The shoreside programme for the fourth edition of ARC+ got off to a great start today as the event Check-In desks opened this morning and eager crews came to register for the rally. Met by the smiling multi-lingual team of 'Yellow Shirts', skippers received their welcome packs full of local information about Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the programme of planned activities, and their all important boat number for them to proudly display on start day!
Each crew member receives a special pass for access to the busy, week-long programme of seminars and social activities. This evening, a Welcome Sundowner in the Sotavento Centre within the marina complex will bring together ARC+ crews for the first time. 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.
There’s fun in the evenings too with a party almost every night: coinciding with Halloween this year is the 'Eternal Spring' themed costume party on the Monday night, a crew supper on Wednesday 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+ Safety Team also have a busy week ahead, checking every boat has the required equipment on board and that the crew know how to use it. The ARC shop has had a huge numbers of visitors already 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.
Down on the docks, flags were flying marking all the rally boats, the number of which are being added to daily with new arrivals. Bars and restaurants around the marina have a steady buzz of fellow participants meeting one another and comparing tales of their travels to Gran Canaria from their home ports all over Europe and further afield.
The ARC+ programme continues until the start of Leg 1 of ARC+ on Sunday 6 November.