2025 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers: Preview of the 40th Anniversary Running of an Iconic Ocean Crossing
2025 marks the 40th annual 2,700 nautical mile ARC sailboat race.
May 6, 2025
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), a trademark event in the sailing world, will run it’s 40th edition in 2025. The always-highly-anticipated event will set sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria this November following nearly 8,000 yachts and 30,000 sailors who have sailed this rally, owned by World Cruising Club (WCC) since 1986.
Above: Start Of The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) sailing race in Las Palmas. Photo by IMAGO via Pond5.
Any race or rally running forty continuous years is a badge of success which is why this year, there will be celebratory events on both sides of the Atlantic even beyond the usual send-off and welcome parties. The ARC was created by uber-sailor Jimmy Cornell in the 1980s and focused on increasing safety and confidence for those crossing an ocean, some for the first time. The 2700-nautical-mile event is stilled billed as a community rally rather than an elite race.
Why Sail with the ARC?
Planning and preparation are the top reasons given when asked why sailors choose to cross with the ARC. With seminars, checklists, and advice from professional staff, the ARC helps many first-time ocean crossers prepare their boats and themselves. ARC staff also helps with administrative issues like country check-in/out processes and assists in finding in-country resources to help with mechanical or medical issues.
Safety in numbers is a big driver to joining this special group which often includes more than 200 boats and upwards of 1,000 sailors each year. The perception of sailing within aid-rendering distance of another boat in case something goes wrong lends great comfort. However, perhaps the most important element is the camaraderie where adults of all ages and even kids as young as one year come together to share experiences and play. With a record 46 nationalities represented in 2024, worldwide friendships formed, some of which will last a lifetime.
Average sailing time for the crossing is approximately three weeks depending on winds and sea condition and tired crews are happy to get in, get their rum punch, and rest for a day or two. Participants in the past have ranged in age from 18 months to 82 years so it’s never too early nor too late to sail with the ARC. Families especially appreciate the community where kids who don’t even speak each other’s language play together and always find a way to communicate and run free. On average, about 10% of the boats carry kids and about 20% of the participants are women. Nationalities seen most frequently are the UK, US, France, and Germany, but boats come from all over including Sweden, Australia, Italy and Ukraine. Some skippers push their boats hard to make good time while others set a more leisurely pace, taking in sunsets, whales and an endless canopy of stars at night.
Changes Over Time
Technically, there are two rallies: the ARC and the ARC+. The latter was added in 2013 and sails from Las Palmas to Mindelo in Cape Verde before crossing the Atlantic and finishing in Port Louis Marina in Grenada, while the ARC sails directly to Rodney Bay in St. Lucia. The fleet has changed over the years with the average yacht length growing to the 50-foot range although vessels in excess of 80 feet LOA are not uncommon. Multihulls now make up 30-40% of the yachts and today’s boats are also newer with 20% having less than one year on the water since their initial launch.
The boats carry more equipment now, from comfort items like ample refrigeration to advanced navigation and communications electronics like Starlink devices which were present on an estimated 40% of the boats in 2023. Paul Tetlow, Managing Director of the WCC, feels this continuous connectivity is just the beginning. “We expect the number of boats with Starlink to double in the next year or two,” he says. “It’s really changed the ARC,” he says. “Some people are able to work remotely and connect with family back home. Others feel it takes them out of the moment and never lets them unplug from the world. It’s all in how you look at it.”
Looking Ahead to ARC 2025
The ARC is set to start on November 23 this year in Las Palmas with a prize giving slated for December 20 in Rodney Bay. For 2025, the first boat to enter was Contessa 32 Teela (GBR) marking the opening of the registration process. Entry fees increase in bands of vessel size with the average yacht paying just under $2,000 for the boat, (an extra charge around $500 is added for multihulls that take up more room in marinas) and just under $200 for each crew member over the age of 16. This year’s edition offers special discounts including two free crew places for all boats under 40 feet and four free crew places for all entries where the boat or skipper participated in the first 1986 ARC.
The fees are well earned and include a handbook with guidance on preparing the boat and crew, notes on pre-departure activities in Las Palmas, tracking of all vessels under way, 24/7 support from the rally team, a landfall welcome with fruit and cocktails at the dock no matter the hour, and a rousing prize giving ceremony in December before boats and crews scatter to the four winds.
A Memorable Accomplishment
Late November is known as ‘ARC season’ in Las Palmas and locals join the tradition of waving the fleet off and on their way. The town is a whirlwind of preparations and parties. For all who sail, whether for the first time or as repeat participants, the accomplishment of crossing an ocean on a small boat is exhilarating and creates a joyous atmosphere upon arrival at either of the two Caribbean islands. Some boats go on to sail in the World ARC that continues around the globe, completing a circumnavigation in just two years.
Some younger skippers and crews tick off the experience as a one-and-done bucket list effort, but for others, sailing is a lifelong passion. No matter how you do it though, crossing the Atlantic with a thousand close friends is a feather in the cap of all who dare to undertake the effort and it’s something that can never be forgotten.
