ARC+ ralliers were warmly welcomed today as the ARC+ Office opened its doors in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A rush of participants were met by the team to 'check in', and receive lots of information to make the most of their time on the rally.
Just over 70 boats are sailing with ARC+ this year, and each skipper and their crew meet with the team to receive a welcome pack of maps, discount vouchers and guidance on where to find things locally, as well as book a time with the Safety Team to walk through the equipment they'll be carrying on board for the crossing. Each crew member receives a special pass for access to the busy, week-long programme of seminars and social activities, and each yacht is given a boat number to proudly display on start day! The process takes about 30 minutes and is a useful introduction to the rally. First up to check in this morning were the crew of Finnegans Wake, an Allures 52 from Ireland, followed by a steady flow of crews from all over the world checking in throughout the day!
Many of the crews have cruised their way south from the Mediterranean or northern Europe during the summer, arriving in the Canaries in good time for the ARC+ start, and avoiding the autumnal gales in Biscay and the Straits of Gibraltar. The pontoons are already busy and many ARC+ and ARC flags are flying proudly from the masts, as crews busy themselves with preparations. It's great to see that many of them have already got to know each other well, sharing their experiences and comparing notes on their sail to Gran Canaria.
It's just over a week until the ARC+ Start on Sunday 5 November (two weeks ahead of the ARC departure on 19 November) and there's plenty on the programme arrange to help get participants ready. The social programme begins tonight with Welcome Drinks for ARC+ crews, and tomorrow the children from on board over a dozen family boats can look forward to beach games and a BBQ.
After the weekend, crews will head out beyond the marina to the hills of Gran Canaria to contribute to the ARC Forest Project; Since 2010, over 1,200 native trees have been planted by ARC volunteers, offsetting carbon emissions, and helping to recreate one of the most threatened eco-systems on Gran Canaria. This years visit will be particularly important for the project as there have been devastating forest fires throughout the summer on the island.
With seminars, nightly social activities, provisioning deliveries and technical support on hand, it'll be a busy week ahead on the docks of Muelle Deportivo. More arrivals are coming in daily and the ARC buzz will be felt in the restaurants and bars around the marina, and into the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as excitement builds before start day.
You can keep up to date on all the news and plenty of photos from the ARC on our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/arcrally and via twitter @ARCrally