The 36th Atlantic Rally Cruisers (ARC) concluded this week with a prize-giving ceremony at Rodney Bay Marina to celebrate the achievements of the participants.
A fleet of 143 boats set sail from Las Palmas in Gran Canarias on 21st November to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Saint Lucia. Amongst the crew were 34 different nationalities with a range of experience levels which is what makes ARC such a unique event each year.
ARC is organised by the World Cruising Club who has partnered with the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA) for 32 years to facilitate the arrival and host their stay. This inclusive event provides an annual opportunity to showcase the island to an audience of more than 1,000 visitors in a concentrated period. The diverse fleet featured many families including 36 children under the age of 18, the youngest being 19-months old.
The first boat to arrive was 12 Nacira 69, on 3 December, taking just over 11 days, 18 hours to make the crossing. Over the course of the following week, the other participating teams arrived in Rodney Bay Marina. Once all boats had moored, the crews relaxed onboard their boats, explored the island and met local people. The Saint Lucia Tourism Authority hosted a special prize-giving ceremony on 17th December to celebrate the achievements of the winning crews.
Mr. Thaddeus M. Antoine, Chairman of the SLTA said “ARC is such a special event, and we are honoured to be the host destination. We are proud to contribute to the organisation of such a successful rally and we’ve seen many of the participants return year after year as they’ve had such a positive experience. Supporting the ARC gives us the opportunity to introduce Saint Lucia and our people to new visitors and old friends and we look forward to many more events to come.”
It was the second event that had been completed under Covid-protocols and all went very smoothly on arrival in Saint Lucia.