Some thirteen boats in this year's ARC completed the rally double-handed, no small feat over a 2,800 mile stretch of ocean. "It was our Mt. Everest," said Birgit of 'African Affair.' Read on to see how they and a few other double-handers faired.

Photo of Karl, courtesy 'African Affair.' Note the appropriate slogan on the coffee cup - "Keep Calm and Carry On."

„So allmählich geht die ARC 2011 ihrem Ende entgegen und es ist kaum zu glauben, dass dann alles vorbei sein soll.“ Mit diesen Worten spricht die Crew der ENDO 2 den anderen Atlantikbezwingern aus dem Herzen. 

In part two of the Breakages feature, the crew of 'Spindrift of Jersey' elaborate on the very seamanlike repair of their steering system, which failed several days after the start of ARC 2011 in Las Palmas. It was not so much the ingenious nature of the repair, but rather the method by which they came together as a team to solve a potentially serious problem at sea. Click here for Part I.

Photo thanks to Chris Austin on 'Spindrift.'

In Part I of 'Handling Breakages at Sea,' ARC participants extrapolate on some of the more common problems and failures one can expect on an Atlantic crossing. Part II, coming tomorrow, will highlight the crew of 'Spindrift of Jersey's' remarkable repair to their broken steering system. Click here for Part II.

Photo shows 'Adrienne's' broken boom.

Steve Withers of 'Halcyon of Hebe' submitted this video for the 2011 video competition, an addition this year to our photo competition. Results will be announced at Saturday's prizegiving. Submit videos to the ARC office for consideration.

Some of the ARC participants who arrived at the front of the fleet have had the opportunity to explore further afield, and have returned with exciting stories and local culture. For those still in Rodney Bay Marina, the ARC village - consisting of various local vendors from around the island - brings the culture to the crews.

The ARC, unlike high-level professional racing, sees a vast array of sailing boats and crews. From families with kids and pets to serious ocean racers, the ARC is unique in its diversity, year after year.

The ARC this year stands out for the amount of high-profile sailors and boats taking part in the event. Participants include ex-Olympians and Volvo Ocean Race sailors, to a bright orange catamaran that out-duelled the world's largest sailing yacht last summer. We spoke to several of them to see why they took part in this year's ARC.

(Photo shows the crew of Triumph, the Swedish-flagged Baltic 64 that counts Magnus Olsson, ex-Ericsson 3 skipper as a crewmember. Photo courtesy triumphsailing.se).

The new Yellowbrick iPhone app has just been launched, and the first event to be covered is the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) 2011. As an extra special bonus, the ARC is FREE to download and watch!

So now you can keep in touch with the latest ARC 2011 news, fleet positions and never miss any of the fun!

Ed the Iguana is probably the best-travelled iguana in the world.  He has sailed across the Atlantic with the ARC eleven times; always with the nicest family in the fleet!  Ed sits in the ARC shop in Las Palmas, making friends with the young ARC sailors, before he decides which boat he is going to sail with.
This year Ed had the choice of sailing with Lise from Nostra Vida (NOR) or Miina from Symposium (FIN), both of whom wrote lovely stories about why they would like to have Ed on their boat.  In the end, Ed had to make a difficult decision, and he is now sailing with the Thorsen family on Nostra Vida (NOR).

ARC yacht One Hull is a 72 foot steel boat built for round-the-world racing, now earning her keep providing training for young people in Hull, East Yorkshire.  Sailing in the ARC will be the second leg of an Atlantic circuit raising money and awareness for the charity Cat Zero, which helps young people to learn life skills.

The picture shows One Hull moored in Las Palmas, with a safety briefing underway.

Every year around 20 or more children sail the 2700nm across the Atlantic with their parents.  This year there are 21 children aged 16 or under and they come from nine different countries.  All sorts of activities are planned to keep the children amused in the week before the start, so that Mum and Dad can get the boat ready for the crossing.

There are 38 different nationalities amongst the crews in this year’s ARC but it’s a first for Peru with the participation of Nandina, a Dufour Gibsea 51.

Every year some boat owners decide to take a professional skipper or crew on the ARC.  This provides extra experience and knowledge, especially for a new boat owner or family crew.  World Cruising Club Corporate Members pyd are working with two sets of ARC owners this year, and probably many more for the return voyage back from the Caribbean.
Read on for some top tips from pro skippers Bryan Walker and Stewart Coultous of pyd.

The ARC Forest, high on the mountain above Las Palmas, grew today as participants from 41 countries dug, planted and watered 200 more trees.

ARC multihullls are mainly berthed in the southern basin known as the Vela Latina.  This is the long-term home of the local wooden boat fleet - the vela latina.  
These are faithful replicas of boats that were used around the early 1900s to ferry cargoes to and from ships moored offshore.  It was important that these boats got out and back quickly, so they carry a huge lateen sail (hence the name), which makes them exciting racing boats today.
Learn more about these beautiful and exciting boats.

See some great photos of the ARC which have been shared on Flickr. 

What is life onboard an ARC yacht really like?  Watch these You Tube videos made by ARC participants to find out!
ARC 2010 Dragonfly (GER) video
ARC 2009 Espumeru (FIN) video - a family's adventure at sea
ARC 2009 Northern Child (GBR) video - a charter boat adventure

Thanks to Federico Anzolini of Lady of Avalon (GBR) for the picture of the Atlantic rollers in 2010.

The trade winds have been utilised by navigators since before Columbus was a boy.  This year the trades have been very slow to establish, and while some ARC yachts are still yet to enjoy the full experience, many are revelling in the stronger wind conditions.  This is what they say in the logs...