tcm
...
I had a few chats/run-ins with people over this, perhaps worth another thread?
I did the ARC (initially) because the numbers add up - and because instead of being in some canarian resort-hotel marina ("no, there's no chandlery here but would you be interested in buying a villa, sir?") where just me and Barry The Gangster are gonna transat, in Las Palmas there's loads with common cause and lots of suppliers than don't need explaining that it's gotta be supplied/done right now, not in a few weeks. Las Palmas marina fees plus the arc fee was less money than other if not all marinas.
Henyway, i did say (just in passing) to one of the yellow coats er arc staff that huh, not really "safer" is it? She looked at me as though i was bonkers. She cited an example of world arc where they got a ship to escort the arcies through pirate zone and erm, ok, fair point. But not for transat?
With the ARC you set off at 1pm so everyone has a look at the nice saily boats. But it wd be a lot safer to go earlyish morning, plenty of time to get away from land/rocks and or return in daylight?
You set off in a bunfight of 220other yachts plus sightseers. Ooer. two or three had smashups and set off a day or so later. Not that safe there, really? But ok, if it's organised i spose it's gotta have a start. Or as they say, they like starts and so do the locals.
The safety in numbers seems to be attractive, but of coure in reality, what exactly am i gonna do on my boat and 2+ metres swell to help you fix things? At no point did i expect or ask for people to help with our busted relays. One guy within range midatlantic sed he's got relays but they weren't the right partno and even so, i'm not gonna try getting too close in 3m swell with added squalliness.
Once set off, your one yer own, as others say. Or you should expect that, really. I initially toldem i don't want race positions but erm, then relented and ok, yes we do. Then, i got right into it and nipped into st lucia at 4am. Again, i wouldn't normally do this. Ok, my decision, my red mist. But they give these positions all the time and if anyone did this on a car rally, everyone would be uninsured. Heyho.
Wcc don't say or do much to the effect that - er by the way everyone - we organise the onshore parties and stuff - but out there yer on yer own pal. They even invite people with a problem to email wcc in cowes "or leave a message on the answerphone". Yeah, right.
Oh, and i didn't mention Starfire, Sadler 25footer, but i should. Alan (aged 22) and also young tom set out same day as the arc off the far end of the arc startline. They cdn't join the arc cos boat too small. But fab sailors, wd have been fine. Then their rudder broke and they contacted an arc boat Silver Bear who agreed/offered to sail along with range. WCC clumsliy reported this as Silver Bear agreeing to escort starfire "despite the fact that Starfire wasn't an ARC boat" (!) and even as they appraoched, wcc staff seemed to only see their responsibilities to find a space for silver bear, not starfire as well, and well, if that means they're not gonna be in separate berths well, whatever. Several explained the situation. A lot of bods went out on another yot to whoop them in, i decided to go on the dinghy perhaps if they need bit of pushing in if no rudder. Just before we set off, knowing they were in the bay, i went to arc office at the last moment to say look, you gotta puttem together for crissakes, bonding and all that, what about near here, eh? But they sed hm, bit shallow. What's their draft? I asked. A random bloke waiting in the arc office sed "starfire draws 5ft 9inches". Hm, who are you? I'm the skipper's dad, just turned up. Does he know you're here? No. I'm going out to meetem on the dinghy, i said, dya wanna come along? I'd love to, he said. So lights, mobile vhf, armband beacons each, we set off. Bit choppy in the bay. Alan's dad asked if any chance we could gettim on the boat and i sed we'll try. Starfire was having to motor speedily 6+knots to keep way on with teeny jury-riggd rudder but we got the dink up alongside and boosted his dad on board to big surprise and pretty emotional father/son reunion, very memorable. WCC seemed to have seen the light at last and put starfire and silver bear together, big dockside welcome etc, and silver bear later got a special prize for being a good chap etc so all fine.
The smallest "official" arc boat, a sadler29 turned up a couple of days later, and skipper bit narked that he got thrashed by a sadler25 with no rudder, and angrily sed that they shouldn't have even been on the startline. Bad show, Ron...
I *didn't* get any prize, cos we used our engine (quite a lot on windless days) total reported 14hours but an identical boat with three extra people managed to average 8 knots and arrived 3hours latr but with zero (reported) engine hours, even on days with almost no wind, so obviously i need sail trimming lessons. Zefender says "boll*cks, surely?" and i saw some boats with spinny on and engine blaring, but what the heck. Being there first was ok for us.
Anyway, i've already signed up to do it again next year, so -even from a sceptic like me- it must've been more than ok, really? Or maybe it's healthier to be a sceptic. My favourite bit of the arc was the frst welcome party - the Gran Canaria Minister of Tourism gaping open-mouthed at the official welcome party parade of the local Gays and Drag Queens, haha. He must've known what was gonna happen tho. Perhaps he asked for it to be not to outrageous, family show etc, and er, well, bit of a hoot...
I did the ARC (initially) because the numbers add up - and because instead of being in some canarian resort-hotel marina ("no, there's no chandlery here but would you be interested in buying a villa, sir?") where just me and Barry The Gangster are gonna transat, in Las Palmas there's loads with common cause and lots of suppliers than don't need explaining that it's gotta be supplied/done right now, not in a few weeks. Las Palmas marina fees plus the arc fee was less money than other if not all marinas.
Henyway, i did say (just in passing) to one of the yellow coats er arc staff that huh, not really "safer" is it? She looked at me as though i was bonkers. She cited an example of world arc where they got a ship to escort the arcies through pirate zone and erm, ok, fair point. But not for transat?
With the ARC you set off at 1pm so everyone has a look at the nice saily boats. But it wd be a lot safer to go earlyish morning, plenty of time to get away from land/rocks and or return in daylight?
You set off in a bunfight of 220other yachts plus sightseers. Ooer. two or three had smashups and set off a day or so later. Not that safe there, really? But ok, if it's organised i spose it's gotta have a start. Or as they say, they like starts and so do the locals.
The safety in numbers seems to be attractive, but of coure in reality, what exactly am i gonna do on my boat and 2+ metres swell to help you fix things? At no point did i expect or ask for people to help with our busted relays. One guy within range midatlantic sed he's got relays but they weren't the right partno and even so, i'm not gonna try getting too close in 3m swell with added squalliness.
Once set off, your one yer own, as others say. Or you should expect that, really. I initially toldem i don't want race positions but erm, then relented and ok, yes we do. Then, i got right into it and nipped into st lucia at 4am. Again, i wouldn't normally do this. Ok, my decision, my red mist. But they give these positions all the time and if anyone did this on a car rally, everyone would be uninsured. Heyho.
Wcc don't say or do much to the effect that - er by the way everyone - we organise the onshore parties and stuff - but out there yer on yer own pal. They even invite people with a problem to email wcc in cowes "or leave a message on the answerphone". Yeah, right.
Oh, and i didn't mention Starfire, Sadler 25footer, but i should. Alan (aged 22) and also young tom set out same day as the arc off the far end of the arc startline. They cdn't join the arc cos boat too small. But fab sailors, wd have been fine. Then their rudder broke and they contacted an arc boat Silver Bear who agreed/offered to sail along with range. WCC clumsliy reported this as Silver Bear agreeing to escort starfire "despite the fact that Starfire wasn't an ARC boat" (!) and even as they appraoched, wcc staff seemed to only see their responsibilities to find a space for silver bear, not starfire as well, and well, if that means they're not gonna be in separate berths well, whatever. Several explained the situation. A lot of bods went out on another yot to whoop them in, i decided to go on the dinghy perhaps if they need bit of pushing in if no rudder. Just before we set off, knowing they were in the bay, i went to arc office at the last moment to say look, you gotta puttem together for crissakes, bonding and all that, what about near here, eh? But they sed hm, bit shallow. What's their draft? I asked. A random bloke waiting in the arc office sed "starfire draws 5ft 9inches". Hm, who are you? I'm the skipper's dad, just turned up. Does he know you're here? No. I'm going out to meetem on the dinghy, i said, dya wanna come along? I'd love to, he said. So lights, mobile vhf, armband beacons each, we set off. Bit choppy in the bay. Alan's dad asked if any chance we could gettim on the boat and i sed we'll try. Starfire was having to motor speedily 6+knots to keep way on with teeny jury-riggd rudder but we got the dink up alongside and boosted his dad on board to big surprise and pretty emotional father/son reunion, very memorable. WCC seemed to have seen the light at last and put starfire and silver bear together, big dockside welcome etc, and silver bear later got a special prize for being a good chap etc so all fine.
The smallest "official" arc boat, a sadler29 turned up a couple of days later, and skipper bit narked that he got thrashed by a sadler25 with no rudder, and angrily sed that they shouldn't have even been on the startline. Bad show, Ron...
I *didn't* get any prize, cos we used our engine (quite a lot on windless days) total reported 14hours but an identical boat with three extra people managed to average 8 knots and arrived 3hours latr but with zero (reported) engine hours, even on days with almost no wind, so obviously i need sail trimming lessons. Zefender says "boll*cks, surely?" and i saw some boats with spinny on and engine blaring, but what the heck. Being there first was ok for us.
Anyway, i've already signed up to do it again next year, so -even from a sceptic like me- it must've been more than ok, really? Or maybe it's healthier to be a sceptic. My favourite bit of the arc was the frst welcome party - the Gran Canaria Minister of Tourism gaping open-mouthed at the official welcome party parade of the local Gays and Drag Queens, haha. He must've known what was gonna happen tho. Perhaps he asked for it to be not to outrageous, family show etc, and er, well, bit of a hoot...
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