Summer is the season for yachts to pass through the Port of Port Elizabeth as they follow the trades on circumnavigations or long distance voyages. A constant stream of foreign chatter is heard at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) as these interpid sailors overnight or spend weeks in the marina whilst going off and exploring the tourist opportunities, doing essential maintenance and victualling their craft ahead of the next leg to the next destination.
At present more than 24 of these craft are in the marina at ABYC most having cleared into the country in Richards Bay and now cruising down the South African coast looking to tick the achievement of rounding Cape Aghulas off of their lists.
One of the larger visiting yachts from Australia in the marina at present is taking part in the World ARC – a cruising rally presented by the World Cruising Club.
The World Cruising Club has, since 1986, organised ocean sailing events around the world. One of the 10 events on offer is the World ARC – a round-the-world adventure taking place over 15 months and covering 26 000 nautical miles. Following the classic trade-winds route, the rally avoids regions of political instability, piracy and the storm seasons in both hemispheres.
Starting in January in St Lucia, Australia the yachts sail to a different venue daily/weekly/monthly along the trade route and arrive in Richards Bay, South Africa in November of that year. During November and December of the following year the yachts cruise the South African coastline from Richards Bay to Cape Town with most stopping in Durban first then choosing East London, Port Elizabeth, Knysna or Mossel Bay before gathering in Cape Town for the next major leg of the rally to St Helena and continuing around the world.
The yachts do not round Cape Horn choosing rather to return to St Lucia via the Panama Canal in April the next year for the final prize-giving.
Sailors will tell you that whenever two boats sail within close proximity of one another the passage will invariably end up in one racing the other. The ARC offers an element of fun competition, but it isn’t a race. The emphasis is on crossing oceans with friends, feeling confident and prepared on departure day, having support and friendship at sea whilst providing a welcome to salute your achievement on arrival.
But, the ARC has a specific Racing Division and boats sailing in the Racing Division are usually seasoned racing boats, with racing crews. These boats have a current IRC handicap certificate, and are not allowed to use their engine for propulsion.
During November 2015, in another ARC event – the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers from Las Palmas to the Caribbean, a Volvo Ocean Racing Yacht – Team Brunel – used the rally as their delivery cruise across the Atlantic and broke the ARC Course Record sailing from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia in an elapsed time of 8d 7h 39m 30s.
The 15 strong crew on the round the world racing yacht consisted of 5 professional sailors and 10 experienced amateurs who were chasing a bucket list adventure and were not disappointed.
There are 24 entries in the 2015/16 World ARC – 12 from Great Britain, 3 from Australia, 3 from Germany, 3 from United States and 1 each from Iceland, Portugal and Sweden. The fleet is a mix of four multi and twenty mono-hulls with lengths ranging from 38 to 64 foot.
One of the large multi-hulls in the ARC fleet is the Australian registered Lagoon 420, Chat Eau Blue and Sarah Collins from the World Cruising club said; “The World ARC fleet are currently enjoying a free cruising period since arriving in Richards Bay in early November. They use this time to make their way to Cape Town for the next formal leg start of their circumnavigation on 9 January 2016. Many have been exploring South Africa, venturing inland on safari for example. Each boat is fitted with a YB Tracker, which plots their location. Currently the only boat in Port Elizabeth is the Australian flagged catamaran Chat Eau Blue.”
Links: The World Cruising Tracker Page | The Chat Eau Blue web site.
Alan Straton
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Sarah II….wondering if that is a Fraser 41 ? Nice.
Close but I am a Frayed Knot – Sarah II is 38.6 foot long and around 10 tons.