The ARC – Atlantic Rally for Cruisers – has broken the record entry, with 242 yachts confirmed to cross the start line from Gran Canaria to St Lucia in just over two weeks’ time (Sunday 25 November). This bumper entry tops the previous record of 234 entrants in ARC 1999.

The boost in entries this year is a direct result of the improved marina facilities in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Jeremy Wyatt of the World Cruising Club – organisers of the event – commented: “The improvement at the marina based in the heart of the city of Las Palmas means that more yachts than ever before can be accommodated and all yachts will have a pontoon marina berth.”

Wyatt also says that plans are afoot to improve berths and expand the marina at Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia, the finish destination. Although work on this won’t start until February, it should be completed in time for ARC 2008.

Entries this year span from the Ed Dubois-designed Mariposa at 29m (95ft), down to the small but tough 7.60m (26ft) Folkboat – Ariel sailed by the youngest skipper in ARC 2007, 22-year-old Henry Adams from Sherborne, Dorset, UK. Most yachts (53 per cent of the fleet) lie in the 40ft to 50ft band (12m – 15.24m), with a median size of 47ft 2″ (14.40m).