The ARC 2024 fleet are gathering here in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a busy couple of weeks of boat preparations, food shopping, safety inspections and social activities.
There are 142 boats registered for the rally, with the largest being Southern Wind 105 No Rush and the smallest Hallberg Rassy 352 Lucia from Germany. There is also the largest-ever fleet of multihulls at 46 boats - 44 catamarans and two trimarans.
Within the monohull fleet are 11 yachts racing under IRC - these boats can't use their engines and have to comply with additional racing rules covering their equipment, training and how they sail. All the other divisions (cruising, multihull and open) can use engines if required. Almost 3,000NM is an impossible distance to motor, so most skippers will only use the engine to get in and out of port, or in very light winds.
Most of the boats are owned and skippered by families and friends, usually used for weekend cruising and family holidays.In the fleet are a number of charter yachts operated by comapnies. These boats sell crew places for an adventure holiday - the ideal way to try ocean sailing if you don't own a boat. There are also some professionally-crewed yachts run for private owners and their guests or for high-end charters. The pro crews and their guests enjoy the sundowners and activities in Las Palmas as much as anyone - with sailing, everyone is 'in the same boat', whether that boat is 10m or 50m long!
Many of this year's 820+ sailors will be crossing the Atlantic for the first time, joining the ARC as culmination of a long-cherished dream. The younger crews have taken a sabbatical from work or will be working from boat - one of the benefits of Starlink. Rallying isn't all about first-time ocean crossings though, as some sailors choose to join the rally even after circumnavigating or crossing the Atlantic many times - its the cameraderie, fun and being part of a celebratory event that is so appealing.