ARC January welcomes New Year in Las Palmas
by World Cruising Club 8 Jan 2023 02:42 AEDT
ARC January 2023 © ARC Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
The ARC January 2022 office opened in Las Palmas this morning and the first participants have started to check in. After months of preparations the time has finally come for the start of their Atlantic crossing adventure. Many of the boats are already in the marina in Las Palmas and the 'yellow shirt' team were on hand to welcome and check participants in, answer any questions and offer a wealth of advice in the build-up to the start.
There is a full programme organised for the week leading up to the start including seminars, sundowners, safety demonstrations and activities. For boats already in Las Palmas, information about the programme is available in the shop, via daily morning broadcasts and in the information pack provided at check-in.
The first ARC January happy hour takes place this evening giving participants the chance to meet other crews and share stories about their journeys so far to the Canary Islands over a drink. Following this is the ARC January opening ceremony on Sunday, a spectacular parade with the flags of all participant nationalities flown in the marina. Throughout the week there is also a crew supper, 70's themed costume party and a farewell party on the Friday before the start.
An extensive programme of seminars is being held on Tuesday and Thursday which will covers topic including downwind sailing, managing emergencies, communications and provisioning. The seminars provide plenty of practical information for the crossing and top tips from the experienced ARC team with thousands of ocean miles of knowledge to share.
Participants are also encouraged to explore more of Gran Canaria whilst they are here and the ARC Forest trip is one opportunity which is always popular. Volunteers get the chance to see some more of the island and plant native trees in the mountains with a joint initiative between a local organisation and the World Cruising Club which has seen thousands of trees planted over the last 10 years.