Gathering by the pool in IGY Rodney Bay Marina, on the beautiful island of Saint Lucia it was great to see so many faces both familiar and new at the 2025 Caribbean Rendezvous event.
The evening was attended by over 60 past, present and future skippers and crews who had the opportunity to chat with old friends and meet with fellow sailors. For some it was all about reminiscing over past events, but the evening was also about sharing past experiences with skippers thinking about joining a rally in the future. It was a great way for next cruisers to network and learn about the ARC Rallies from past participants.
As the sun set, the group listened to hip swinging Caribbean tunes on the steel pan from Diton, while the atmosphere built, glasses of chilled rum punches, beer and delicious nibbles were served.
The evening was hosted by World Cruising Club and during the evening Managing Director Paul Tetlow took the opportunity to say a few words thanking past participants and the key people who have supported the ARC and World ARC in Saint Lucia. He highlighted the success of the first Rendezvous event last year and with the attendance numbers being higher this year it clearly shows enthusiasm to make this an annual event.
Thanking everyone for attending the event, Paul said “tonight allows participants to share stories and advice from sailing in the Caribbean to journeys around the world”. He continued by saying “thank you for participating in our events, for putting your trust in us for your big adventure and we hope you will continue to fly the flag for us and pass on your experiences to other sailors”.
He went on to thank Sean Devaux, General Manager of IGY Rodney Bay Marina, and his team for providing a venue for the event and a berthing offer, and for the marina’s continued support throughout the year.
Representing SIXT car rental, Cassie Emmanuel was please to attend the evening and said, “what a wonderful experience this is. It is great to speak with boat lovers like me and it is a pleasure to be part of ARC”. SIXT have been long term supporters of the ARC and getting out to explore St Lucia is a big part of the ARC experience.
It was great to see so many past participants in attendance. Speaking with Brigid and Eamonn on Mor Toad, a Rustler 42, they completed ARC Portugal in 2024 and continued over to the Caribbean as part of ARC+. Enjoying their time in the Caribbean over the current season, they have visited many islands to include the Grenadines, St Vincent, Saint Lucia with friends visiting along the way. They were delighted to share their experiences with fellow sailors who have just arrived to the Caribbean having completed World ARC 2024-25.
Sarah and Will Curry also attended the evening along with their 5-year-old twins Hugo and Kipp. Sailing across to Grenada as part of ARC+ 2024 on their Leopard 46 called Kaia II of Vancouver, they have sailed up the Winward Island to Guadalupe and are on their way back down to Trinidad. Their sons have learned to skateboard during their time in Saint Lucia, so they are very happy to share their opinion that this is the best island!
The evening was buzzing and the chatter carried on well into the evening. The next World Cruising Club Rendezvous will be held in Saint Lucia, on Sunday 19 April, 2026.