ARC 2016 the boats and the performances

[Polux]

Here we are again with another ARC, this year it appears to have less boats even if divided in ARC and ARC+ (with a stop at Cabo Verde).

But there are some interesting ones:

Jeanneau 57
Outremer 45
SO 449
Lagoon 42
Grand Soleil 37
Outremer 45
Outremer 51
Arcona 460
Swan 42
J133
Saba 50
SO479
X40
X42
Lavezzi 40
XP50
The cats never had a racing division, since the inscriptions were not sufficient for that but this year we risk not having also a cruising division for monohulls: till now only 3 boats are inscribed.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Polux

Here we are again with another ARC, this year it appears to have less boats even if divided in ARC and ARC+ (with a stop at Cabo Verde).

But there are some interesting ones:

Jeanneau 57
Outremer 45
SO 449
Lagoon 42
Grand Soleil 37
Outremer 45
Outremer 51
Arcona 460
Swan 42
J133
Saba 50
SO479
X40
X42
Lavezzi 40
XP50
The cats never had a racing division, since the inscriptions were not sufficient for that but this year we risk not having also a cruising division for monohulls: till now only 3 boats are inscribed.

Polux,
I think some of the other rallys are eating into the ARC market, Cornell 's is much cheaper. What do you think?

[barnakiel]

Akilaria not interesting?

Rambler not interesting?

And what's wrong with the VOR boats?

Frankly, I only care about performance of Bavarias and Lagoons. These are the only boats that have representative sailors oboard.

;-)

Frankly ;-) though: keep eye on Juniper, on Peter and on the aluminum Open 60 (Capo di Fora, I think). Pity you are not here as I think you would love all of these.

Cheers,
b.
Las Palmas

[Polux]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Akilaria not interesting?

Rambler not interesting?

And what's wrong with the VOR boats?

Frankly, I only care about performance of Bavarias and Lagoons. These are the only boats that have representative sailors oboard.

;-)

Frankly ;-) though: keep eye on Juniper, on Peter and on the aluminum Open 60 (Capo di Fora, I think). Pity you are not here as I think you would love all of these.

Cheers,
b.
Las Palmas

Humm, some thing wrong on the information regarding entries:

Rambler is not on the list and not an Aquilaria either. There is an old VOR60 (Galactic Viking, LOL) but that is on the ARC+.

No "Capo di Fora" on the list. I know that one, a Finot design and a remarkably advanced one for his time. Can you imagine that design has almost 30 years?
https://www.worldcruising.com/arc/ar...ntentries.aspx

If juniper is the name of a boat, not in the list either. Peter? not there too.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Polux

Humm, some thing wrong on the information regarding entries:

Rambler is not on the list and not an Aquilaria either. There is an old VOR60 (Galactic Viking, LOL) but that is on the ARC+.

No "Capo di Fora" on the list. I know that one, a Finot design and a remarkably advanced one for his time. Can you imagine that design has almost 30 years?
https://www.worldcruising.com/arc/ar...ntentries.aspx

If juniper is the name of a boat, not in the list either. Peter? not there too.

People: I am so sorry!

I wrongly interpreted this is about this ARC starting on Sunday! I should have read 2017 which is all plain English and I am so well trained in too-quick reading.

Anyways, in this ARC:

The Akilaria is Croix du Sud.
VOR boats are Trifork and Sanya.
Rambler is Rambler.
Juniper is a Chris White tri. (super retro sexy)
And by Peter I meant Peter von Seestermuhe.

Boats that caught my eye on the docks.

Rambler will make a new record this year.

I am terribly sorry for cutting in, messing about, adding nothing but turbulence ... ;-)

PS Today powering in my boss's rib alongside the Akilaria I asked if they needed crew. Negative. I asked if they wanted to swap ships. Negative. Sure, I could understand. ;-)

Cheers,
b.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by Polux

Humm, some thing wrong on the information regarding entries:

Rambler is not on the list and not an Aquilaria either. There is an old VOR60 (Galactic Viking, LOL) but that is on the ARC+.

No "Capo di Fora" on the list. I know that one, a Finot design and a remarkably advanced one for his time. Can you imagine that design has almost 30 years?
https://www.worldcruising.com/arc/ar...ntentries.aspx

If juniper is the name of a boat, not in the list either. Peter? not there too.

Yes, something very wrong those boats are already the ones for 2017 and that's why they are not many....yet, or if you see it the other way, they are already a lot for 2017!!!!

Regarding being less boats this year what seems to happen is that they are more divided between the ARC+ and the ARC. Much more boats on the ARC+ this year than on last year.

Still more interested on the ARC, I believe the ones that chose to make it direct are in average better crews. Regarding the boats there are so many interesting boats to compare the performances that it does not even makes any sense to post them. Let's wait till the passage starts. Lots of cats among them. This is the correct list:
https://www.worldcruising.com/arc/ar...ntentries.aspx

Regarding interesting boats there is one that interests me particularly, the More 55. There are several doing the ARC, all charter boats going for the Caribbean season. Look at those boats.....and consider that they cost the same as a Bavaria or a Hanse of the same size. To know more have a look at my blog, search for More 55 and if you don't know the boat and the story you will be surprised.

[TheThunderbird]

....so f#+$%=%ng what??

It is a commercial event, maybe a speculation too

A friend was asked 5500eur to join. F#$k 'em all, l did tell him

Shame on weaknesses and on speculation. Disgusting

Of course my opinion. You are entitled to think different, but dont take on me :-)

[Polux]

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

....so f#+$%=%ng what??

It is a commercial event, maybe a speculation too

A friend was asked 5500eur to join. F#$k 'em all, l did tell him

Shame on weaknesses and on speculation. Disgusting

Of course my opinion. You are entitled to think different, but dont take on me :-)

Speculation??? What you do mean by that? Certainly that is a big organized event and the ones that organize it expect to have a profit from it but that has nothing to do with speculation and I don't see why that is disgusting, not different in spirit than any other rally being it on land or sea.

There are others, also paid but nothing beats the popularity of this one: 220 sailboats and 1200 sailors, all of them disgusting people

[Polux]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

....

PS Today powering in my boss's rib alongside the Akilaria I asked if they needed crew. Negative. I asked if they wanted to swap ships. Negative. Sure, I could understand. ;-)

Cheers,
b.

You should concentrate on the several More 55 doing the ARC. Those are the ones most can dream buying. They cost the price of a Bavaria and they are making a 40. Never saw one for real, they don't go to boat shows to save money. They look good on movies and the design and building is good. What is their look for real compared with mass production boats?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZWWPn1sJIY

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

....so f#+$%=%ng what??

It is a commercial event, maybe a speculation too

A friend was asked 5500eur to join. F#$k 'em all, l did tell him

Shame on weaknesses and on speculation. Disgusting

Of course my opinion. You are entitled to think different, but dont take on me :-)

You can expand on that.

Not sure what you expected. It IS a commercial undertaking meant to bring PROFIT. Off course you pay a fee. You also get a T-shirt.

Nobody is forced to join. One can cross the pond at their own schedule, at no fees.

There is enough place out there in the ocean for anybody.

You are not blaming a commercial event for being commercial? Do you.

Big hug,
b.

[Polux]

And here they go, looking like firework



You can follow them on the tracker:
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[Suijin]

Originally Posted by TheThunderbird

....so f#+$%=%ng what??

It is a commercial event, maybe a speculation too

A friend was asked 5500eur to join. F#$k 'em all, l did tell him

Shame on weaknesses and on speculation. Disgusting

Of course my opinion. You are entitled to think different, but dont take on me :-)

While I would never pay for this "rally" in particular, you do get a lot of valuable benefits in return for the fee. You get safety seminars, weather routing, tracking, logistical support, dockage at both ends for a certain period, and a few parties and meals thrown in not to mention some swag.

The ARC has traditionally been aimed at boats and crews that don't have significant bluewater experience. It was a vehicle for educating them and then providing the support for a safe and well monitored crossing. It's really only in recent years that it has turned into a race instead of a rally, and much of that is due to european racing boats that join up as a means of getting to the Caribbean in advance of the winter racing circuit (Caribbean 600, Heineken St Maarten Regatta, etc).

Other rallies are much cheaper, some of them even free, but they offer little in the way of support and generally require that participating boats have adequate blue water experience. That said, the ARC events always struck me as overly pricy. I think the World ARC is like $30k at this point.

I did a crossing a few years ago and we pulled into St. Lucia, to the Rodney Bay Marina, right after most of the ARC boats had arrived. The ARC support personnel were all over the place, helping with getting stuff fixed, provisioning, etc.

We were docked right next to a 45' purpose-built ocean sled that had a young couple as professional crew and they had done the crossing with a paying crew of like 10...what a nightmare that must have been. They were going to spend the season racing in every significant event, with a new paying crew for each one. Interesting business model.

Back then there was no alternate race to Cape Verde, but a few boats ended up stopping at Cape Verde due to break downs. Since the traditional strategy is to head south "until the butter melts" and you find the trades, then start kicking it to the west, a fair number of boats find themselves in the neighborhood of the island group anyway.

Interestingly, during that year, the winning boat went north from Gran Canaria, on a huge arc up and then back down. Probably sailed 30% further than any of the other boats, but had like 20 knots of wind the whole way.

[Polux]

And looking at the fastest, on the light wind conditions:

The two big racing boats went away on a fight that Rambler will win at the end (the other is a VOR70).

There will be an interesting fight between a Wally 60 and a 60ft Outremer 5x. On that one I will not bet.

There are other big boats that are obviously fast given its size and performance but my attention goes for the smaller ones that are doing well and the wonder goes to the old 48 scarlett Oyster and his racing crew (what a start) and to a not well known but interesting boat, a Russian designed and made aluminium cruiser racer, Mobile 53 and most of old for a little Grand Soleil 43 that sails on the tail of the oyster and two even smaller First 40 that pursuit it Wow!!!

GS 43BC

Two Xp50 doing well also (one of them behind the First ). After them a boat that I almost bought some years ago, a Wasa 55 side by side with two More 55 and a Leopard 48. Next, an Arcona 400, a Hanse 575, a Grand Soleil 50, a Gieffe 51, an Oyster 56 and another More 55.

Lots of cats doing the race this year, for now, with the exception of the 60ft Outremer 5X a Leopard 58 and a 78ft Nigel Irens, behind all these boats but many taking a course more to the South. We have a Nautitech 542, a brand new Aluminium Garcia 48 (going well), a Catana 47, a Lazzi 1650, a Lagoon 42 (going well), two Lagoon 620, a Catana 531, a Catana 42 and many others that are sailing slower.

It will be interesting to follow the performance of all these boats and their crews (and more) and see if the positions are maintained on stronger winds.

B. I told you to have a look at those "cheap" More 55. As you can see they are going well, and not only one but all.

Have a look at the Garcia 48, a true voyage boat and it seems that not less fast than other more sportive and lighter cats, at least here:

[Polux]

Very funny!!!

The too big professional sail race boats took the routing wrong, had to change tack and the error was so big the the VOR 70 was almost catch by a Discovery 55. Alright the Discover can be using the engine, we will only know later but even so anyway three Oyster 655 are ahead of it (not for much time, I suspect).

Not much better for Rambler even if on this case the diference in speed is so big that nobody catch him. That would be a real scandal.

Regarding the smaller fast cruising yacht the More 55, a Baltic 51 are ahead, a bit after a Hylas 54. These ones are ahead of all the multihulls. The First of this seems to be a Lagoon 52. The Lagoon 42 continues to go fast.

Difficult to say about the others since it seems that the boats that went more to South messed up (at leas in what regards to have a decent wind) and the fastest are losing a lot of time abandoning that option and coming North (that is the case of the Wally 60).

There will be a high center for several days, a big one in the middle of the way and the easiest way is to pass it North.

Anyway regarding this moment we can compare the performances of boats with similar courses so more to the South the best performance goes to that aluminium Russian boat, the Mobile 53 and that Discovery 55. The 48ft Scarlet Oyster continues to do well, side by side with the Grand Soleil 43, followed by a First 40, Lagoon 620 a Swan 57 a Hanse 575 a Oyster 575, a Wasa 55, a Arcona 400, a First 44.7. They are followed at short distance by a A35!!!!!

More to the South, another Hanse 575, a Dufour 44p, a Nautitech 542 a Baltic 50 and a Oyster 625 and a Solaris 42 one.

Still very confusing even if I think the South way is not a good option.

Today's special mention goes to the fantastic performance of the little 35ft performance cruiser, the A35 and to the excellent performance of the Arcona 400. The A 35 is a cruiser-racer with a good interior for cruising but that does not compare with the interior of the Arcona 400 that is a luxurious one.

A35




Arcona 400

[Dockhead]

I'd like to mention that our fellow CF'er, CarstenB, who is a moderator in this community, has taken first place in his class for the first leg in his Jeanneau SunFast 40 "Capri".

Carsten is a good friend of mine and has crewed on my boat for two North Sea crossings. He's a great sailor and loves a nice hard sail to weather in lively conditions like I do. He's also a good cook and makes the world's best guacamole. I spent a couple of weeks tied up behind his house in Copenhagen Harbor last May, on my way to Finland. We had a great time there and also helped him prepare his boat for his transat.

Let's wish him and his wife similar good luck on the current leg!!