The morning of Sunday 22nd November in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was bright and sunny with a few fluffy white clouds in the sky. In the Muelle Deportivo there was a great deal of activity, excitement and anticipation as 209 ARC yachts cast off to make their way out to the start line. Of this number, 17 were entered in the two Racing Divisions due to start at 1240 with the 3 Open Division yachts, 20 minutes before the rest of the fleet.

This 24th ARC is organised by the World Cruising Club which has included a racing section run under the auspices of RORC for a number of years. This part of the entry this year is smaller than in previous years but it includes an incredible range of yachts, varying in size, age and concept. The lowest rated is the Swan 38 Dolphijn belonging to Richard and Dawn Bamford who are intending to sail her on to Dawn’s homeland, New Zealand. The most extreme in concept perhaps is the Fino-Conq 18m one off with a rotating mast, Ourson Rapide, built for Paolo Roasenda – for cruising, he told me! Annie O’Sullivan and her crew of girlsforsail have set off in the Elan 37, Diamonds Are Forever and fellow RORC Special Regulations Committee member Tom Sperrey has given his apologies for the next meeting, preferring his Sigma 41, Nightlife and the Atlantic rollers.

The Armada Española (Spanish Navy) provided the patrol boat Medas for the start committee’s use, the two outer distance marks were supplied and laid by the Real Club Nautico de Gran Canaria and the four exclusion zone buoys by the Federación de Vela. The course takes the fleet from the start line just south of Las Palmas harbour and down the coast of Gran Canaria before heading off to St Lucia by whichever route is deemed to be the quickest. The wind was NE 8-10 knots at the start and many boats had trouble keeping their sails full in the lumpy seas south of the harbour, but it appeared to be building as they headed towards the acceleration zone commonly found off the southern part of the island.

First to cross the line after the signal was Andrea Costa’s Grand Soliel 50, Katawa, with Kemel Cingilliogle’s new Wally 80 Bagheera from Turkey next, looking spectacular in her black and lime green livery. Third was Auliana II, Christian Potthoff-Sewing’s JV53 from Germany, then ARC regular, the First 40.7 Lancelot, Britannia Corporate Events. Then French Grand Soleil Captain Blind hit the line at the committee boat end with sails full and pulling, unlike the Truly Classic 78 Hartbeat, next, in which Martin Shimpf and his young family are sailing off for a year’s adventure – accompanied by some really grown up crew of course!

The 1984 built IOR Maxi Umatalu was too early over the line and will thus incur a 3 hour penalty on her elapsed time as there are no recalls in this event because of the size of the fleet. Also OCS was the Croatian Damir Repac’s Volvo 60 Big One, as they are in the Open Division it was of little consequence as there are no results for the division.

Shortly after the start RORC regular Yannick Richomme’s Captain Blind had found clear air and was making good progress at the front of the fleet, and marginally ahead of Bagheera with just the OCS Volvo 60 in front.

As the Racing yachts were disappearing into the distance, the rest of the fleet, nearly 200 boats, mostly very fully laden, made a colourful spectacle as they began hoisting downwind sails after clearing the busy start line. The rather more cautious amongst them took up to fifteen minutes to sail across the start line, but with 2700 miles to go, 15 minutes is not likely to make a lot of difference!

All ARC participants are required to send a daily position report, whilst all the racing division boats and a number of the others are carrying trackers for the first time this year. Also crew are encouraged to send blogs and photographs to the website. The event may be followed on the World Cruising Club’s ARC website http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/.

The first boats are expected to arrive in St Lucia within two weeks.