The cruisers for the 27th ARC start will set sail this morning. It is a breezy morning with a brisk north easterly wind, and while overnight heavy rain has cleared, there are still clouds that suggest scattered heavy showers.
Ed the Iguana is now happily at home on Sirius (GBR), after Sophia Jeffries wrote the winning story of how he lost his tail. Ed is the world's most traveled plastic lizard, having sailed in the ARC for many years.
Boats will be kept in the marina basin until 1000 to keep the port shipping and leisure sailors separated. The Port Authority of Las Palmas has worked hard to provide a proper start on what will be a busy working day with lots of ship arrivals and departures.
For the very first time in ARC history, the start will be within the port. The start line will be between the outer breakwaters, so the boats will be making their pre-start preparations, hoisting sails, and settling down within the port complex. This should provide a great photo opportunities for spectators on land. We'll post our photos on facebook www.facebook.com/arcrally and the ARC gallery on this site.
The multihulls, larger cruising boats and open division boats will start at 1045, with a racing 10 minute count-down starting at 1035. The gun for the cruising boats to cross the line will go at 1100, and then all the 2012 ARC fleet will be at sea, en route to Saint Lucia.
News of the start will be posted as soon as possible - keep reading!