An ARC fleet of 220 will sail from Las Palmas on Nov. 20; while the ARC+ fleet of 70 will sail from Cape Verde on Nov. 16. Both fleets are bound for Saint Lucia.

The official opening ceremony of the 31st Atlantic Rally for Cruisers was held yesterday in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with flag bearers from 31 different nations representing the countries of the yachts in the 2016 rally.

On Sunday, Nov. 20, the fleet of 220 yachts will leave the Las Palmas marina bound for Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucia's Minister with responsibility for Tourism, Hon. Dominic Fedee, promised the crew a warm welcome and thanked the people of Las Palmas for over three decades of partnership between Gran Canaria and Saint Lucia during the history of the ARC.

In the first week of ARC activities in Las Palmas, crews have enjoyed daily social events, seminars on cruising topics, and the opportunity to plant another 200 trees in the ARC Forest in the mountains above the city. The second week of the pre-start program is the busiest, as more crew fly in and the yachts start their provisioning and finish off last minute preparations for the Atlantic crossing.

Meanwhile, the ARC+ fleet has arrived at Mindelo Marina in Cape Verde, and crews are enjoying exploring Sao Vicente. The 70 boats in the ARC+ fleet will depart for the second leg of the transatlantic crossing on Wednesday, Nov. 16, bound for Saint Lucia.