Canadian Boating May 2024 - 20

CRUISING
Crossing the ocean in the
Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC)
aboard a new Nautitech 44 Open
By | Max Shaw Photos By | Peter Hunt and Nautitech
"
Hello, old friend, " I said as I surveyed
the clear sky and settled into my comfortable
place at the helm. The constellation
Orion gazed at me silently, a welcome
offshore presence after four years ashore,
while SV June's sleek hulls cut cleanly
through the waves.
This Atlantic crossing, aboard a brand
new Nautitech Open 44, had been initiated
several years earlier, shortly after
my wife and I finished our 36,000 nm
trip around the Pacific with our children.
Upon our return, we began helping other
families set off on similar adventures, initially
in a training role and then through
yacht brokerage. It was in these roles I
met Peter and Natalie Hunt and was able
to help with their grand adventure.
I am privileged to spend time on dozens
of boats and often help others head
out sailing, but longer offshore trips rarely
fit into my work schedule. After Peter and
Natalie narrowed their choice of vessel
to a 2023 Nautitech 44 Open, I mapped
Nautitech 44 Open on sea trials. Credit: Nautitech.
out various longer-term itineraries that
included crossing the Atlantic as part of
the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC).
While they were experienced sailors, they
had never crossed an ocean before - let
alone with their children - so I promptly
volunteered to assist. I had about 55,000
nm of experience including one disastrous
Atlantic crossing (another story altogether
...) but my catamaran experience had
been limited to racing, sea trials and local
deliveries. Here was an excuse to get back
offshore again - I like to think of this as
my natural habitat - and spend some quality
time on a performance catamaran.
Their vessel was ready in May 2023, so
I flew out to the Nautitech factory in La
Rochelle, France for the handover and orientation.
It was great fun to sail together,
and it was certainly not a hardship to stay
in La Rochelle. Peter, Natalie, and their
children then cruised 4,800 nm through
the Mediterranean on both the European
and African coasts before sailing down to
20 CANADIAN BOATING | MAY 2024
the Canary Islands, where I met up with
them in November 2023 for the ARC
preparations.
The ARC is one of the longest-standing
rallies in the world, and really started
the whole trend of cruising rallies. Every
year, over 200 boats sail the 2,700 nm
from Gran Canaria to St Lucia. Despite
the ARC's stellar reputation, as a self-described
independent sailor, I must admit
to some initial misgivings and preconceptions.
On arrival, I was immediately
impressed by the quality of the program
and the level of organization, and my
doubts were quickly dispelled. The safety
inspections and seminars went a long
way to preparing the fleet, and the many
activities meant that the participants (typically
more than 1,200 sailors) developed
cohesion right from the beginning of their
Atlantic adventure.
The clever ARC staff (a.k.a. " Yellow
Shirts " due to their brightly coloured and
distinctive attire) assigned the 12 " kid
Canadian Boating May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Boating May 2024
