The ARC Programme in St. Lucia got off to its official start last night with the Early Arrivals cocktail, hosted by the Ocean Club here in Rodney Bay Marina. The evening started slow, as crews trickled in after the event opened at 6pm. By 8 o'clock, it was in full swing, with at least one person representing each of the 25 or so boats that had arrived.
"We've waited four days for the first party!" Andreas Hanakamp, navigator of
Vaquita joked. "But being first across the line, it was certainly worth the wait."
Staff at the Ocean Club served hors d'oeuvres, and ARC rally staff handed out drink tickets to each participant in attendance. The place quickly filled up, with boat crews spilling out onto the poolside deck with drinks in hand. Inside, many crews had managed to find open tables, while for the rest it was standing room only as people shared stories of their adventures.
The crew of the X-65
Katherine was in attendance last night, and seemed rather happy with their newly launched yacht."We spent several months cruising in the Baltic, after the boat was first launched," explained Leona Boller. "Copenhagen, Stockholm, St. Petersburg. It was fantastic!" The crew - and the boat - are ultimately bound for home, another ocean away in Australia, but are going to take their time in getting there. "We love the ARC," Leona continued, "and think we might actually take the boat back to Europe with ARC Europe before we ultimately take her home." They plan to first cruise the US northeast and Canadian Maritimes, but in the meantime are enjoying dry land after two weeks in the Atlantic.
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Yachts are continuing to arrive now at a steady, if not busy, pace, and the docks at Rodney Bay Marina are quickly filling up.
Intrepid Bear arrived in the wee hours of this morning, and is the first 'family' boat to make it to St. Lucia. 19 more are yet due to arrive, which ought to make for a fun and festive atmosphere as the kids arrive.
In another 'first' at the 2012 ARC,
Albacor IV arrived this morning, the first double-handed yacht to make landfall in St. Lucia.
"We had a great crossing," said Sophie and Gerald, who arrived in great spirits if not a little tired. But the lure of landfall, despite how many crew one has, is usually a very energizing thought.
As it stands, 41 boats have crossed the finish line thus far, with yet another 27 due by 0800 tomorrow morning.