This year the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers – better known as the ARC – is poised to be the biggest in its history. Already the world’s largest transocean event, the ARC is being expanded this year beyond its longtime maximum because of extra capacity at the marina in Las Palmas. There are 240 on the entry list and it could easily reach 250 starters in November.

The rally to St Lucia in the Caribbean is one of my favourite sailing events: an adventure full of fantastic stories and a goldmine of practical information.

It has also become a very significant chunk of modern sailing history. By my rough reckoning, over 20,000 people from around the world have crossed the Atlantic with the ARC since the first rally in 1986.

The line-up is as broad a sample of modern cruisers as you’ll get. Check out this year’s entry here .