World Cruising Club’s second ARC+ event got off to a great start today when the event Check-In desks opened at 9 o’clock this morning. One of the first skippers to complete arrive was David Smith . David and his wife Soy are joining ARC+ for the second time and for a fifth transatlantic crossing on board their catamaran Easy Rider. Like the participants of the other 35 yachts to check in today, David walked away with his ARC+ 2014 number banner, for the side of their yacht, crew passes providing entry to the many seminars and social events and more information about the Rally.
The ARC+ crews have a busy, week-long programme of activities to look forward to which start this evening with a Welcome Party in the Sottovento Centre in Muelle Deportivo, Las Palmas. During the following days there are seminars taking place covering Communications, Downwind Sailing, Rigging and How to Manage Emergencies at Sea. There’s also a trip to the mountains of Gran Canaria to plant trees in the ARC Forest environmental project and, back in the port, demonstrations on safety equipment including flare and liferaft deployment.
The ARC+ safety team members are getting ready to check all boats have the required equipment on board, whilst the ARC shop has had a huge numbers of visitors collecting complimentary seminar tickets, answering any questions about the programme, local services, and catching up with familiar faces of those who have participated in World Cruising Club rallies before.
There’s fun in the evenings too with a party almost every night: the Crew Supper on Monday night, the Arabian Nights Folk Lore themed costume party on the Wednesday night and the Farewell Party on Friday night. In fact, after such a busy week, the crews will need to quickly slip into their routine at sea to have a good rest before all the fun starts again in the Cape Verde islands.
The ARC+ programme continues until the start of Leg 1 of ARC+ on Sunday 9 November.
World Cruising Club’s second ARC+ event got off to a great start today when the event Check-In desks opened at 9 o’clock this morning. One of the first skippers to complete arrive was David Smith . David and his wife Soy are joining ARC+ for the second time and for a fifth transatlantic crossing on board their catamaran Easy Rider. Like the participants of the other 35 yachts to check in today, David walked away with his ARC+ 2014 number banner, for the side of their yacht, crew passes providing entry to the many seminars and social events and more information about the Rally.
The ARC+ crews have a busy, week-long programme of activities to look forward to which start this evening with a Welcome Party in the Sottovento Centre in Muelle Deportivo, Las Palmas. During the following days there are seminars taking place covering Communications, Downwind Sailing, Rigging and How to Manage Emergencies at Sea. There’s also a trip to the mountains of Gran Canaria to plant trees in the ARC Forest environmental project and, back in the port, demonstrations on safety equipment including flare and liferaft deployment.
The ARC+ safety team members are getting ready to check all boats have the required equipment on board, whilst the ARC shop has had a huge numbers of visitors collecting complimentary seminar tickets, answering any questions about the programme, local services, and catching up with familiar faces of those who have participated in World Cruising Club rallies before.
There’s fun in the evenings too with a party almost every night: the Crew Supper on Monday night, the Arabian Nights Folk Lore themed costume party on the Wednesday night and the Farewell Party on Friday night. In fact, after such a busy week, the crews will need to quickly slip into their routine at sea to have a good rest before all the fun starts again in the Cape Verde islands.
The ARC+ programme continues until the start of Leg 1 of ARC+ on Sunday 9 November.