Good Winds for the Journey to Panama
The fleet set off at midday local time, in goods winds of around 15 knots from the north-east, which is ideal for the first leg of their journey to Panama. For many of the fleet, completing World ARC is a lifelong ambition and can take several years of planning. Crossing the start line is a major achievement in itself and there was palpable excitement amongst the fleet.
Ahead of the start Tommaso Amadori from Cashew said: “I’m so excited. I can’t wait to start the trip across the Pacific and going through the Panama Canal is going to be a blast! It’s just great. The group is amazing and the organisation is fantastic.
“You need to get the boat ‘ship shape’ for what’s coming so we’ve spent our time in Saint Lucia doing lots of boat work. It’s a big job mentally and physically, but the reward is amazing.”
The start of the Rally is an important time as all crews come together and the spirit and camaraderie begins to develop. Many of the crews have already completed World Cruising Club events across the Atlantic, and some have even sailed with World ARC before.
Perfect Start to an Adventure
However, whatever the history, this is a new family of like-minded sailors coming together for a great adventure ahead. To help this happen, the crews have enjoyed a wonderful programme of socialising, seminars and safety focused events in Saint Lucia, supported by World Cruising Club, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and Events Saint Lucia and the fleet have been well accommodated at IGY Rodney Bay Marina. It has been the perfect start to their adventure.
Across the 15-month period when World ARC takes place, the fleet will make landfall in 19 different countries. Not only an epic sailing voyage, but it is also an amazing opportunity to experience different cultures around the world and visit places which would be difficult to access by tourists flying to a destination.
Several of the fleet will complete this journey over a longer period of time, having taken a ‘gap year’ or two around the halfway stage. They’ll then rejoin the next edition of the Rally in the following years. World ARC is an annual event and so if a crew’s plans change, to shorten or extend their intended participation, this can be accommodated.
There is a unique make-up to the fleet in 2026-27, with eight family boats taking part, as well as seven boats starting the journey double-handed. While these crews all have different backgrounds, it is an undeniably special part of the rally that they can come together under the common goal of completing World ARC.
Looking ahead, Will Lee from Sea Wisdom II said: “I’m very excited because this has been a dream for decades. I’m really looking forward to doing it with my wife Chloe as well as sharing this experience with everyone here (in the fleet).”
The fleet of World ARC vessels will transit the Panama Canal at the end of January. Already that is a significant milestone in this adventure, marking the start of the 10,000 nautical mile journey across the Pacific Ocean. Every landfall will be a stepping stone into new landscapes to explore and new communities to meet, all adding to the rich experience which awaits the World ARC 2026-27 fleet.
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About World ARC 2026-27
- 80 sailors are registered for World ARC 2026-27. The countries with the largest number of sailors participating are United States of America (48), United Kingdom (33) and Sweden (18)
- 35 boats are registered for World ARC from 12 countries. The country with the highest number of boats entered is the United States of America (11), followed by the United Kingdom (9) and Germany (3)
- The most popular types of boats taking part are Amel (3) and Beneteau (3)
- The youngest participant is 6 years old and the oldest participant is 78 years old
- The smallest boat registered is a Grand Soleil 37, Lovitana (11.70M)
- The largest boat registered is a Chuck Paine, Fruition (24.00M)
- There are eight family boats participating
- There are seven double-handed crews participating
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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 dedicated team in Cowes (UK) supported on events by a wider network of the famous ‘yellow shirts’.
- ARC from Gran Canaria to Saint Lucia. First run in 1986, the Rally attracts over 150 boats. The ARC is the only Rally with an IRC racing division.
- ARC+ from Gran Canaria to Grenada via Cape Verde. First run in 2013, the fleet size is around 90 boats.
- ARC Europe from Sint Maarten or the US east coast to Bermuda, then the Azores, finishing in Portugal. First run 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 will return in 2026 and offers 1000NM of stunning cruising through the Baltic Sea. The route starts in Kiel, Germany and finishes in Bullandö, Sweden.
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Related Links
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