World Cruising Club marks 40th edition of the ARC with introduction of 'ARC Live' and 'ARC Radio'

ARC 2024 start © James Mitchell

2025 marks an historic year for the world-renowned Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) ocean cruising rally, as the iconic transatlantic sailing event celebrates its 40th edition.

As part of this special occasion, World Cruising Club will be introducing two exciting new media channels, ARC Radio and ARC Live, to cover the build up to the start in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and broadcast the sailor stories from the beginning of this epic adventure.

ARC Radio is a digital station, professionally produced for World Cruising Club, which will broadcast 24/7 around the world and will include a mix of music, key information for crews and interviews with international participants joining the event.

To compliment this, ARC Live will take the format of a daily Facebook live broadcast lasting between 60-90 minutes, with watch again available on YouTube. This broadcast will also include videos of the latest social events, the seminar series and safety related activities, which are an integral part of the pre-departure programme for the ARC rally.

This year, around 900 participants are due to set sail from Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, heading for Saint Lucia, and the introduction of these broadcast initiatives will help to strengthen the bonds made between the sailors from over 30 different countries and to keep their friends, family and followers updated back home.

Speaking about the introduction of ARC Radio and ARC Live, World Cruising Club Managing Director, Paul Tetlow, said: "ARC Live and ARC Radio will make this iconic sailing event available to a global audience. By broadcasting the excitement and sailor stories from Las Palmas to viewers and listeners around the world, we'll inform and inspire people and recognise the huge achievements and ambitions of our participants.

"We'll provide live coverage of events, including the start, interviews with participants, and share the atmosphere of the rally. These innovations will show the spirit of adventure and camaraderie that defines the ARC, and indeed all World Cruising Club events.

"Through ARC Live and ARC Radio, we hope to share diverse personal stories: the journeys to the start line, the motivations, the challenges, and the achievements of participants from all backgrounds.

"It's incredible to see how far the ARC has come over the past 40 years. What started as an initial idea, has grown into a global sailing community, bringing together thousands of boats and tens of thousands of people with a shared spirit of adventure.

"Watching the ARC evolve alongside other World Cruising Club events has been a real privilege. It's not just about the miles sailed, but it's about the memories made, and the connections formed through ocean sailing and exploring destinations."

ARC Radio will start broadcasting when the ARC programme begins on Monday 10 November, and there'll be breakfast, lunchtime and 'sundowner' shows live from the ARC village, from Monday 17 November.

ARC Live will begin daily broadcasting on 18 November as anticipation grows before the start of the ARC, which will be covered live by both channels on Sunday 23 November.

To listen live to ARC Radio or to watch back editions of ARC Live, you can visit the World Cruising Club website. By visiting this site, you can also stay up to date with the programme and all the preparations for the key events in the world sailing calendar.