Atlantic Rally for Cruisers: Fast ride across the ocean - "A real thrill"

Since its launch in Gran Canaria on 20 November, the Marsaudon ORC 50 performance catamaran has covered an average of 220 nautical miles a day. The expectations of the new owner, Tom Kassberg from the USA, have thus been fulfilled: He had only taken over the cat from the shipyard this year and then completed a trial round in the Mediterranean. On board for the transatlantic trip were a skipper and four crew members - all sailors with regatta experience. The 3000 nautical mile trip across the ocean was a long-cherished dream of the owner.

Unlike last year, the current ARC fleet can look forward to the best trade wind conditions. Squalls only kept them on their toes on one day, says Kassberg. "We set a new record for ourselves - 28.2 knots! At night with the spinnaker up, it was a real thrill." The biggest challenge was sailing through large fields of brown algae that got caught on the rudders.

The "Malolo" is one of the 36 catamarans in the field. Many of its crews are more in cruising mode and still have a good eight to ten days at sea ahead of them. The number of catamarans is increasing year on year, which is gradually leading to space problems in the marina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

A total of 136 yachts are still underway. The only motor yacht in the field, the Nordhavn 72 "Alchemy", is expected to reach the Caribbean next. She is expected to arrive in St Lucia on 4 December. She had left Gran Canaria with a delay.

In the cruising yacht category, several ships currently have around 150 nautical miles to go. It could be a close finish between the Southern Wind 82 "Feeling Good", the Swan 60 "Emma", the Shipman 63 "Fatjax" and the Xp 55 "Paradox". The fastest German yacht is currently Bernd Fuhrmann's "Emma".

Meanwhile, the crews arrive, sailing with the ARC Plus via Cape Verde to the Caribbean gradually reach their destination of Grenada. Ronja Dörnfeld from Berlin, for whom the leap across the Atlantic is the start of a circumnavigation, is already sailing within sight of the island. An interview with the 25-year-old skipper about her plans and her boat will be published shortly in YACHT 1/2023.