"Shall we do the ARC?" Pete, my neighbour and dinghy race skipper for the winter series in our local sailing club at Hythe, thought about my question for a few seconds and then said, "I'd have to check with Lyn" (his partner)...

It started with a chance conversation on C dock in Rodney Bay Marina, St Lucia. I'd recently arrived with the ARC and was chatting to the crew of one of the boats going on to the World ARC.