West was the heading aboard the 33 boats that cast off from IGY’s Rodney Bay Marina, in St. Lucia, on January 11, on the first leg of the latest World ARC. This 26,000 nautical mile trade-wind circumnavigation of the globe is run by the Cowes, UK-headquartered World Cruising Club and first launched in 2007. This edition’s World ARC fleet enjoyed a strong breeze at the start with 20-plus knots providing a good run down to the island’s capital of Castries in route to the Western Caribbean.
Four to six days of sailing put the World ARC fleet dockside at IGY’s Marina Santa Marta by mid-January. The 256-slip marina, which features Customs & Immigrations and fuel as well as amenities like showers, laundry, swimming pool, sundries shop and Wi-Fi, is in the scenic city of Santa Marta, Colombia. Founded in 1525 and located on Colombia’s northern coast and Caribbean Sea side, Santa Marta is the oldest surviving city on the South American continent.
Like each stop on the 29-leg World ARC route, which finishes in St. Lucia in April 2021, participants enjoyed a full program of social activities. This included a Welcome Party at the Marina Square and sight-seeing trips such as to the Simon Bolivar Park and historic city. Beyond being a stop on the World ARC, Santa Marta is gaining popularity for its nautical tourism and opportunity for visiting cruisers to see the region’s scenic beauty, colonial Spanish influences and archaeological treasures.
For more information and current location of the 2020-2021 World ARC Fleet, visit: https://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/event.aspx. For more information about visiting Marina Santa Marta, visit: https://www.igymarinas.com/marinas/marina-santa-marta
