With all but a handful of the 219 participating ARC yachts making it in to Rodney Bay marina in under 21 days, it truly has been an exceptional year for crossing. For those arriving towards the end of the third week, though, the arrival proved a somewhat watery experience, as gusty winds and heavy downpours lashed Rodney Bay on Thursday and Friday.

The spirit of the event and the joy of getting across has not been dampened though, as crews seek shelter in the friendly bars of the marina to swap salty tales of their voyages. The most common topic seems to be how many spinnakers each yacht managed to blow out on the rollercoaster ride from Gran Canaria – everyone agrees that the consistent and strong winds made for an exciting and fast crossing.

Check out the February and March 2002 editions of Yachting World for the full story of the ARC 2001