Atlantic Crossing: ARC+ Rally start delayed due to adverse weather

Low Pressure Systems Creating Atypical Conditions

Two low pressure weather systems close to the Canary Islands are set to cause atypical conditions on the planned departure date of Sunday November 8. It is forecast that participants would experience strong south westerly winds when leaving Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, rather than the more typical northerly breezes.

The new planned start date for the Rally is Wednesday 11 November, but World Cruising Club will continue to monitor the forecast closely to make the best possible decision about a start date.

World Cruising Club meteorologist, Eric Holden, provided a synoptic overview, outlining the detail behind World Cruising Club’s decision.

High Pressure System is Blocking the Jet Stream

“A large 1037mb area of high pressure north of the UK continues to block the jet stream and is causing low pressure systems to back up in the Atlantic and push farther southeast than is usual.

“1001mb low pressure is deepening over the Azores, where one typically expects high pressure at this time of year, and it will slowly drift to the southeast under the high over the coming days (T+24-96).

“This low will bring increasing southwest winds towards the Canaries on Saturday ahead of an approaching cold front expected to pass over the Canaries on Sunday, with gale force winds possible.

“This second and smaller low will track northeast across the Atlantic and may impact the Canaries with gales towards the middle of next week. The timing and strength of this low has a high level of uncertainty.

“Predictions in the long range beyond this weather system has low certainty, and further low pressures may follow behind this system before high pressure and trade winds return towards the following weekend.”

Earlier this week, Eric also delivered a weather seminar to the participants of the ARC+, helping them to better understand typical weather patterns in the Atlantic Ocean. Every year, World Cruising Club delivers similar seminars across a range of topics, with the goal of preparing the fleet in the best possible way for the crossing.

ARC+ Rally Participants take part in the Rally Opening Parade. Image Credit Jesus de Leon.

Ultimately, it is the decision of each skipper when they choose to set sail, so if some participants wish to leave Las Palmas de Gran Canaria earlier than the planned start, they are entitled to do so. If they do choose to leave earlier than the planned start, they will still receive the normal at-sea support during the ARC+.

Keeping Rally Participants Safe

Speaking after the decision to delay the ARC+ start, World Cruising Club Managing Director, Paul Tetlow said: “The decision to delay the start of ARC+ is not something we have taken lightly, but ultimately the primary concern of World Cruising Club is the safety of our participants.

“During the last week, we have been monitoring the weather forecast very closely, together with our experienced meteorologist, Eric Holden. Based on the weather systems which are currently tracking across the north Atlantic, we feel to delay the start is the best decision we could make given the challenging circumstances.

“World Cruising Club has an experienced team who are prepared to implement contingency plans when they are required. We feel confident that despite these necessary changes we will still be able to provide first-rate support to our participants.”

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ARC+ 2026 Key Information

78 boats from 23 nations have entered the Rally. The most common countries are United Kingdom (18), Germany (10) and France (9)
The most popular boat manufacturers are Fountaine Pajot (7), Hallberg-Rassy (6), Beneteau (5), Hanse (5) and Bavaria (5)
The largest boat is Desire (SVN), Hanse 588, 17.2m
The smallest boat is Cara of the South (IRL), Tradewind 35, 10.67m
There are 352 participants from 28 countries in the fleet. The most common nationalities are British (73), German (33) and American (31)
The youngest participant is 2 years old
The oldest participant is 77 years old

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General Enquiries:

For information about participating in World Cruising Club rallies, please contact mail@worldcruising.com or call +44 (0)1983 296060

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About World Cruising Club

World Cruising Club was formed in 1987 by Jimmy Cornell after the success of the original 1986 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers. After two changes of ownership, the company is now owned and run by Paul and Suzana Tetlow with a small dedicated team in Cowes (UK) supported on events by a wider network of the famous ‘yellow shirts’.

World Cruising Club Rallies

ARC from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia. First run in 1986, it is the world’s most established ocean going rally.
ARC+ from Gran Canaria to Grenada via Cape Verde. First run in 2013, the fleet size is around 100 hulls.
ARC Europe from Sint Maarten or the US east coast to Bermuda, then the Azores, finishing in Portugal. It first ran in 2000. The fleet is around 30 boats.
World ARC 26,000NM circumnavigation starting and finishing in the Caribbean. The first World ARC took place in 2008 following the success of the Europa rallies and now runs annually.
ARC Portugal first sailed in 1995, the Rally crosses the Bay of Biscay then day sails down the Portuguese coast to finish in Lagos.
ARC Baltic offers 1000NM of stunning cruising through the Baltic Sea. The route starts in Germany and finishes in Bullandö, Sweden.

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