{"id":7869,"date":"2025-12-08T10:19:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T10:19:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/?p=7869"},"modified":"2025-12-09T12:45:04","modified_gmt":"2025-12-09T12:45:04","slug":"arc-rally-2025-mid-atlantic-progress-report-whos-ahead-stories-so-far-whats-left-to-run","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/arc-rally-2025-mid-atlantic-progress-report-whos-ahead-stories-so-far-whats-left-to-run\/","title":{"rendered":"ARC Rally 2025 \u2014 Mid-Atlantic Progress Report: Who\u2019s Ahead, Stories So Far and What\u2019s Left to Run"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each November the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers brings together sailors from all over the world for the famous trade-wind crossing from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. The 2025 edition \u2014 marking the 40th anniversary of the rally<\/strong> \u2014 is now well underway. With the first finishers already in, and much of the fleet still ocean-bound, it’s a perfect moment to look at what’s happening mid-crossing: the leaders, standout boats, human stories, and how long remains for those under sail.<\/p>\n

\n

What is the ARC?<\/h2>\n

The ARC is a transatlantic rally rather than a pure race \u2014 though some boats chase line honours with competitive intent. The route covers roughly 2,700 nautical miles<\/strong>, running from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria<\/strong> to Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia<\/strong> in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

\"ARC

Fleet departing Las Palmas sails up at the start line<\/p><\/div>\n

This year\u2019s fleet is diverse: around 145 yachts and more than 820 crew<\/strong>, ranging from modest 34-foot cruisers to performance multihulls over 70 feet. The rally welcomes families, first-time ocean crossers, seasoned blue-water skippers, and adventure-hungry crews chasing the dream of landfall in the tropics.<\/p>\n

\n

Early Arrivals & Who’s Leading<\/h2>\n

The 2025 rally began on 23 November<\/strong>, and while the full crossing typically takes 18\u201321 days for a standard cruising yacht<\/strong>, the fastest boats have already reached the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

\"Fast

Fast performance yacht pushing hard under trade winds during ARC Rally crossing<\/p><\/div>\n

Line honours have already been claimed, but with most of the fleet still underway, the wider story of this year\u2019s crossing continues to develop daily. Weather routing choices, sail plans, squall management, and strategy across the tradewinds are shaping fortunes mid-ocean.<\/p>\n

You can track positions live and check the current standings via the official ARC rally tracker:
\ud83d\udc49 Track the fleet here using the official ARC results\/leaderboard on the World Cruising Club website.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Stories That Stand Out This Year<\/h2>\n

One of the highlights of the ARC is always the contrast between boats and crews \u2014 luxury yachts sailing beside determined small-boat adventurers.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s smallest entry, Heartbeat2<\/em> at just over 10 metres, is crossing with minimal comforts and huge spirit. Their effort embodies what the ARC is all about \u2014 seamanship, teamwork, and taking on the Atlantic under your own canvas.<\/p>\n

\"Small

Small yachts in mid-Atlantic against a blue horizon<\/p><\/div>\n

Meanwhile, larger multihulls and ocean-capable racers have already enjoyed fast reaching conditions, logging high daily mile runs. For many crews, friendships form over radio schedules and SSB check-ins; for others, it\u2019s night-sky navigation, flying fish on deck, and the countdown to rum punches in Saint Lucia.<\/p>\n

\n

How Long Until the Finish?<\/h2>\n

The ARC finish line remains open until 19 December<\/strong>, with celebrations and prize-giving shortly after. Boats still at sea have time in hand, though routing choices and weather will define arrival windows.<\/p>\n

\"Celebratory

Celebratory drink on the dock upon arrival in Rodney Bay, St Lucia after crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the ARC<\/p><\/div>\n

Optional supporting image<\/em>
[Insert Image \u2014 Yacht entering Rodney Bay Marina, flags flying | Alt text:<\/em> “Yacht arriving in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia \u2014 ARC Rally finish destination”]<\/strong><\/p>\n

Those last miles can be some of the most emotional \u2014 sunrise after 3,000 miles of ocean, spotting land on the horizon, and the sound of steel drums welcoming crews to the Caribbean.<\/p>\n

\n

Thinking About Joining the ARC Yourself?<\/h2>\n

Many who follow the rally each year eventually end up on deck themselves. If the challenge of crossing an ocean with trade winds behind you sparks something inside \u2014 you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n

First Class Sailing will be entering ARC 2026, offering berths for sailors looking to take on the crossing as crew with professional support, preparation and training.<\/p>\n

\"Sail

Sail in the ARC 2026<\/p><\/div>\n

\ud83d\udc49 Find out more or register interest for sailing the ARC Rally 2026 with us via our ARC programme<\/strong> (<\/em>
Click here: <\/i><\/span>Sail the ARC Rally 2026 with First Class Sailing<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ARC Rally 2025 is delivering adventure across 2,700 miles of ocean. First arrivals are already in, but dozens of yachts remain mid-Atlantic with stories unfolding daily \u2014 trade winds, night watches, flying fish and the countdown to landfall. Here\u2019s what\u2019s happening right now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7870,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[162,350,640],"tags":[614,668,669,670],"class_list":["post-7869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arc","category-atlantic-adventures","category-mile-building-sailing-trips","tag-arc-2026","tag-arc-rally-2025","tag-arc-rally-2026","tag-sail-the-atlantic-ocean"],"views":2685,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7869"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7898,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7869\/revisions\/7898"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7870"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.firstclasssailing.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}