Diamond Blue

Diamond Blue, a Starlight 39, has a crew of three: Venetia, David and Richard.

“The ARC is the original transocean rally for cruising yachts. Around 150 boats set sail every year in November, sailing from Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay on Saint Lucia.

The rally attracts people of all ages and nationalities, sailing monohulls, multihulls and even motor boats from 27 feet to 100 feet (8.23m-32m). Over 8,000 boats have sailed with us to the Caribbean since the first ARC in 1986.

The 2,700NM Atlantic crossing takes around 18-21 days for the average yacht.” (World Cruising Club)

Here are some reports from Richard, owner and skipper of Diamond Blue, that left Gran Canaria on 21st November this year.

“Nice breeze just aft the port beam, very good visibility as Gran Canaria gradually left behind us, so hopefully a quiet first night at sea. . . 

We are one of the smallest boats in a fleet of 150 (all long out of sight already) and our only claim to fame is the crew with the oldest average age (75) . . . 

Some boats take a direct route (2,700 nautical miles) to St Lucia but others like us head south, until the butter melts, just north of The Cape Verde Islands and then turn right / west – hopefully with the Trade Winds behind us, but it’s at least 200 miles further. . .

Tricky night with wind from every direction but has now settled in the NE and we are going well goose-winged at just over 7 knots.

So what occupies our time?

Well one of our concerns is chafe, not the sort I’m told some people get in their nether regions, but the other sort which wears out ropes very quickly. Each sail has 3 or more sheets & haliards and as the boat is constantly rolling and pitching the load is constantly coming on and off these ropes which can wear out very quickly where they are secured or where they pass round a hard corner. The solution is continuous vigilance and lots of small adjustments so no relaxing round here . . .

We have heard on the radio of few issues for some of the Fleet such as rope round prop, fishing line round prop, medical issue, jammed haliard at top of mast etc have caused some of the fleet to divert to Cape Verde 🇨🇻 Islands.

Others have problems with their water makers (we don’t have one so our ration is simply max 3 litre per head per day – including washing) . . .

Our own problem is very 21st century one, being a fault in the USB socket for charging our devices.

We have just made a temporary fix but if we go off the air that’s why and no cause for concern.

Our course has now veered from south west to due west and just a couple of thousand miles to go to St Lucia…. “