Vaquita on course to smash ARC 2011 record

Vaquita leads out the Racing Division start in Las PalmasIf the wind holds the 40-foot Vaquita, skippered by Christof Petter from Austria, will break the record for the fastest ARC crossing ever for a monohull under 60-feet. Vaquita has made extraordinary progress since leaving Gran Canaria, and is only 50 miles behind the leading boats and over 250 miles ahead of her closest rival in the Racing Division.

The ARC 2011, now in its 25^th year, departed from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 20 November and set sail for Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia, a distance of some 2,700 nautical miles. Many of the yachts will return in the ARC Europe, which will leave Nanny Cay on 5 May next year.

The leading boats in the ARC 2011 fleet are expected to arrive in Rodney Bay later on today. The 50-foot trimaran Rayon Vert (FRA), skippered by transatlantic veteran Alain Delhumeau, has set the pace in the Open Division, closely followed by 92-foot super-maxi Med Spirit (FRA/RUS).   Classic Whitbread maxi Rothmans (SWE) leads the Invitation Racing Division, with Gunboat 66 Phaedo (USA) leading the Multihull Division. 

With a forecast for lighter winds as the boats approach Saint Lucia, the chances are fading for smashing the ARC crossing record set in 2006 by Rinaldo del Bono with Capricorno (ITA) of 11 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes and 30 seconds.  To beat the record, the boats must finish before 14:17:30 local time today.

The remainder of the fleet continues to make good progress. The moderate tradewinds have meant few breakages and of the 217 boats that left, 212 remain actively sailing for Saint Lucia. On arrival each boat will receive the traditional World Cruising Club rum punch, which participants of the Caribbean 1500 also received on arriving at Nanny Cay.