World ARC begins and ends in Saint Lucia

2018, November 1: The dream of sailing around the world is not new to mankind. World ARC organized by the World Cruising Club is making this dream a reality for many cruisers, in an annual rally that begins and ends in the Caribbean.

Saint LucIa start line      [World ARC photos courtesy of World Cruising Club, worldcruising.com and IGY Rodney Bay]
World ARC 2019-20 will be the ninth edition of this rally and the 12th round-the-world rally organised by World Cruising Club. The fleet leaves Saint Lucia on January 12, 2019.

World ARC 2018, Saint Lucia.

FACT SHEET

  • Start: World ARC 2019-20 starts on Saturday January 12, 2019 in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia. The pre-departure programme of safety checks, seminars and social events begins one week before departure.
  • Finish: The ultimate destination is Saint Lucia, after more than 26,000 nautical miles and 15 months sailing around the world. The journey can be done in halves, to be completed in subsequent World ARC rallies.
  • Route: The fleet leaves Saint Lucia to visit Santa Marta on the coast of Colombia, then transits the Panama Canal and explores the Pa cific islands of the Galapagos, Marquesas, Society Islands, Tonga, Fiji and Vanuatu en route to Queensland, Australia. After cruising up the Great Barrier Reef, the rally will visit Lombok; then cross the southern Indian Ocean, stopping at Cocos, Mauritius and Reunion before resting in South Africa for Christmas and New Year holidays. In January it will travel across the Atlantic to Brazil, with a stopover in St. Helena. The fleet cruises the Brazilian coast for carnival, before heading to the Caribbean, to Grenada and to the finish in Saint Lucia in April 2020. The route avoids the northern Indian Ocean, Red Sea and other areas of pirate activity.
World ARC –  return to Saint Lucia
  • The fleet: World ARC is an international event, with boats sailing under the flags of 15 different nations and crews from more than 17 countries. In total, 42 boats are set to sail with the World ARC 2019-20 rally; some sailing the full 26,000 miles, others joining for the Panama Transit, sailing to Australia before taking a year out to further explore the Pacific or rejoining from a previous edition of the rally. 35 are due to start from Saint Lucia in January.

Crews: Crews on the rally are a mix of families, people taking a couple of years away from work, charter boats and those who have sold businesses or taken early retirement. It is a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity for the crews to sail the world’s oceans, explore some amazing islands and experience a range of different cultures. Six boats have children on board.

  • Eligibility: Monohull and catamaran sailboats between 40’-60’ (12.19m to 18.29m) LOA are welcome to join the rally. Other boats will be considered on individual merit.

Entry list: Please see: https://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/world_ arc_2019_evententries.aspx

Sponsors: World ARC 2019-20 is supported by tourist boards and organizations around the world and is presented in association with Yachting World magazine. www.worldcruising.com/worldarc.[]