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ARC 2019 – Day 17 – Nearing the end of an amazing adventure

by | Dec 10, 2019 | ARC Rally, Atlantic Adventures

Only a day away

With the crew of Challenger 2 around a day from the finish line today their thoughts are turning to being back on dry land, seeing loved ones and of course sampling some of the local rum!

We wish them good luck for the final few miles of an epic trip and an amazing adventure. We are sure they will be able to dine out on tales from the  ARC 2019 Rally for a long time to come.

ARC Rally day 17 position on map

Latest Position

Some final thoughts

We are now less than 192 miles and 24 hours from the finish line where we will be greeted, night or day, with a bottle of rum. I suspect that after that bottle is rapidly depleted, the crew will dash off to the nearest bar as our collective blood alcohol level for the last 16 days has been 0.0000. Save for some boxed red wine in a stew one night, and a beer each, at the mid-Atlantic party, Challenger 2 has been a dry boat, a true rarity for sailors. I think I can speak for everyone on board when I say that the one thing we look forward to more than the rum, is snuggling up with a loved one, after a very long hot shower, on a level bed.

Love and kisses to all

Gary

Photo of friends drinking Caribbean rum

Looking forward to a celebratory rum

Skippers Log

CF540 ARC 2019 CH2 Daily Report 2019-12-10

Date : Tuesday 10 December 2019
Time : 12:00 GMT (10am Boat Time)
Position : 14.19’N    57.09’ W
Position : 215Nm Due East of St Lucia
Destination : Rodney Bay, St Lucia
ETA : 1330 Dec 11 (GPS)
ETA Kirstie: 0900 Dec 11 (UT)
DTF : 220 Distance Run 2790
24 Hour Run : 203 DMG in 24 Hours : 191
Sailplan : Full Main, Yankee 1, Staysail down
POB : 14, all in good health and happy
Today on Challenger 2 :
Breakfast : Cereal, Fruit salad, Cereal Lunch : Cous Cous and Roasted Veg  Dinner : Lasagna
Music : A singing prop shaft and propeller accompanied by roaring water along the topsides

Notes and comments:

The stronger winds kicked in without much of a warning, just took us from a gentle peaceful downwind sail to a white knuckle charge ten minutes before the 11pm (boat time) watch change.

Ricky, Skipper

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Maurice MacSweeney profile pictureMaurice MacSweeney
11:45 30 Oct 25
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Response from the owner 13:56 06 Nov 25
Hi Maurice, we're so pleased to have been with you from the start of your sailing journey. That's great that you enjoyed the ratio of students to instructor and felt confident with the levels you achieved. Thanks for the review, we hope you manage to get plenty of sailing in after all the hard work you've put in.
Marty Stromquist profile pictureMarty Stromquist
15:22 24 Oct 25
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Response from the owner 13:42 06 Nov 25
Thanks Marty. We're so pleased you enjoyed Nigel's expert guidance and passion for sailing. Like all our instructors, he loves teaching and sharing his knowledge, but manages to make it fun too. Thanks for the recommendation.
Anne-Laure McLeman profile pictureAnne-Laure McLeman
10:07 15 Oct 25
Being in an all female boat is a great way to learn. Kirsten, our instructor, had a very calm and reassuring style. The small size of the group (only 3 of us) meant we got a lot of attention and many opportunities to practice. Such a good week!
Response from the owner 13:24 06 Nov 25
Thank-you for the review Anne-Laure. That's great that the all female option suited you well and you enjoyed learning with Kirsten. Hopefully all that practice has set you up well for future sailing. Good luck!
Angus Sandison profile pictureAngus Sandison
19:57 07 Oct 25
Really great experience with First Class. My partner and I did our Day Skipper over two weekends with our instructor Mark. He was fantastic. Patient as we learned and made the whole thing fun. The boats are great and organization by First Class was seamless. Would totally recommend.
Response from the owner 13:17 06 Nov 25
Thanks Angus. That's good that you enjoyed Mark's style of teaching and also had lots of fun along the way. Wishing you lots of happy sailing in the future.
Tricia Bunten profile pictureTricia Bunten
18:48 07 Oct 25
I just finished a fantastic week taking my Day Skipper practical with First Class Sailing and I highly recommend them. I chose the Women Only week and had an incredibly patient instructor who was able to help each of us individually with areas of weakness but also worked great with us as a group. I had never sailed in the Solent before and it was the perfect location for this class. I am so grateful for First Class and my instructor for helping me build confidence and experience.
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Response from the owner 16:59 04 Nov 25
Thanks Tricia, we're so pleased you enjoyed the Women Only week and had a positive experience. We always say that the Solent really is one of the best places to learn and it has some beautiful scenery to explore too, so that's good that you appreciated it. Hope you manage to get out on the water soon.
Evan Ainsworth profile pictureEvan Ainsworth
20:30 05 Oct 25
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Response from the owner 16:46 04 Nov 25
Thanks for the review Evan and congratulations on passing your Day Skipper practical, the hard work has paid off. That's good that the whole family joined you for one of the trips and so now hopefully you have some willing crew members for future sails. Good luck!
hugo kirby profile picturehugo kirby
15:26 09 Sep 25
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Response from the owner 15:30 11 Sep 25
That's good that you appreciated the experiences and extra knowledge that the instructor passed on. Thanks for the recommendation.
Justin Brooks profile pictureJustin Brooks
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Response from the owner 14:21 28 Aug 25
Thanks Justin. We always find that mixing the Competent Crew & Day Skipper works well, so that's great that it worked for you too. Hope you manage to get out on the water soon and put all your learning into practice.
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15:37 22 Aug 25
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Miles Barr profile pictureMiles Barr
11:27 03 Aug 25
I completed my Competent Crew and Day Skipper Practical with First Class Sailing. It was a great experience. I hired the whole boat each time, taking my family members along who also earned their Competent Crew qualifications.
Response from the owner 15:21 21 Aug 25
Thanks Miles. That's great that hiring the whole boat for your courses worked well for you all. Now that your family have their comp crew qualifications, you'll have plenty of help onboard for future sails! Good luck.

star rating  Excellent training course with Fergus!  - Excellent training course with Fergus! He made sure that across levels we were all learning and having fun! The extra context from his experience sailing was insightful and entertaining!

avatar thumb Jamie S
October 25, 2025

star rating  Great night sailing weekend. - I did the night sailing weekend on the Solent. Callum was very friendly and knowledgeable. He planned the weekend together with the participants such that everyone could have an input... read more

avatar thumb Federica D
November 8, 2025

star rating  All female boat for day skipper practical  - Being in an all female boat is a great way to learn. Kirsten, our instructor, had a very calm and reassuring style. The small size of the group (only 3... read more

ALMC62
October 15, 2025

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