Yachts taking part in the TransARC 99 rally from the Caribbean back to the UK, leave Jolly Harbour, Antigua today for the first leg to Bermuda. Crews are busy making last-minute preparations, fixing small problems, sourcing spare parts and provisioning.

Many of the yachts are returning to Europe having crossed to the Caribbean with the ARC in an earlier year. Half the fleet are from ARC98. For Ulrich and Anne Marie Hansen, the TransARC will be their first Atlantic crossing, as they take their beautiful new Valiant 50 back to their native Denmark. After exploring Europe for a year they plan to return to America via the Caribbean in ARC2000, which is being run in association with Yachting World.

At the same time as the fleet leaves Antigua, a second fleet will start out from Camachee Cove Yacht Harbor in St Augustine, Florida, also heading for Bermuda. The American boats will join up with the Caribbean starters and, after some time exploring the islands, the yachts will depart for the Azores on Wednesday 19 May.

Having cruised in the Azores for about a week, the yachts then split and sail either to Plymouth, UK or Lagos on the Algarve coast of Portugal.

Details of this or other rallies, including the ARC, from: World Cruising Club, Tel. 44 1983 296060, Fax 44 1983 295959 or E-mail: jeremywyatt@worldcruising.com