We have arrived in St Lucia. Despite the traumas with our Parasailor we have made good time and we have raised a Ballooner to fly next to our gib.  The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully and the crew experiences a taste sensation when Mark cooks up his Barracuda.  This fish has white meat but it is so firm and meaty and a real treat.

The night falls into darkness again and as we near the Caribbean Sea the squalls are persistent. That said, by 02:00 St Lucia is in sight yet there is still much to be done as we feel our way around Pigeon Island into Rodney Bay. All hands are on deck in crew polos changing sails We are welcomed into Rodney Bay by friends on QUASAR IV before crossing the official ARC finishing line at 23:53 local time (0353 UTC).

We had made it and with a feeling of relief made our way to our allotted berth where we were met with Rum Punch by members of ARC and the St Lucian Tourist Board. We secured the boat and then headed to a bar called Scuttlebutts which was staying open all night to welcome thirsty crews.  We toasted ASOLARE and her Skipper Peter for getting us safely across the Atlantic.  We have completed over 2800 nm in a record time, indeed a record time for most boats as the Trade Winds have been so consistent.  We have finished a full two days faster than predicted.

By Stephen (and Crew Peter Sallyanne, Mark and Clare)