ARC+ Bank Holiday Weekend in Las Palmas
by World Cruising Club 3 Nov 2021 08:39 UTC
7 November 2021
2021 ARC+ Bank Holiday Weekend in Las Palmas © World Cruising Club
The fleet of ARC+ 2021 have all arrived into Marina Las Palmas and the vibe around the pontoons is full of excitement and anticipation.
The bank holiday weekend was full of activities which began on Saturday with the ARC+ children joining Kids Fun where they played games on the beach after having their faces painted with scary Halloween images. Judging by the high excitement on the ARC+ platform it is clear the children have made firm friends and are having a fabulous time together.
World Cruising Club continues to support The Foresta Foundation, which is a not for profit organisation focused on recovering, maintaining and preserving the forests of the Canary Islands. Now in its 12th year, a further 250 trees were planted on Gran Canaria this Sunday by enthusiastic ARC+ participants. Thank you to all those who participated in this very topical and much appreciated organisation.
Monday was All Saints Day which is celebrated in Spain with a holiday. Despite many shops being closed, the ARC+ staff were at hand throughout the day to assist with safety inspections, final check-ins and help with any general questions. Monday was also the start of the ARC+ Seminar and Information Sessions. Because local restrictions continue, and to provide choice, this year seminars are both available to view live, via zoom and also online. The programme began with Stokey Woodall giving a very informative talk on Emergency Navigation at Sea which was followed by the legendary Chris Tibbs guiding participants through a question and answers session on Management of Emergencies.
To get to know the crews of other boats sailing with ARC+, the programme includes the opportunity to attend a Crew Dinner on Monday and Tuesday evening. Organised at a local restaurant overlooking the marina, Embarcadero provides the ideal location where crews can enjoy chatting together over a sumptuous three course dinner with wines.
Kids Club began today, Tuesday, and was fully attended by the ARC+ children. They had a very special guest to welcome them, Ed the Iguana. Having crossed the Atlantic over 30 times now each year he looks for a new family boat to share the experience with. Children are asked to send a letter to him stating why Ed should join them on their boat. One lucky family will take him on board from Las Palmas to Mindelo where he is sure to be looked after extremely well. Depending on how he feels, he may then hop on another boat to complete the leg to Grenada. Whoever he goes with, he always seems to have the very best of times.
Crews of all ages continue with their preparations and above all greatly value the opportunity to meet with fellow participants and share knowledge of their experiences and discuss the adventurous journey ahead.