“Ends are not bad things; they just mean that something else is about to begin.”
- C. JoyBell C.
The 28th ARC wrapped up last night in Rodney Bay, with the final evenings Prizegiving Ceremony held at the Gaiety nightclub in Gros Islet village. It was indeed the end of something special, but the beginning of the great adventure that now begins for so many as crews set out to explore the Caribbean.
The afternoon was filled with nervous tension as yachts and crews were shuffled around the docks in anticipation of many families heading home for Christmas. The fickle weather of the past ten days remained for the day of the Prizegiving – intense showers gave way to bouts of sunshine, and fingers were crossed that the evening would be clear for the festivities.
The crew from Rhea arriving at Gaiety
Taxis began shuttling sailors up from Rodney Bay Marina as early as 4pm, and the long queues at the taxi stand was an indication of the crowd at the venue – crews showed up in droves, filling Gaiety. On arrival they were greeted with complimentary rum punch, courtesy of the St. Lucia Tourism Board, and a steel band played in the garden outside of Gaiety. Many were dressed in their ‘team colors,’ with boat names proudly displayed on newly embroidered polo shirts.
With 213 boats having crossed the finish line in St. Lucia (and five yet to come), the prize giving ceremony saw plenty of trophies awarded. Friends, family and crewmembers were soon ushered inside for the start of Part One. What sets the ARC apart from other sailing events is the combination of serious competition and those playful special prizes saved for the end of Part One.
For the first time ever, the ARC awarded prizes for 10th place and 5th place in each class, a way to diffuse the competitive part of the ARC and award what essentially are fun, random prizes.
“You can’t really try to get 10th place,” offered Andrew Bishop from the podium, to a cheerful applause from the audience.
Another playful prize that happened completely by accident, was the prize awarded to the yacht
Magic, which was the 130th yacht to cross the finish line. Their local finishing time was December 15, at 15 hours, 15 minutes and 15 seconds, and they were recognized for the feat on stage.
“Oh we absolutely tried to do that!” the crew joked as they had their photo taken on stage in front of the ARC 2013 banners.
Each year prizes are awarded to the yachts that cross the finish line closest to one another. This year saw a dead heat between Merlyn III and Dragonfly. “It was so close,” said Andrew Bishop, “that one of the yachts actually collided with the finishing line boat!” Thankfully, however, no one was injured and there was minimal damage, so the crews were able to laugh about the incident onstage.
‘Ed the Igauna,’ the toy lizard who’s “made more Atlantic crossings than he cares to remember,” according to Andrew Bishop, was recognized on stage with his ‘caretakers’ from
Starship. The family boat was one of the last to arrive, making landfall in Rodney Bay on Friday evening, just in time to enjoy the festivities. Katharina, Lukas and Florian Georg were thrilled to come onstage. They were soon followed by the rest of the 26 kids in the ARC this year, who were given t-shirts from the St. Lucia Tourism Board.
Other special prizes ranged from the Double-handed Award, Senior Cup and Family Boat awards, to Manufacturer Awards from Oyster, Swan and Lagoon, to website awards for Best Logs, awards for the Fishing Competition and recognition (and a bottle of Chairman’s Reserve Rum) for the Radio Net Controllers and Finish Line volunteers.
Free Spirit (CYM) was recognized as 2013’s ‘Most Beautiful Yacht,’ as voted by their peers in the ARC fleet.
Crews enjoy the bar during the intermission outside Gaiety
Part 2 began with the Saint Lucian National Anthem played live on a single steel pan on stage, which finished with a rousing applause from the delighted (and well-lubricated, thanks to the intermission) audience. Opening remarks from Simon Bryant, new General Manager of Rodney Bay Marina and the Honourable Lorne Theophilius, Minister for Tourism, Heritage and Creative Industries followed. They, among other dignitaries, were then invited on stage to present the prizes for the winners of each class.
Saint Lucian National Anthem on the Steel Pan
Caro accepting their trophies
Ross Applebey and the crew of Scarlet Oyster accept 1st in Racing Class B
Scarlet Oyster (GBR), a familiar name in the ARC and nearly always at the top of the standings, took the IRC Racing Class B. The record-setting
Caro (CYM) took Class A and the IRC Racing Overall.
The X-612
Diva (GER) took Line Honours in the Cruising Divison. Line Honours are determined by the first yacht in the Cruising Division to cross the finish line in St. Lucia without no motoring hours.
“Amazingly, only six yachts crossed this year without using their engine,” said Andrew Bishop. It was a telling sign of the fickle weather at the beginning of the ARC this year.
Lucky Lady (FIN) took home the biggest prize in the cruising division. The Finnish-flagged Dufour 385 won their class (H) and took home the Jimmy Cornell Trophy for the Overall in the Cruising Division, correcting to first place over all the other cruising classes.
In the Multihull Division, line honours went to the sleek grey Gunboat catamaran
Zenyatta (USA), who also took the Multihulls Class A and Overall.
Blue Ocean, the Polish cat, went away with the Class B Multihull trophy and second place in the Overall.
The rest of the Cruising Division classes shook out as such: Class I went to the Russian yacht
Baron Brambeus; Class H and the SLAPSA Trophy went to the Finnish yacht
Lucky Lady; Class G and the Adlard Coles Trophy to
Prodigy from Poland; Class E and the Gran Canaria Trophy to
Kathea (GER); Class D and the St. Lucia Ministry of Tourism Trophy to
Lisanne (SWE); Class C and the St. Lucia Hotel & Tourism Trophy to the Swiss yacht
Boingo Alive; Class B and the St. Lucia Tourism Board Trophy to
Zulu from Spain; and Class A and the Prime Ministers Trophy to the Swedish yacht
Miss Malin.
Every year the Arch Marez Trophy is awarded to the yacht that best displays the partying spirit that Rodney Bay Marina founder Arch Marez embodied. This year the Norwegian yacht
Liberte received the award, appropriately enough dressed in Christmas regalia and smiling all the while.
The crew of Liberte accepts the ARCH Marez trophy for best 'party boat'
The Spirit of the ARC award, as usual, was saved for last. Each year it is awarded to the yacht that best displays the general spirit of goodwill and enthusiasm that the rally strives to create amongst the fleet.
“We’d like to honor tonight, someone who year after year has supported the ARC with their enthusiasm,” said Andrew Bishop. “This year he selflessly racked up a hefty sat. phone bill passing weather information on to the fleet, and was on the docks greeting boats long after his own boat arrived.”
A stunned and humbled Ross Applebey of
Scarlet Oyster was called on stage to accept the award.
“I don’t know what to say,” Ross offered. “I’m completely humbled by this experience. Thank you so much.” It was all Ross could do to keep from breaking down as he shook Andrew’s hand and exited the stage to large applause.
Ross Applebey accepts the Spirit of the ARC award
The ‘Spirit’ award closed the ceremonies for the evening, at which time Andrew Bishop announced the bar was open!
Participants then quickly filed outside into the garden area behind Gaiety for more rum punch. The rain held off for the remainder of the evening, and though the grass was slick and sometimes muddy, it didn’t affect the revelry. Crews celebrated their achievements to the sounds of the steel pan players, and the ARC 2013 came to an end.
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For more photos from last night's prizegiving and the rest of the ARC, visit the ARC gallery.