The first yacht in the ARC 2025 fleet has reached Saint Lucia. The "Nextgen by Jajo", the former Volvo 65 racer of the Dutch team Brunel, completed the 2,700 nautical mile distance from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to the Caribbean in just 10 days, 48 minutes and 51 seconds. The crew led by skipper Jelmer Van Beek thus secured the line honours.
After crossing the finish line, the team was welcomed by representatives of the World Cruising Club, the Ministry of Tourism of Saint Lucia, the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and the "Igy" Rodney Bay Marina.
Skipper Van Beek proud of team performance
"Winning line honours is always something special and never easy. We knew we had the fastest boat, but you have to be able to realise it. I'm really proud of the team," said skipper Jelmer Van Beek after the race. "We had fast sailing day after day. There was so much downwind sailing, we really enjoyed that." The crew received a warm welcome on arrival: After ten days at sea, there was rum punch for everyone.
With its carbon hull and rig, the "Nextgen by Jajo" is extremely light. "We can easily reach speeds of over 20 knots. The Volvo 65 is my favourite boat and I have crossed the Atlantic eight times with this boat," explained Van Beek. Before the boat became known as "Nextgen by Jajo", it sailed as "Team Brunel" and won line honours and the then "ARC" speed record back in 2015.
Further arrivals in the coming hours and days
The next boat to arrive in Saint Lucia early this morning was the trimaran "Picomole" skippered by Aldo Fumagalli. The "ReMax One" and "La Loevie" should follow in the next few hours. The majority of the fleet, however, will be able to enjoy sailing in the trade winds for a few more days. Most of the crews still have over 1,000 nautical miles ahead of them.
Among them is German skipper Marlene Brudek, who also started in the racing group with two fellow sailors on her JPK 10.30 "Heartbeat 2". She is currently in fifth place out of ten boats - with a chance of securing a podium place at the end.
For most crews, the fun factor takes centre stage
The vast majority of ARC participants, on the other hand, are only interested in crossing the Atlantic. It doesn't matter to them how long it takes. Having fun and arriving safely is the motto, and every arrival in Rodney Bay in the north of Saint Lucia is celebrated like a victory.
What happens afterwards varies greatly. Some will be travelling back home by plane before Christmas. Other crews spend the festive season and in some cases the coming spring in the Caribbean before setting sail on their return journey across the North Atlantic. Some sailors, on the other hand, point the bow of their yacht further westwards, towards Panama and the South Seas.
Some fly home, others stay in the Caribbean - or sail on
"We are happy to be back in the Caribbean. My personal motto is that as a sailor you follow the sun!" said a delighted "Nextgen" skipper Van Beek. His team will first be travelling on to Saint Maarten to take part in the Caribbean 600 and the Heineken Regatta. They will then return to the Netherlands.
The ARC is primarily a cruising rally that enables sailors to complete ocean passages in a safe and sociable manner. However, according to the organisers, the victory of the "Nextgen by Jajo" shows once again that the rally is also attractive for regatta crews.
More on the topic:
- First ARC+ 2025 boat crosses the finish line in Grenada
- Spectacular start to the first stage of the ARC+
- What makes the ARC+ so appealing
- How coastal sailors become ocean sailors: An interview with Paul Tetlow, head of the World Cruising Club
- Tapio Lehtinen sails the oldest ship in the ARC 2025 fleet with his Swan 55 "Galiana"
