendships.

Experience of a lifetime

Every couple I spoke to emphasised that while the World ARC schedule was intense, and some stages had been very challenging, the rewards were hugely worth it.

“It’s been pretty incredible,” recalls Laurie Bosman from Blue Pearl . “Things like going through the Panama Canal, in your own boat – I get teary when I think about it. Those early mornings where you’ve got the sun rising and the moon setting, and nothing but you, water, sun and moon. You think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Swimming with manta rays at Suwarrow in the Cook Islands. Photo: Haley Haltom

“It changes you as a person,” said Wendy Tipton. “You have to improvise, shop for what you can get. We went home for Christmas and I was looking at all my bits and pieces and realised you don’t need it. I’ve been quite humbled by how people actually do live and how happy they are with so little.”

Her husband David added: “If you have the opportunity to do it, you’d be mad not to.”

Getting ready: Things to take or prep before you go

Downwind sails.

Many boats ordered new sails in Darwin, Australia, or South Africa – several of which did not clear customs in time to reach the yachts before they set off on the stage they were ordered for. The most popular were furling downwind sails.

Instruments and electrical systems

Multiple boats had issues with faults on one system triggering an issue on the other – an update to the MFD, for example, causing a fault on the SSB radio.

Bones Black, who runs the Bowman 57 charter yacht Emily Morgan  with his wife, Anna, was widely praised across the fleet for helping troubleshoot and fix problems on almost every yacht. He suggests splitting systems to avoid interference.

“On Emily Morgan , all the comms runs down one side of the boat and all the power supplies run down the other side of the boat,” explains Black.

Likewise he advises against installing AIS and VHF using splitter boxes to share the same antenna: “I would always advise separate antenna, then if you have a problem you can always transfer over.”

Google Maps and Open CPN

Many boats used Open CPN to overlay chart data with satellite images from Google Maps, particularly in areas where charts alone were not reliably accurate, such as Fiji and the San Blas Islands.

Experienced bluewater cruisers Bones and Anna Black run charter yacht Emily Morgan and were a source of expertise for many rally participants

Anna Black, who skippers Emily Morgan , spent a lot of time preparing by looking at cruising blogs and other free resources, such as the Fiji Atlas for Mariners website and Noonsite. She also recommends Fastseas.com for affordable weather routeing.

Bones suggests taking digital and hard copies of the owner’s manual – and, if possible, an installation manual – for every system and piece of hardware on board.

Seagull water filter

Emily Morgan is set up with a double filter (coarse and carbon) of water going into the tanks, then drinking water is filtered a second time through the Seagull unit, so they can refill reusable drinking bottles from the taps.

Finding a quiet spot on Emily Morgan

Several boats had to replace dinghies or outboards in far-flung locations such as Fiji, due to being lost or simply coming apart after weeks of extreme heat and UV. The cost could easily be five times the equivalent price at home.

Washing machine

This was the most recommended ‘luxury’ item, mainly because it avoided wasting precious time in stopovers finding a laundry and dealing with missing items. If you can’t fit a machine, it seems prudent to make friends with a yacht that has one…

Cash savings

Some crews felt the costs had been surprising. Marina fees were higher than many had anticipated, and the social aspect of the rally made a few feel under pressure to eat out more.

David Tipton commented: “You need to know what this is going to cost you. We have a repairs budget of £5,000 every three months, but you only have to start doing a few jobs and that gets eaten up.

“We had a boat that was pretty much under warranty for the whole trip, but a lot aren’t. If you suddenly have a big ticket item, like putting a new engine or gearbox in, you’ve got to have £20-30,000 that you can put your hand on.”

Halyard breakages were commonplace. Bones found undiscovered sharp edges in the rigging had contributed to some halyard failures: “We also have independent blocks for our spinnakers, so as the boat and spinnaker moves the block moves.”

Adding Kevlar reinforced outer covers to halyards and sheets worked well on some yachts, others added padded protection to stop the main chafing on spreaders.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

ARC 2023 fleet sets sail across the Atlantic

• Heather Prentice
• November 19, 2023

And they are off! Spectacular is one of the few words able to describe the magnificent panorama of the ARC 2023 yachts sailing towards the horizon at the start of the 2,700-mile journey to St. Lucia.

Days and often years of preparation are over. The ARC 2023 saw 156 yachts cross the start line at Las Palmas, Gran Canaria in light 8-10 knot winds, hot sunshine and blue skies. The Spanish Navy offshore patrol vessel Rayo fired the starting gun.

‘It is a tremendous sight to see close to 160 yachts heading for the horizon,’ said World Cruising Club Managing Director Paul Tetlow. ‘The weather conditions are light. The stronger trade winds will kick in a couple of days. We wish them all safe passage.’

The Cruising Division fleet at the ARC 2023 start off Las Palmas

The ARC 2023 is back to pre-Covid levels with the largest-ever fleet of multihulls – 43 in number – plus one trimaran, a Neel 43 MiaMaGiR (FRA) – and a competitive Racing Division with 13 yachts. There are over 90 yachts in the Cruising Division.

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), organised by the World Cruising Club, brings together cruising sailors, families and professional racers for the Atlantic crossing and this highly social element adds to the joy of the ARC.

In the ARC 2023, there are 10 boats with families and 17 children under the age of 16, with the youngest aged just two.

The Hvenegaard family sailing aboard Apoena, their Beneteau Oceanis 473. Photo: Heather Prentice

The ARC 2023 start

The fleet was split into three classes for the staggered start: Division IV (Multihulls) and Division V (Open), followed by Division II (IRC Racing) and Division I (Cruising).

First across the line was the Outremer 51 multihull Piment Rouge (FRA), skippered by Pierre de Saint-Vincent, followed by Marjolijn van Oordt’s Swan 52-3 Gaia (NLD) in the racing division. The British Farr 65 Celeste of Solent , skippered by Svante Jacobsson led the Cruising Division.

ARC 2023 French multihull Piment Rouge leads the fleet at the start. Photo: James Mitchel

For the racing yachts, the journey could be as short as just over a week. The current crossing record stands at 8 days, 6 hours and 29 minutes, set by George David in 2016 aboard the super-maxi Rambler 88 . But for the smaller boats, the crossing could be closer to a month.

ARC 2023 Celeste of Solent GBR leading the Cruising Division across the start line.

A dream come true

For many, it is a dream to cross the Atlantic and has taken years of preparation and planning just to get to the start. For the lucky few, it is the start of bluewater cruising around the world.

The smallest boat is the Italian-flagged Grand Soleil 34 Lady Eleonora at 10.11m. The smallest multihull is Tanoa (DEU) a Privilege 37 at 11.2m. Some 8% of the fleet is under 12m, and 41% of the fleet is between 12.06 and 15m.

The magnificent Alloy Yachts-built Irelanda (MLT) is the largest in the fleet at 32m and the largest multihull is Meribel (EST) a 20.55m Lagoon Sixty 5.

The crew of Lady Eleanora, the smallest yacht in the ARC 2023. Photo: James Mitchel

Sail south ’till the butter melts

Meteorologist Chris Tibbs outlined the expected conditions for the first week at the skippers’ briefing: ‘With a low-pressure system currently over the Azores and a large low in the mid-Atlantic, we are expecting light winds (10-15 knots) for the start of the rally and the first couple of days of the crossing.

‘As the fleet head south towards the acceleration zone, the wind is likely to back to the north and possibly increase to 15-20 knots.’

It seems likely that the fleet will chose the traditional ‘sail south until the butter melts’ route as this looks to be the most favourable.

Follow the fleet at: www.worldcruising.com

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Frequently asked questions.

What is the minimum size of boat and crew?  8.23m (27’) length overall (LOA) with at least two people on board.

How long will the rally take?   For the ARC, the typical passage time for a 12m (40’) cruising boat is 18 to 21 days, depending upon the weather conditions and your style of sailing. 

Boats sailing the ARC + route can expect to be at sea for 5 to 7 days to Mindelo, Cape Verde after their departure from Las Palmas. Following the restart, the fleet will reach Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada in 12 to 16 days.

What is the fastest crossing time? The ARC course record is 8 days, 6 hours, 29 minutes and 15 seconds, held by Rambler 88 , Juan K. Canting Keel Maxi (George David, USA), set in ARC 2016.

When does the rally start?   ARC 2024 starts in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday 24 November. See the Dates and Routes page for full details

How do I book a berth in Las Palmas Marina? You are guaranteed a berth for the two weeks before the rally starts. You will need to inform the marina of your ETA by email on or after the 1 August 2024. Further details can be found in your Rally Handbook and Rally Updates.

Are then any restrictions at the marinas? Boats sailing on the ARC should be aware that there is a draft restriction for entry to IGY Rodney Bay Marina of 3.9m (13').

Can I use my engine?   This is a cruising rally, so use of engines is OK!  Boats in the fun competition Cruising Division must declare their engine hours for their results to be calculated.  Boats in the Racing Division are NOT allowed to use their engines for propulsion.

What safety equipment do I need?   We have a list of mandatory and recommended safety equipment that we will inspect on board the boat before the rally starts. This includes:

• Approved ocean liferaft with more than 24 hour equipment pack
• 406MHz EPIRB
• Lifejackets with crotch straps, 3-point tethers and spray hoods for all crew
• Full flare pack
• Means of sending and receiving emails at sea
• Link to Support & Safety for more information

What training should I do?   We recommend that the skipper (captain) and at least one of the crew should have done some safety and communications equipment, heavy weather sailing and emergency management training within the last five years.   

You can learn more about the rally and tips for preparing your boat and crew by attending one of our 2 hour boat show forums, or 2 day residential seminars. We also have a number of handy videos on our  YouTube channel .

Do I need an SSB radio?   No, but the daily radio nets take place on SSB.   At sea you will be outside of VHF range most of the time.  You must be able to send and receive email at sea with an SSB and a pactor modem, or a satellite telephone.

Can I take my children?   Families with children of all ages have sailed in the ARC, and we usually have around 20-30 children each year. We have special children’s activities in Las Palmas, including a week-long Kid's Club for children aged 6-16.

How do I find crew?   Personal recommendations are the best way of finding crew, but you can also register free on  Ocean Crew Link  to look for crew or respond to adverts.

What about visas?   We will provide information about visas in the Rally Handbook, and the country information pages on  www.noonsite.com  are also helpful.  

Can I take my pets?   We have no restrictions on the animals you carry on your boat, but you must comply with the laws and regulations for your home country and any countries visited by the rally. We will provide advice in the Rally Handbook, or look up the country information on  www.noonsite.com

How many people take part?   The ARC usually has over 200 boats from more than 20 flag nations.  There are over 1200 crew, aged from babies to the over 80s.  We have lots of social activities in Las Palmas to help the crews make new friends. Around 70 yachts sail in the ARC+ fleet.

What about support on the rally?   There will be a team of friendly 'yellow shirts' in Las Palmas and Saint Lucia.  They will help with registration, local contacts, docking, excursions, social activities and emergencies.  You can also contact the World Cruising Club office at any time [email protected] or call +44 (0)1983 296060

How can families at home stay in touch with the boats?   All boats will be fitted with a YB satellite tracker, which will display the boats positions on the online Fleet Viewer.  All boats can also blog for free on the rally website.

What about getting to Gran Canaria?   Join ARC Portugal and start the rally spirit!  ARC Portugal sails from Plymouth, across Biscay and then day-sails to southern Portugal.  All ARC boats travelling south can get discounts in marinas and boatyards on the Atlantic coast - see your Rally Handbook for details.

What about onward cruising from the Caribbean?   You can join ARC Europe, which leaves the Caribbean or east coast USA every May, and cruises to Bermuda and the Azores before crossing the Atlantic to Portugal.  To return to Europe, you could also ship your boat back on a yacht transporter, or arrange a delivery crew.

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World Cruising Club

120 high street, cowes po31 7ax, united kingdom.