ARC 2016 – Meet the Crew – Skipper’s Mate Kirstie Rowe

Challenger 3 Mate Kirstie Rowe

Skipper’s Mate Ready to Tackle Atlantic Race

An outdoor education teacher and skipper’s mate halfway into this high-profile transatlantic race that started on Sunday, Nov 20th. Kirstie Rowe, 29, forms part of an expert quartet that is overseeing a crew of 12 amateur sailors in the 2016 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).

All 12 of the team, who are also guided by skipper Ricky Chalmers, 55, plus watch leaders Andrew Northall, 22, and Nic Allen, 53, have signed up for the ARC with Southampton-based sailing specialists First Class Sailing.

The 2,700-mile ARC attracts over 200 vessels and started in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria on Sunday 20th Nov before finishing on the Caribbean island of St. Lucia just over two weeks later.

After a week of racing, charting a south-westerly course for the finish line, the 72-foot Challenger 3 used by First Class Sailing is now almost equidistant between the Canary Islands, and its destination St Lucia in the Caribbean.

Waking up to Ocean Racing

Wake up to Ocean Racing

 
The team is bidding to secure as high a finish as possible and Kirstie, from Runcorn in Cheshire and now based in Llanberris, north-west Wales could not wait to start the race.

She said: “Ocean racing is so exciting and my passion for it began when I was 16. I went to sleep during a voyage and awoke to a beautiful sky, surrounded by blue sea and thought ‘I’d like to do this more often,'” she said.

The crew began their preparations with a training weekend held in the Solent and skipper Ricky, is competing in his second successive ARC.
He said: “The first few days of the ARC are full on and it acts as a great training base. Once the team’s experience builds up we can start to push it.”

First Class Sailing principal Charlie Tulloch is delighted to have the expert quartet on board. He said: “Between Ricky, Kirstie, Andrew and Nic there is an extensive stock of sailing know-how and their combined experience in both ocean racing and sailing, in general, will be of great benefit to the 12 amateur sailors. They really are in good hands.”

First Class Training and Adventures All Year

In case you didn’t know First Class Sailing provides the full range of RYA sailing courses, plus a huge variety of yachting experiences – including sailing the ARC yacht to Las Palmas via the Bay of Biscay and back across the Atlantic to the UK from Antigua.

The company has been awarded a Trip Advisor certificate of excellence three years running.

Sailing holidays to various parts of the world are on offer, including Norwegian fjord cruises next year and participation in races such as the 2017 ARC Rally, The Rolex Fastnet – a race from Cowes to Ireland, finishing in Plymouth – and the Round the Island race circumnavigating the Isle of Wight.

Anyone wishing to book a place at the 2017 ARC with First Class Sailing should contact Charlie Tulloch on 0203 006 3717 or via email info@firstclasssailing.com

Posted by: First Class Sailing