The final countdown has begun for the crews of 40 boats starting World ARC in 2014. The 15 month circumnavigation will see them cover some 26,000nm and visit 19 countries but the rally is about more than simply sailing around the world visiting amazing places; it’s about the people. Crews on board cover range of ages, nationalities, backgrounds and aspirations but all share an adventurous spirit. Read some of the stories below to find out who will be setting sail with World ARC in 2014.
Derry Ryder
Avocet, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49, Ireland
Derry, a retired doctor, first circumnavigated in an easterly direction on board his Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49, Avocet in 2008. Joining Derry for World ARC, heading East to West this time will be his wife Margaret, a nurse, and several long standing friends from his home area. “It will be interesting to compare sailing the route in both directions!” Says Derry.
Adrian Coatsworth & Julia Jenkins
Koala, Sigma 41, United Kingdom
 | Adrian and Julia will sail on ARC 2013 and are taking career breaks to take part in World ARC. They have spent two years re-fitting the boat ‘to make her more suitable for short-handed sailing and ready to take on the rigours of a circumnavigation’. The husband and wife team intend to sail most of the route double-handed |
Ellen Bjerknaes & Haakon Dyremyhr
Ko-Ko, Najad 570, Norway
Ellen & Haakon from Oslo, Norway, have owned Ko-Ko since 2009 and cruised the Mediterranean for the past two seasons. Having left work commitments behind, they can now enjoy their next adventure. They will be joined on the trip by another Norwegian couple, Anita and Glenn, who they met through OceanCrewLink.com. Having always talked about sailing across oceans, Glenn put up their profile on OceanCrewLink.com and the two couples made contact. After a few email exchanges they met for a cup of coffee and hit it off straight away.
John & Joyce Easteal
Starblazer, Hallberg Rassy 42F, United Kingdom
| Following retirement, John and Joyce have participated in a number of World Cruising Club events. In 2009-10 they did an Atlantic circuit, (ARC Portugal – ARC – ARC Europe) on their previous boat, a Westerly Corsair. “We enjoyed it so much we started looking for a bigger boat so we could hope to go further!” Starblazer was purchased in 2012. John and Joyce do almost all their sailing double handed and the couple moved onto the boat permanently in May 2013 to take part in ARC Portugal and then to carry on to Gran Canaria to take part in ARC 2013. |  |
Tom Frank & Sandra Müller
Sweet Pearl, Outborn 44, Switzerland
.jpg) | Tom and Sandra got married in July 2013 so they say World ARC “will be our honeymoon – just a little bit longer and just a little bit more awesome.” Both 31, they have left their jobs to sail the world. Both are relatively new to sailing but ‘found a new level’ to their passion after participating separately in the ARC. “As a result we are super keen on finally doing this trip together and with our own boat” |
Sherry & Dennis Day
Trillium, Hallberg Rassy 46, USA
| Dennis & Sherry have completed 2 Caribbean 1500 and 2 Atlantic Cup Rallies in the past three years and their World ARC crew are sailing friends from these events. They plan to spend 3 years away, completing World ARC with a stop in New Zealand and then ‘(if we are still speaking)’ sail to Europe and spend a couple of seasons there. Trillium is the first yacht that the couple have owned and they bought her specifically to circumnavigate. |  |
John Watson
Sirocco, Custom Catamaran, Australia
John will retire just before he joins the Rally in Darwin and will be joined on Sirocco by his wife, Sandra, and two sons Steven and Paul. The family will sail to Saint Lucia and then complete an Atlantic circuit to visit Europe, before returning back to Australia with World ARC.
Sirocco is the 3rd boat John has owned and built himself. She is a custom designed catamaran with forward cockpit design, built with long term cruising in mind. “She is a very comfortable and capable yacht but can be a handful when short-handed in confined spaces!”