News & Features | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Site : Ready For The Off

News

20 November 2002, 10:32 am

Ready For The Off

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC)

Gran Canaria

At 13.00 on Sunday 24 November 225 yachts - the maximum number which can enter - will be on the start line, off the harbour of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, for the ARC, the largest transoceanic crossing in the world.

As the weather in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean turns colder, the annual migration of cruising yachts towards warmer waters gets underway.

225 of those will be yachts taking part in the ARC as they chase the sun and make their way across to the warmer climates of St Lucia and the Caribbean.
RC2002 opens in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 18 November, and the fleet will start for Rodney Bay, St.Lucia on 24 November from a line off Las Palmas harbour. The ARC will finish officially at 1200 hours local time on 21 December 2002.

Entry is open to to cruising monohulls with a minimum length of 27 ft (8.23m) and cruising catamarans from 25 to 60 ft (7.62 - 18.29m) LOA.

The 2700 nautical mile passage will take most of the yachts between 18 and 21 days.

Event Media/ISAF Secretariat

World Sailing TV

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.