Sophistikate - OK for the sailing types here is what is going on.

OK for the sailing types here is what is going on. The ARC is deliberately timed to be at the end of the hurricane season when there are no more 'waves' coming off the African coast that might develop into hurricanes as they track across the Atlantic from east to west. The idea behind the ARC is to follow the traditional trade winds, south from the Canaries (where the ARC starts) until the easterly trade winds develop. Where to turn west is the big question and it varies each year. Some boats head straight for the Caribbean, others go some way south to try and catch better winds. The traditional recommendation is "go south until the butter melts" which is reckoned to be somewhere below 20 degrees south. This year we were told to head a long way south and we did, as you will see from our. read more...