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Last night was a big night in Rodney Bay. The ARC costume party was a huge hit on Pigeon Island for sure. But the big news from the evening (early morning actually) was the arrival of the last two boats in this year's fleet, Integrity and Annie.
 While two boats remain at sea - Porto Santo and Minaxi, the two arrivals early this morning were the last two who had gone nonstop from Las Palmas, completing the course in round about 25 days. Integrity suffered engine trouble as they were making their way into the marina, and elected to anchor off for the night. Annie, who took the finish a few hours later, were greeted on the dock in Rodney Bay Marina to thunderous applause by rowdy participants who were still awake following the costume party. Indeed, several of them were still dressed from the occasion - the theme was 'thriller' - and likely gave Annie's crew a bit of a surprise.
The costume party started earlier last night on the beach at Pigeon Island. The evening was kicked off by a local steel pan band, who gave a rousing performance in the sand. Food and drink were on offer for purchase, including Starfish's now-famous smoked brisket and short rib sandwiches.
ARC participants arrived in costume. ARC staff set the tone, dressing like zombies in torn up old bedsheets and loads of makeup, while other crews showed off their own style. Adam Foster, general manager of IGY Rodney Bay Marina had a full-fledged Michael Jackson costume, including the signature white glove and even a fake microphone.
 Following the steel pan music, local fire-dancers took to the beach in front of the stage for a fantastic performance, including a rather unbelievable limbo display. ARC participants were invited on stage for portions of the show. The DJ took over for the rest of the night and a live band played until the early hours of the morning.
The ARC program winds down this weekend, with the prizegiving on the final evening set for Saturday night. Stay tuned to the website as official results will be posted following the ceremony.
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