World Cruising Club arranges ARC
The World Cruising Club is the organizer of the ARC. They organize various forms of sailing events around the world. But are perhaps best known for the event across the Atlantic. The arrangements have been designed for “average” cruising boats and crews who want to do long-distance sailing. The World Cruising Club makes it possible for several boats and crews to complete the voyages together. This creates a great community and security for everyone who participates, while at the same time enabling people to realize their dream of a longer sea voyage.
Jimmy Cornell founded the World Cruising Club in 1986 as a result of the success of the very first ARC event. Since Jimmy’s retirement in 1998, the company has been run by Andrew Bishop.
Other sailing events arranged by the World Cruising Club
World Cruising Club also arranges other sailing trips in addition to Atlantic sailing. Among other things, ARC Europe, which runs from Tortula via Bermuda and the Azores to Lagos in Portugal. Then there is also ARC USA, which is several different sailing races based on the Caribbean with a finish line at various destinations in the USA. The long race ARC around the World takes 18 months to complete.
Every year, about 1,800 people from over 20 different nations take part in one of the World Cruising Clubs’ rallies. The ages of the participants vary, ranging from small children up to ages over 80 years. Some do their first long-distance sailing while others repeat a favorite adventure. Some of the participants come to enjoy their pension while others take a sabbatical from work. At the same time, some choose to start a whole new life full of adventure.
What does it take for me as a participant to sail across the Atlantic?
As a participant, you need to have a good sailing experience so that you have an idea of what a longer sailing means. As it is required that everyone on board participates in all activities such as sailing and cooking, you need to have good sailing skills. Equally important is that you have a good physique as it is a demanding sailing. On board the boat there is a well-trained skipper and assistant skipper, they will go through the boat and the technical pieces so that everyone will feel safe driving the boat. Finally, it is important that you are open-minded, you should live close to other people with different backgrounds for several weeks.
What clothes should I wear to sail across the Atlantic?
When sailing across the Atlantic, be prepared for large variations in temperature. Initially, the temperatures are usually 20 degrees during the day and 15 degrees at night. Add to that the fact that the wind tends to be very strong. All of these parameters will make it feel much colder than it actually is. Therefore, prepare with clothes for temperatures down to 5-10 degrees.
As you sail south, the temperature also rises. Eventually, swimwear will feel like the most appropriate. We recommend that you wear a pair of shoes with a light sole and sandals on your feet. Boots can also be good to have if you have the opportunity to take them with you.
To protect your head from the strong sun, it is recommended to bring a cap. During the colder nights, a hat is preferable. especially during the day. During the Atlantic sailing, the hands wear hard, so a pair of comfortable sailing gloves is recommended. Also remember that the sun is very intense at sea and that you can easily burn yourself. You should therefore have a sun protection factor with a high factor. We also recommend a pair of sunglasses with polaroid properties as it shines a lot on the sea. Feel free to bring two pairs as it can be annoying if you lose the only pair of glasses you have with you.
Will I get seasick?
Seasickness can affect anyone, even the most experienced. Therefore, be sure to bring your own stock of seasickness preparations. There are many different forms of preparations, pills in different strengths, patches, chewing gum and bracelets that can relieve seasickness.
Worth emphasizing is the fact that seasickness is not a symptom in itself but a result of several different factors. The most common factors are dehydration, lack of energy and sleep disorders. Therefore, fluid replacement is good to bring. You do not have to worry about food, it will of course be on board. But a few packets of glucose can come in handy. To cope with sleep, earplugs and eye masks are recommended.
How long will I be gone?
It is not possible to say how long it will take to sail across the Atlantic. This is primarily controlled by, among other things, weather and wind. But expect the whole adventure to take about five weeks. About a week is spent on site in Las Palmas to prepare for sailing.
The sailing takes in most cases between two to three weeks. You can spend the remaining time in the Caribbean after sailing. There you can also celebrate the sailing. You have accommodation on board the boat from the day the inauguration of the ARC takes place in Las Palmas until the day after the award ceremony. In between, it’s five weeks.
What is the security around the event?
In order for the boat to participate in the ARC , the boat must meet the requirements set by the World Cruising Club. The skipper is responsible for ensuring that the boat meets the requirements. What the participant must undertake to have is the personal equipment:
The participant must have a personal life jacket and the life jacket must be equipped with:
- Crouch strap
- Sprayhood
- Safetyline med safetyhooks in both ends, 3 hooks
- Reflexes
- whistle
- Light
- Have the participant’s name and the boat’s name
- Spare kit with cartridge
A technical equipment detail that the participant can procure himself is personal search equipment. There are two different personal transmitters, namely PLB which transmits via satellite and MOB which transmits via AIS / RADAR transmitter. This type of equipment is not a requirement but it is recommended to have. Other equipment that is good to wear on your life jacket is a knife or multi-tool. A small flashlight and a headlamp with red light are also preferable.
What is shipcash?
All participants on board the boat put money in a ship’s coffers. It is intended to cover expenditure on food and household items. The shipping fund is usually around 300 euros per person. The skippers are outside the ship’s coffers.
Before you sail across the Atlantic
As a participant, you first need to review your sailing wardrobe. You should check that functional clothing and equipment are in good condition. Another thing you should keep in mind is that the boats have limited communication options. You thus need to make sure to inform loved ones that you will not be available during the time it takes to sail.
Preparatory meetings
Before leaving for Las Palmas, we arrange preparatory meetings at More Sailing’s office in Gothenburg. The meetings are not mandatory, but we recommend that you attend these. If you do not have the opportunity to participate physically, you can participate via the link. During the preparatory meetings, the crew will have the opportunity to get to know each other and get help with ordering the necessary equipment.
Pass
You must be provided with a passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the date of return.
Allergies or personal impairments
If you have any allergies or physical obstacles, it is important that it appears to the rest of the crew. This is because everyone should know how they should help if a situation should arise.
Valuables
For security reasons, we recommend that you take copies of passports, bank cards, airline tickets and other important papers. It is always good to have a copy of these documents both in your bag and at home in Sweden.
Travel insurance
You need to review your travel insurance and ensure that you have full protection. It is also possible to take out both travel insurance and cancellation insurance via More Sailing.
On site in Las Palmas
Preparations in Las Palmas begin with an inauguration ceremony. Only participating boats and crews are invited. The inauguration then ends with a solemn flag raising of all participating country flags.
After the inauguration, the preparations begin. First, the boat must be completed and stowed, the food must be purchased, prepared and cooked and much more. During the week, the crew will sail together and train different maneuvers before the actual sailing. During the week, the World Cruising Club also holds lectures on various topics. Some of these include weather conditions, sailing trim and medical care. These are usually much appreciated by the crews.
