Columnists

ARC2011, organised by Cowes-based World Cruising Club, drew to a close in Saint Lucia on 17 December with the prizegiving ceremony in Gros Islet.

The 26th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) finished in fine style on Saturday, 17 December with a spectacular prize giving ceremony at the Gaiety Nightclub in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia.

Perhaps the best example of handling failures and breakages at sea during the 2011 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) came from the crew on Spindrift of Jersey, a Moody 44.

This year's Atlantic Rally for Cruisers saw 217 sailing yachts cross the starting line in Las Palmas; 73 of them reported breakages or failures at sea.

The 200th boat in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers 2011 fleet is due in on 13 December, and only a few more still remain at sea.

The majority of the ARC2011 fleet are still at sea, slowly reducing the miles to Saint Lucia.

Here's a seasonal recipe to enjoy from columnist and superyacht chef trainer Malcolm Alder-Smith.

No record, but Atlantic Rally for Cruisers crossing completed in 11 days and 14 hours.

The leading boats in the ARC 2011 (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) fleet were expected to arrive in Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia on Thursday, 1 December.

ARC's (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) news update on Monday, 28 November.

Happy Thanksgiving to all 18 American ARC 2011 boats, and to all the US crews sailing in the ARC this year.

With the northeast trade winds blowing fairly steadily, most crews taking part in the World Cruising Club's ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) were settling into their 'at-sea' routines, watch patterns, sail changes, cooking, fishing, reading and maintenance.

British sailor Allan Dobson lived in Hong Kong for many years and as a member of the Royal Hong Kong YC sailed in regattas such as the China Sea Race, San Fernando Race, Vietnam Race, and cruised from Panama to Tahiti.

With a week to go before the ARC fleet leave Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, crews from across the world marched and danced behind their national flags in a stirring parade around Las Palmas Marina.

What an amazing life changing experience, three years of my life leading to this one event and it was everything I had hoped it to be and so much more, writes columnist Dan Dytch after completing the 2011 Mini Transat.

The 230 boats taking part in this year's Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) are starting to arrive in Las Palmas.

During research for my last book, I spent some considerable time trying to find a definitive guide to the sizes of superyachts, writes columnist Malcolm Alder-Smith.

Our columnist Dan Dytch racing in the Mini Transat onboard 617 Soitec has reached the marina of Salvador de Bahia in Brazil, taking 19th place in the Protos.

The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) 2011, organised by Cowes-based World Cruising Club, should see 30 multihulls at the start, a record-breaking number for the ARC.

It's the time of year when sailors who are sailing across to the Caribbean in the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) are thinking about making their way to the Canaries, often via Spain or Portugal, to be there in plenty of time for the official start on 20 November.

As a result of some great sailing our columnist Dan Dytch onboard Soitec finished Leg 1 of the Mini Transat race in 12th place in the Protos after nine days, five hours, 10 minutes and 52 seconds.

Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch was one of 79 skippers to cross the start line for the Mini Transat race from La Rochelle, France to Bahia, Brazil, on 25 September.

"I am now into the final stages of preparation for the transatlantic; on 25 September we set sail from La Rochelle for Bahia, Salvador, in Brazil," writes Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch.

"I have been training in La Rochelle;" writes Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch, "my French is not good enough to make full use of the briefings and explanations but to see photos and video from off the boat is a great tool."

"Once you have secured a position on your first yacht, you will be so full of excitement and anticipation, about so many different things, your head will spin," writes Malcolm Alder-Smith in The Marine Cookery Bible.

The 26th Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, the ARC, will set sail from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on Sunday, 20 November, bound for Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, 2,700 nautical miles across the Atlantic.

It's that time of year again - strange ceremonies have happened around Stonehenge, there's the first sign of the "nights are drawing in again" bird but more importantly it's the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race this Saturday, 25 June, with a record 1,908 entries.

For the uninitiated, Gazpacho is a chilled, Spanish, tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucia, writes Malcolm Alder-Smith, columnist for Cowes Online.

Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch has just received official confirmation of his place in this September's Mini Transat, a 4,200 mile single-handed race from La Rochelle in France to Bahia in Brazil.

Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch was one of 30 competitors on 15 yachts which set off on 15 May on a 561 mile course from Plymouth to the Fastnet Rock via Eddystone Rock and Bishop Rock, then on to the Coningbeg Light and back to Plymouth.

The Norton family continues their circumnavigation on Miss Tippy with the Blue Water Rally, as related by Brian Norton, and, we bring you a slideshow of images from the last two years of their round the world voyage.

The one question I keep getting asked is "how did you finish up writing a book about working as interior crew and cooking on yachts?" writes Malcolm Alder-Smith, new columnist for Cowes Online.

This year Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch aims to take part in every Mini race in the Atlantic and Mediterranean circuits; here are his interesting race reports from the recent Archipelago and Grand Prix Italia.

With the approach of summer, many people think of taking a few months or a year out and sailing down to warmer climes, perhaps with the idea of crossing the Atlantic after the hurricane season has passed later in the year, writes Cowes Online columnist Simon Rowell.

Cowes-based World Cruising Club has experienced an upsurge in interest in its sailing rallies following a highly successful ARC 2010 (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) which started with 233 yachts.

British solo sailor and columnist for Cowes Online Dan Dytch is set to take on the French at their own game after securing a title sponsor for the 2011 Mini 6.50 season.

The part of the atmosphere we live in is known as the boundary layer, writes meteorologist and Cowes Online columnist Simon Rowell.

"It's official, I have signed contracts with Soitec and will be racing Mini Soitec for the 2011 season," writes Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch.

Cowes Online columnist Dan Dytch is now in his third season in the Mini Transat and will compete in the 2011 transatlantic race between France and Brazil.