ARC USA Rally - Offshore Passage Opportunities offers crew berths

by Barby MacGowan on 13 Feb 2015 For the ARC USA Rally Offshore Passage Opportunities (OPO), the largest crew networking service in North America, has reserved 24 crew berths for amateur crew aboard five boats it is 'delivering north' during the upcoming rally. A Swan 57, Swan 53, two Swan 46s and a Beneteau 50, each with a professional skipper and five crew, will start the ARC USA Rally on May 9 and follow the classic warm trade wind route from Nanny Cay, Tortola to Bermuda, before taking on a second-leg crossing of the Gulf Stream for arrival in Newport, R.I. by May 25 (Memorial Day Weekend).

'It’s the perfect first-time offshore passage for amateurs,' said OPO’s Hank Schmitt, a professional yacht captain who will be skippering the Swan 46 Tango for a fourth time between the Caribbean and Newport,' mainly because of the short time commitment (two weeks, with an option to participate in only one or the other leg) and typically perfect trade-winds sailing the first few days out.' Schmitt added that OPO matches each crew signing up with the boat and crew that best fits his or her profile and says if anyone were to ask what someone like Tania Aebi would make of all this, he’d tell them 'she’d be all for it!' Aebi, who famously circumnavigated the globe singlehandedly in a 26-foot sailboat at age 18, is skippering the Beneteau 50 Jojo Maria that has been entrusted to OPO during the Rally and has two crew spots left to be filled. (Aebi is now 48 and runs Tania Aebi Sailing Adventures; her epic solo journey is documented in the book Maiden Voyage.)

OPO has been involved in the professional delivery of yachts and the integrated offering of quality and affordable offshore experiences for not-so, somewhat, and well-seasoned sailors since 2000. The company is well known for its orchestration of the North American Rally to the Caribbean (NARC), a 1500-mile 'delivery south' from Newport, R.I. that has taken place each November for the last 15 years.

'Like the NARC, the ARC USA Rally offers a communal sharing of information and experiences that lead to valuable ocean sailing experiences and new friendships,' said Schmitt. He explained that OPO does not own the boats on which it places sailors; therefore, there are no charter fees to cover, and expenses for participants typically run 40% to 60% less than sailing schools offering offshore courses.

The cost for full immersion in the ARC USA Rally is $2750. (This cost does not include airfare and transportation to and from the boat.)

'All rally fees are covered, including socials,' said Schmitt, 'and we pay for boat fuel and provision with plans to eat well and stay dockside in all ports. As a bonus, we pay top wages for skippers who have hundreds of thousands of offshore miles to their credit, and the boats are fun to drive, comfortable offshore, and well maintained and equipped for offshore sailing.

For more information on joining the ARC USA Rally with Offshore Passage Opportunities, contact Hank Schmitt, 1-800-4-PASSAG FREEe, +1 631-423-4988 or visit website.