Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
ARC / ARC Rally
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers is the annual transatlantic yacht rally that departs Gran Canaria for Saint Lucia in late November, the largest organised crossing in cruising sailing.
TL;DR, The ARC is a 200+ boat transatlantic rally organised by World Cruising Club, departing Las Palmas around 20 November and arriving Saint Lucia in 2-3 weeks. Most professional delivery captains making the same passage time their crossing with the ARC for safety and weather coordination.
What the ARC is
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is an annual transatlantic rally organised by World Cruising Club. It started in 1986 and now sees 200 to 250 yachts depart Gran Canaria in late November for Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, a passage of about 2,700 nautical miles.
Why delivery captains care
The ARC is the largest organised group crossing the Atlantic each year. For delivery captains taking a yacht west in November or December, joining or shadowing the ARC offers:
- Better weather routing from World Cruising Club's contracted meteorologists
- Safety net in the form of dozens of nearby boats, daily SSB/SAT-COM nets, and an official rescue coordination point
- Owner reassurance, many owners will pay more for an ARC-affiliated crossing because the marketing weight of the rally is well known
When it runs
- Departure: around 20 November from Marina Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
- Arrival: Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia, typically 14-21 days later for catamarans and 18-25 for monohulls
- Entry fee: roughly €1,500-€3,000 depending on boat size and entry tier
Related variants
- ARC+: Las Palmas to Saint Lucia via Cape Verde, a slower, friendlier first transatlantic route
- ARC Europe: Caribbean back to Europe in spring, reverse direction
- World ARC: round-the-world rally with multiple legs over 16 months
Related reading
Related terms
Yachtmaster Ocean
RYA Yachtmaster Ocean is the highest RYA sailing qualification, certifying a skipper to plan and execute ocean passages of unlimited length, including transatlantic deliveries.
Transatlantic Window
A transatlantic window is the seasonal weather period when an Atlantic crossing can be made with acceptable risk, bounded on one side by hurricane season and on the other by high-latitude winter lows.
Read further
Crossing the Atlantic: best windows for delivery captains
The seasonal windows for transatlantic yacht deliveries: when to leave the Med, when to leave the Caribbean, and how the weather actually behaves.
How much does yacht delivery cost? Real prices from real routes.
Concrete price ranges for the routes owners actually post, UK coastal, North Sea to the Med, transatlantic, Caribbean to Europe. With the variables that move the number up or down.
Skip the homework
A captain who actually sails your route will explain the licence angle better than any glossary entry. Post your delivery