Atlantic Crossing: ARC Europe Boats Arrive in Azores

Atlantic Crossing West to East

Sailors can start in either Sint Maarten or Bermuda, before transiting to Europe for the beginning of June. Typically, the voyage from Sint Maarten to Bermuda (870NM) takes 4-5 days. This year, a total of 36 boats entered the Rally, bringing together over 170 sailors from across the world. Sailors completing all legs will sail a total of 3745NM across three legs and ahead of the start, those taking part were excited to set sail.

Following the start of ARC Europe 2026, Managing Director of World Cruising Club, Paul Tetlow, said: “The start of ARC Europe is an exciting time for the team at World Cruising Club. We are delighted to support participants on their Atlantic crossing, where they will undoubtedly create lifelong memories.

Mistral of Portsmouth arriving in Horta following their Atlantic crossing. Image Credit: José Macedo

Familiar Faces

“We are pleased to see some familiar faces return to a World Cruising Club event, following positive experiences on World ARC, ARC and ARC+. We also welcome some participants who have never been part of a World Cruising Club rally and will be enjoying the experience for the first time.

Simon Janison (GBR), skipper of Surprise said: “You’ve got to sail an ocean, don’t you? I came out with the ARC last year and it was fantastic. I had a really good time but now I’m on my way home with ARC Europe. We feel confident that the boat is in the condition that it should be and the stops, which we didn’t have on the ARC, make things easier.”

The leg began on 21 May in very light winds which are not uncommon for this time of year in the North Atlantic. Unlike the well-known ‘trade winds’ which persist towards the tropics further south, crossing the Atlantic in an easterly direction can be challenging as the position of the ‘Azores High’ weather pattern can present unpredictable winds.
Initial progress of the fleet was slow, meaning some boats were forced to spend more time motoring than they had initially anticipated.

ARC Europe arrival into Horta, Azores. Image Credit: José Macedo

As a result of this, yacht Queen Bee II (GBR) began to run low on fuel, but they were assisted by fellow ARC Europe participants on yacht Dany (BRA), who completed a fuel transfer to help them on their way. Fuel transfers are something which has happened before on other World Cruising Club rallies, and it represents the fantastic camaraderie among all the participants from different nations.

After the light wind start to the Rally, the fleet were able to pick up south-westerly winds, allowing them to make better progress. As part of the Rally, participants receive a daily weather forecast which allows them to make the best possible decisions when deciding their route. This is something which many people find useful when navigating their way through the Azores High.

Coping with Challenging Weather

Chris Eakin, who is skipper of Cadans, summed up his emotions after successfully making the crossing from Bermuda. He said:“I feel fantastic- to be honest, I feel a little bit tearful actually! It’s been hard work, but we’ve really enjoyed it and it’s great to be here.

“The weather was challenging with three gales blowing through, but we missed them all by being further south. We listened to the advice at the skippers’ briefing and used the barometer for the first time which worked really well.

“My advice to anyone doing ARC Europe in the future would be to be well prepared. We took the comfortable and safer route, so we didn’t have any breakages. The route is everyone’s own choice, but we were very pleased with ours.

“The World Cruising Club have been great. I know it’s basic advice to use the barometer, but I’ve been sailing for decades and I’ve never actually done that because I’ve never really sailed offshore. It’s little pieces of advice like that which are so helpful.”

World Cruising Club “Yellow Shirts” helping an ARC Europe arrival into Horta, Azores. Image Credit: José Macedo

Shoreside Activities and Island Cruising

Now that the fleet are arriving in the Azores islands, the participants will be able to enjoy the shoreside social programme organised by World Cruising Club. This will include drinks events hosted at the iconic ‘Peter Ciguel. Each of the islands is different, and participants can visit unique attractions like Angra on Terceira Island, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the massive volcanic crater on São Miguel, famous for its green and blue twin lakes. They will also have chance to cook their own food over volcanic stone in Horta.

Following the fleet’s arrival in the Azores, Operations Director of World Cruising Club, Suzana Tetlow, said: “It is especially rewarding to see the ARC Europe fleet begin to arrive in the Azores following what has been a particularly challenging Atlantic crossing from Bermuda this year.

“All of the participants should feel incredibly proud about completing this leg of the Rally, as sailing across the Atlantic Ocean from west to east is a feat achieved by only a small number of people. A voyage of this magnitude often takes years of planning and can present challenges even to experienced sailors.

“We look forward to seeing the participants make the most of the shoreside programme we have organised in the Azores. They are an undeniably beautiful chain of islands and exploring them should be a memorable experience.”

After the Leg 2 Prizegiving on June 11, the Rally restarted on June 13 as the fleet set sail for Lagos on the Portuguese coast. This 875NM voyage is expected to take most yachts 5-7 days. Then there will be a final ARC Europe 2026 Prizegiving on 21 June, capping off an amazing six weeks of sailing and social activities on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Sharing such a range of experiences together will undoubtedly create bonds between the participants, which will last long beyond the finish point of the Rally. While this may be the end of the event, they will have many fond memories to look back upon for years to come.

Arriving safely into Horta, Azores after a challenging Atlantic Crossiing. Image Credit: José Macedo

ARC Europe 2026 Information

ARC Europe is a three stage Rally which begins in Sint Maarten and includes stopovers in Bermuda, Faial (Azores), São Miguel (Azores) and Lagos (Portugal). In total, the route amounts to 3745NM, however participants have the option to start the Rally in Bermuda or depart the Rally in the Azores. The start of ARC Europe 2026 in Sint Maarten was on 9 May and the start day in Bermuda is 21 May. Then, after arrival in Horta, Faial, there will be a period of cruising in the Azores before the final leg of the Rally from São Miguel to Lagos on 13 June. The final prizegiving in Lagos will be on 21 June.
ARC Europe 2026 is the 26th edition of the Rally.
The fleet consists of 36 boats. (29 monohulls and 7 catamarans)
Smallest boat: Excess 11, Liko (CHE). (11.42M).
Largest boat: Oyster 595, Zenobia (GGY).(19.05M).
Boat brands: 23 boat brands are part of the Rally. The most common brands of boat are Halberg-Rassy (5), Jeanneau (3) and Oyster (3).
Boat flag nationalities: Boats entered from 15 countries. The most common countries are United Kingdom (14), United States (4), Netherlands (3) and France (3).
172 sailors from 17 countries entered ARC Europe 2026. The most common nationalities are United Kingdom (51), United States (20) and Netherlands (15)
Sailors on the Rally are aged between 3 years and 80 years.

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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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