ARC+ 2025 concluded in Grenada with a festive prizegiving that marked the end of a two-leg Atlantic rally spanning more than 2,900 nautical miles and uniting sailors from around the world.
The rally brought together 84 yachts and more than 400 crew for a staged crossing that began in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, continued to Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands and finished in Port Louis, Grenada. Along the way, crews experienced the blend of seamanship community and adventure that defines the ARC+ format.
The prizegiving opened with welcomes from Shanai St Bernard of the Grenada Tourism Authority and Zara Tremlett of Port Louis Marina, recognizing both the sailors and the shoreside teams that support the rally. Awards followed across cruising multihull and special recognition categories.
Multihull and Cruising Standouts
In the multihull division, Enjoy The Silence of Belgium took first place in Class A and multihull line honors, completing the second leg in 10 days 4 hours and 38 minutes. Kotare of Guernsey secured first in Class B.
“I still can’t believe that we’ve actually done it,” said Kotare sailor Dan Simpson. “It’s been two years in the planning and I’m so proud of us for seeing it through. It will be life-changing for us as a family.”
Cruising division honors went to Dawnbreaker of Sweden, which claimed Class A and cruising line honors. Ursa Major of Norway topped Class B, Lala Salama of Great Britain won Class C and Morning Bird of Great Britain led Class D.
“We are very very happy right now,” said Ursa Major skipper Raymond Saelen. “It was a really good experience and really enjoyable. We had nice conditions for the Atlantic crossing and it was so fun.”
Spirit Awards and Family Achievements
Beyond speed and standings, ARC+ also recognized the human side of ocean sailing. Fleet-nominated honors included Tangaroa for Most Beautiful Yacht, Dawnbreaker for Social Media Award and adversity awards for Canopus and Miss U. The Spirit of the ARC+ Rally went to Fortuitous for outstanding support of fellow sailors at sea.
Double-handed crews were also celebrated, including Eveline, whose crew completed the crossing in under 14 days. “It was too short,” Linn from Eveline joked. “We like to be out on the ocean.”
A record 48 children crossed the Atlantic with the fleet this year. Each received a medal and certificate, with special recognition given to Skye and Bee aboard Blue Ocean for caring for ARC+ mascot Archie the Monkey during the voyage.
Giving Back Along the Way
The prizegiving also highlighted the Positive Impact Fund, a World Cruising Club charity launched in 2025. In recognition of the 40th ARC anniversary, nearly £10,000 will be donated to projects including junior sailing in Carriacou, the Grenada SPCA and humanitarian relief efforts in Cape Verde.
What Comes Next
While the Grenada celebration marked the end of ARC+ 2025, many crews are far from finished. Some will cruise the Caribbean together, while others will continue on with World ARC or return to Europe with ARC Europe.
As World Cruising Club Managing Director Paul Tetlow summed up, “The prizegiving is all about celebration, but it’s also our opportunity to give thanks to the many organizations that help deliver ARC+ here in Grenada.”
