Rally Cruising

[GordMay]

Excerpted from ”Cruising via Rally” By Joy Smith

Rallies can provide a good way for new cruisers to get their feet wet in offshore cruising.

A rally can provide education, hard information, and resources that would otherwise take weeks to assemble on one's own; and traveling with a knowledgeable group can be an on-the water safety net for assistance with mechanical or medical problems.

Blue Water Rallies Limited
This company, an offshoot of the Trade Winds Round the World Cruising Rally 1995 –97, was formed by its directors and participants. Contact Peter Seymour at www.yachtrallies.co.uk

~ Blue Water Round the World Cruising Rally—leaves every two years from Gibraltar to cruise along the trade wind's equatorial route.
~ Rally Antigua—leaves Gibraltar annually, sails via Tenerife en route to Antigua and the Caribbean for Christmas.
~ Oz Med Rally—departs from Darwin in Australia each October and travels from the pacific and down under to the Mediterranean.
~ Biscay Triangle—annual cruising rally in the Bay of Biscay.

Blue Water Sailing School
This Ft. Lauderdale, FL-based organization offers ASA (American Sailing Association) offshore passage-making classes and opportunities for on-the water experience. Contact Ted Wheeler at 954-763-8464.

~ Ft. Lauderdale to Bermuda—10 days, May 4 -13, 2002.
~ Bermuda to Ft. Lauderdale—(Return trip) May 17 -26, 2002.

Nautech Enterprises
Small, but growing in popularity, this organization stresses a good weather window and participant involvement and uses seminars, workshops, and cruising videos. Contact Jim and Marjie Favors at
www.nautechenterprises.com

~ The Round Delmarva (Delaware-Maryland-Virginia) 400 Cruising Rally—governed by the ORC (Ocean Racing Council). Takes place each spring between end of May and beginning of June.
~ The New England 600 Rally—From Annapolis, MD to Camden, ME with an intermediate stop in Newport, RI. Takes place from mid-June to early July each year.
~ Snowbird Rally—from Block Island, RI to the Chesapeake Bay, this event is run annually in late September. (Can connect from this to Caribbean 1500).
~ Nova Scotia Adventure Cruising Rally—A new event from Camden, ME to Nova Scotia.
~ Bahamas 500—Another new event that heads out from Beaufort, NC to the Abacos;

Offshore Passage Opportunities
Hank Schmidt coordinates rallies and crews. Contact him at
www.sailopo.com

West Marine Rallies
Two popular rallies organized by Steve Black and Hal Sufphen, which include passage maker seminars and a large volunteer crew list and many amenities. Contact www.carib1500.com

~ Caribbean 1500—From Hampton, VA to Virgin Gorda, BVI; about 50 boats. Uses a gun start and cruisers have option to race.
~ Bermuda Cruising Rally—From Hampton, VA to St. George's, Bermuda and return. Combines ocean passage making with a week's relaxed cruising. June 16-July 1.

World Cruising Club
From the originators of the rally concept, these events are for yachts on a worldwide basis. Contact
www.worldcruising.com

~ Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC)—follows trade wind route from Canary Islands to St Lucia every year. 150-plus boats is the usual turnout.
~ ARC Europe—starts in St. Augustine, FL; also, from Antigua in the West Indies.
~ BT Challenge—a 10-month race around the world. US West Coast departure

Trade Winds Rallies
Royal Air Force Yacht Club holds rallies for cruising yachts. Amateur, non-commercial event sailed on a club-to-club basis. No racing. Takes one to two years; seminars and rendezvous included. Contact
www.users.globenet.co.uk/~twind/

From the “Sailnet” article ( http://www.sailnet.com/index.cfm )
”Cruising via Rally” By Joy Smith at: http://www.sailnet.com/collections/a...eid=smithj0011

[Talbot]

Over the last few years, I have begun to believe that the ARC is misnamed, the cruisers part of the title has been de-emphasised, and far more prominence placed on getting across quickly, to the extent soon that the R part of the name, should really stand for Race.

I shall be making my own way (as soon as son has finished university)