ARC Europe

Sint Maarten or USA to Bermuda, Azores and then Portugal

With a blue sky and blue sea, ARC Europe yachts sail through The Cut in Bermuda

ARC Europe has been helping sailors across the Atlantic since 2000, whether Europeans heading home after a Caribbean season, or North Americans at the start of their cruising adventure.

The rally has two start points - Sint Maarten in the Caribbean and Solomons, MD on the US East Coast. The two fleets then meet in Bermuda, before heading to the Azores and then on to mainland Europe. This is a real opportunity to experience the diversity of the Atlantic islands, and a friendly, safe and scenic way to cruise to Europe.

The ARC Europe fleet is usually 20-40 boats, mainly monohulls length 8.23m-18.29m (27-60 feet approx.)

ARC Europe Schedule

May

Sint Maarten Bermuda

870NM

Flag of USA
Solomons, MD Bermuda

720NM

Bermuda Faial

1800NM

Faial Sao Miguel

200NM

June

Sao Miguel Lagos, Portugal

875NM

Rally Ports & Destinations

Sint Maarten

With excellent marine services and wonderful beaches, Sint Maarten is an ideal departure point from the Caribbean.

Solomons, MD

Located on the sheltered waters of the Chesapeake, Solomons is a picturesque Maryland town and Zahnisers has excellent facilities.

Faial

No trip to the Azores is complete without visiting the iconic Cafe Peter Sport in Horta and painting your boat name on the harbour wall.

Terceira

The lush island of Terceira, with its beautiful and historic capital, Angra do Heroismo, is a short sail or ferry ride from Faial.

Sao Miguel

Enjoy the thermal springs, volcanic crater lakes and charming towns of the largest Azorean island on our rally tour.

Lagos

Lagos, on the Portuguese Algarve is a pretty town, and Marina de Lagos is an ideal location to explore the region or restock before heading on.

Two crewmen from yacht Clearlake II enjoy the view over the harbour of Faial and the Atlantic Ocean

Shoreside Activities

ARC Europe is all about exploring the Atlantic islands, and there are tours ashore as well as social activities to help you meet fellow sailors. You'll have time to do some independent exploration, too. 

In addition to Bermuda, the rally visits three of the Azores islands, with opportunities to take guided tours around the ancient cities or into the volcanic mountains. The rally concludes with a prizegiving in Lagos.

A crew member from an ARC Europe yacht fills diesel jerrycans from a fuel tanker in Bermuda

Costs

The entry fee for ARC Europe is a boat fee based on length overall, and a crew fee for every person onboard. Multihull yachts pay a supplement.

As an example, the 2026 cost for a 13.2m (43 feet) yacht is £1100 plus £475 crew fee per person. Children aged under 16 are free. For full details, request an information pack.

ARC Europe Route

ARC Europe Gallery

You can also follow the ARC Europe fleet on social media: Facebook @arcrally and Instagram @arc_rally