World Cruising Club is proud to announce Portsmouth, Virginia as the new home port for its sailing rallies held on the east coast of the USA. The City of Portsmouth VA will be the new home of the ARC Caribbean 1500, ARC Bahamas and ARC Europe rallies.
World Cruising Club USA has partnered with Ocean Marine Yacht Center in Portsmouth VA, a world-class marina complex with an on-site state-of-the-art refit yard, yacht chandlery and comprehensive yacht services. The agreement marks the beginning of what both organizations plan on being a long and fruitful partnership as World Cruising Club USA continues to build on the success of ARC Caribbean 1500, North America’s largest and longest-running offshore yacht rally.
Managing Director of World Cruising Club, Andrew Bishop comments, “The move to Portsmouth is a great opportunity for us to develop the event, with all the yachts berthed in one marina close to the down town area. We are excited to be working with Ocean Marine Yacht Center to give our rallies a new focus for 2013.”
Historic Portsmouth is located on the western side of the Elizabeth River, in Hampton Roads, directly opposite from downtown Norfolk and conveniently positioned near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The vibrant town has a long maritime history as a port city. The Olde Towne Business and Historical District is located in the downtown area, just steps away from Ocean Marine Yacht Center, where a combination of preservation and redevelopment has created a picturesque downtown with all the amenities – including bars, restaurants, movie theatres, museums and shopping – that visiting sailors can ask for. The city-long waterfront includes landscaped walking paths, the Portsmouth historic lightship and paddle-wheel ferries than run several times daily into downtown Norfolk.
Indeed Portsmouth is used to hosting sailors, as annually the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race calls the city home following the overnight race down the Bay from Annapolis, and recently OpSail 2012 was held here, with Ocean Marine hosting several famous tall ships, including the Bounty.
Jim Bento, President & CEO of Ocean Marine Yacht Center states, "I am very excited about the event and partnership with World Cruising Club. While Ocean Marine Yacht Center lends a safe harbor and high level of technical support, I feel our venue also provides fun and entertainment for the visiting sailors."
The move from nearby Hampton, Virginia, where the rally has been held for the past several years, will offer many benefits to participating sailors. For the first time in the ARC Caribbean 1500, all rally boats will now be docked together, with Ocean Marine providing the slips and base for the week-long pre-departure program. Yacht owners will also appreciate the one-stop-shop convenience of a full-service marina and repair facility, and the short walk to downtown amenities.
Ocean Marine is capable of hauling boats up to 250’, and has in-house technicians in everything from sail repair and rigging to diesel and generator repair and electricians, as well as a fully stocked chandlery and the ability to source any parts quickly and efficiently. Additionally, the bigger and more centrally located facility will allow World Cruising Club’s North American rallies – in particular ARC Caribbean 1500 – to grow comfortably while providing the first-class services of a professionally organized event that participants have come to expect.