The first yacht of the ARC+ 2025 fleet has reached Grenada, marking a major milestone in this year’s two-stage Atlantic rally. Enjoy The Silence, an Outremer 55, crossed the finish line at Camper and Nicholson Port Louis Marina on December 2 to an enthusiastic dockside welcome.
Sailing from Mindelo in the Cape Verde Islands, the crew completed the 2,200-nautical-mile second leg in 10 days, 4 hours and 28 minutes. Their finish time of 15:38 UTC put them well ahead of the rest of the ARC+ fleet and set the tone for the arrivals now unfolding in Grenada.
World Cruising Club officials were joined by representatives from the Grenada Tourism Authority and Port Louis Marina to welcome the crew ashore and kick off the post-passage celebrations.
“This is a special feeling for me,” skipper Jullien Jean said. “On one hand we are really happy because we have been pushing the boat to cross the line first, but I actually feel slightly deflated now that it is over. Perhaps I just need to do the next ARC+ because World Cruising Club is an incredible organization.”
ARC+ 2025 has delivered a mix of conditions across both legs. Light winds challenged crews sailing south from Gran Canaria to Mindelo, forcing many boats to search for pressure before reaching the trade winds. The second leg again began in lighter air but built steadily, with some crews reporting sustained winds above 20 knots during the past week.
Enjoy The Silence proved consistently quick throughout the rally. The Outremer 55 was also fastest on Leg 1, completing the 865-nautical-mile passage from Gran Canaria to Mindelo in 4 days, 15 hours and 5 minutes.
“We have a great crew on board and the boat is wonderful,” Jean said. “It provided us with comfort, security and performance for our voyage. Now, we are looking forward to exploring the island of Grenada and taking some time to clean the boat after our trip.”
More boats are close behind, including Bingera, another Outremer 55, followed by Dawnbreaker, a Kanter 64. With arrivals continuing through the coming days, crews will soon turn their focus from passagemaking to the social program and prizegiving, scheduled for December 11.
As is tradition with the ARC+, the days following arrival offer time to enjoy Grenadian hospitality, swap sea stories and cement friendships forged on a classic ocean crossing.
