World Cruising Club
ARC Europe back in town and preparing from Weekend departure
The ARC Europe team from left: Kieran Higgs, Lyall Burgess, Andy Schell, Mia Karlsson At 0900 on Monday morning, the ARC Europe team from World Cruising Club raised their flag on the breakwater and opened the doors to the rally office, located upstairs next to the Marina office.
Read MoreARC Europe heads off
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Light winds dominated the start for ARC Europe here early Saturday afternoon. However, it still made for an impressive sight as 24 ARC Europe boats sailed passed the committee vessel, heading West down the Sir Francis Drake Channel before heading North for the 850NM passage to Bermuda.
The fleet really got into the spirit of the rally as they all sailed across the line, with many attempting to fill their cruising chutes whilst not being deterred by the prevailing light winds. Chiscos was the first to hoist their pink parasailor. M.R Stefanik, Purrr-fect and Pinta also followed up from behind, flying their colourful chutes.
Read MoreFarewells and Atlantic Cup departure
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The Atlantic Cup start off Nanny Cay – click to enlargeAfter checking out with the rally office from 0800 yesterday, the Atlantic Cup participants made some last minute preparations before heading out to the start line just outside the Nanny Cay marina entrance. The Atlantic Cup, a sister event to ARC Europe, is for sailors returning to the East coast of the US via Bermuda.
An update from General Manager, Miles Sutherland-Pilch
The beginning of December provides a good opportunity to update our many friends on the variety of events and activities that have been happening at Nanny Cay. Fortunately we had a quiet Hurricane Season giving the staff time to get ready for the start of the season. With visitors starting to arrive and the slips starting to fill up there is a real buzz about the place.
Read MoreCaribbean 1500: line honours for Fat Cat
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The Fat Cat crew – line honours in the 2011 Caribbean 1500Blackbird was the first Caribbean 1500 yacht to arrive at Nanny Cay Marina this morning. World Cruising Staff greeted them with ice-cold rum punch and a warm welcome to A-dock.
But Fat Cat received line honors, officially finishing about ten hours ahead of Blackbird last night and electing to anchor for the evening in Virgin Gorda. They made their way to the marina this morning, and joined Blackbird on the end of A-dock for their own rum punch.
Read MoreCaribbean 1500: Fat Cat expected tonight
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Race viewer at 10.20 this morningFat Cat, John Winter’s 24-metre Morelli, is 163.1nm from the finish line and due to cross at about 7.30pm tonight. She’s romping along at 14.30 knots. Next to finish will be Michael Reardon’s Tripp 78 Blackbird at 8.00am tomorrow morning; Blackbird is currently 234.7nm away.
Swift, a Bavaria 36 heading down to join the Horizon Yacht Charters fleet here at Nanny Cay, is 631nm behind Fat Cat and travelling at a more sedate 5.70 knots.
Dennis and Heidi on Centime are turning back yet again. Centime, who have been delayed in Beaufort after experiencing mechanical issues shortly after the start, have been forced to return to Beaufort only one day after re-starting.
Read MoreWCC prepare for arrival of Caribbean 1500
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Maria Karlsson and Andy Schell of the World Cruising ClubMost of the fleet in this year’s Caribbean 1500 has more than halfway to go to reach Tortola, but World Cruising Club staff have arrived and are setting up the program of events at Nanny Cay. Andy Schell and Maria Karlsson arrived over the weekend and have been busy setting up the Rally Office and liaising with marina and hotel staff.
Nanny Cay hosts a number of World Cruising events – including ARC Europe and Atlantic Cup in May – though this is the first year that they are hosting the Caribbean 1500 under the leadership of the World Cruising Club. Previous iterations have been run by rally founder Steve Black and his Cruising Rally Association. World Cruising Club took over Black’s events, including the Atlantic Cup this past January, and hope to continue and expand on the success of the event that Black got going 22 years ago.
Read MoreThe 22nd Caribbean 1500 sets sail for Nanny Cay
After a four-day delay to avoid Tropical Storm Sean, the 22nd Caribbean 1500 rally departed from Hampton, VA, today and set course for Nanny Cay on Tortola. Whilst the delay has been frustrating for the 60 participating crews, staying in port was a sensible decision by new race organisers UK based World Cruising Club.
On November 1, the official end of the hurricane season, the unrelated North American Rally To The Caribbean (NARC) departed from Newport, RI, but was severely disrupted by savage storms. Many vessels ran into difficulties and on Monday the cargo ship Oleander, en route from New Jersey to Bermuda, successfully picked up four survivors from Ellie, a 46 foot yacht that suffered steering failure in waves over 30 feet high.
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