There’s a spicy finish in store for sailors in the ARC+ in 2021. The World Cruising Club’s (WCC) ninth annual transatlantic rally, which departs from Gran Canaria on November 7 with a stopover at Mindelo Marina in Cape Verde en route to the Caribbean, will make landfall this year at Camper & Nicholson’s Port Louis Marina in Grenada. This southern Caribbean island has long been known as the ‘Spice Island’ due to its abundant nutmeg, allspice, cloves and cinnamon production. Some say you can smell these aromatic spices in the breeze on arrival.
“We are delighted to be working with the Grenada Tourism Authority and Camper & Nicholson’s Port Louis Marina to give the ARC+ participants an exciting Caribbean arrival experience, and to bring the fleet together for the first time,” says the WCC’s Andrew Bishop. “We also hope that those crews that head northwards after their arrival will be able to explore Grenada and enjoy some of the best cruising in the Caribbean as they head north.”
Port Louis Marina is delighted to be the host venue for this year’s ARC+, according to Charlotte Fairhead, marina manager. “Our marina has recently undergone a fantastic renovation, with extra facilities for an additional 90 new berths, ranging from 40- to 72-foot. This enables us to be a premium destination to host international sailing events. We are so excited to welcome the ARC+ and look forward to all of the participants feeling at home at Port Louis Marina for the forthcoming season.”
The traditional, direct ARC route, which departs Las Palmas de Gran Canaria two weeks after the ARC+ start, will sail to IGY’s Rodney Bay Marina in Saint Lucia. The ARC+ destination change helps to ease pressure on facilities in Saint Lucia and spread boats around within the southern Caribbean. www.worldcruising.com/arc_plus/event.aspx, en.cnmarinas.com/port-louis-marina/
