The 25th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) started in spectacular style on Sunday 21 November as 233 yachts from 26 nations sailed across the start line off Las Palmas de Gran Canaria heading for their final destination, 2,700 nautical miles away in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
The early morning rain and dark clouds cleared away, to be replaced by bright sunshine and the light NE wind filled to provide a reaching start. For the thousands of spectators ashore and afloat it was a picture perfect start to the 25th ARC. After crossing the start line in 8-10 knots and light swell, a colourful display of spinnakers were hoisted to help the yachts on their way. The forecast is for the light north easterlies to continue for the next few days. The daily weather forecast is posted on the ARC website. |
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Daily Logs and Photos
Yacht Positions Every 6 HoursThis year each yacht has been fitted with a Yellowbrick Iridium satellite tracker which automatically sends updates to the ARC website every 6 hours. Our new fleet viewer allows online fans for follow the progress of individual boats, or selected classes. Click here for the fleet viewer:http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/viewer.aspx |
Facebook: ARC 2010 Supporters ARC 2010 supporters can now get together on Facebook. This is a great way for family and friends to meet and chat - to share ideas about accommodation and activities in Saint Lucia, or to post news about ARC yachts. Make friends before you fly - there are lots of family and friends out there, thinking about yachts in the fleet and wondering what the arrival in Saint Lucia is going to be like.
With over 1,000 crew in this year's ARC, there are plenty of people to chat with, share photos or ideas, and ask advice. Come on and join in!
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Join the ARC Fanzone and you might win a holiday in Gran Canaria!
Puerto de Mogan and World Cruising Club have teamed up with leading hotels in Gran Canaria to offer sailing fans and friends of the ARC the chance to win superb holidays in Gran Canaria's Five Star Hotels.
All ARC fans are included in prize draws, with extra prizes awarded during the crossing in all classes. See the ARC fanzone website for full details.
Don't forget to tell your friends and family about the ARC fanzone! |
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We hope that you enjoy sharing the ARC online with us this year.
Happy virtual sailing! |
Jeremy Wyatt
World Cruising Club |
Fleet Viewer Map - opens interactive map showing yacht tracks and information as a new window.
http://live.adventuretracking.com/arc2010
Fleet Leaderboard - opens list of yachts with relative position on handicap (without allowance for engine use); handicaps, classes and predicted arrival times in St.Lucia.
http://live.adventuretracking.com/Leaderboard/arc2010
All yachts are fitted with a Yellowbrick Iridium tracking device, which automatically uploads the yacht’s position to the online Fleet Viewer. World Cruising Club can monitor the progress of yachts at all times, as well as sharing the ARC experience with thousands of followers online. Yachts taking part in the ARC receive a daily update on all fleet positions, and in addition, there is a daily SSB radio net, which keeps the fleet in touch and provides an opportunity to share experiences amongst the boats.
| ARC yachts carry Yellowbrick position trackers | | |
World Cruising Club will fit tracking units to the entire ARC fleet this year. Last year the RORC Racing Division trialled the Yellowbrick system, and the feedback was very positive. The units are quick and easy to fit, and a team from Yellowbrick will be on hand in Las Palmas visiting every yacht.
The previous once daily position reporting will be replaced by automatic reports at a 6 hourly interval.
Yellowbrick provides the perfect way for family and friends at home to clearly follow the progress of the boats from the comfort of their sofa. Using the Fleet Viewer on the WCC website, people at home can follow the route the boats are taking, track their progress over 24 hour periods, and even see their current speed.
The small transponders, which use the Iridium satellite network to send position reports, are battery operated and easily fitted to yachts. Because they operate independently of the yacht's onboard systems, they will still transmit in an emergency situation. As Rally organisers, the trackers provide us with an invaluable safety mechanism. Yellowbrick enables us to know exactly where the individuals yachts are, and we can remotely control how often the units onboard send a position signal.
In an emergency situation, this means the transmission frequency can be increased, and the boat’s course plotted without the need for any power onboard. The units have already helped in the successful recoveries of damaged boats in both the ARC and World ARC in the past year.
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