Grenada has welcomed the first arrival of ARC+ 2021 as Pierre De Saint-Vincent’s Outremer 51 Piment Rouge (FRA) claimed line honours in the second leg of the rally from Mindelo, Cape Verde. The new French multihull, sailed by a crew of six, crossed the finish line off Quarantine Point, St George’s, Grenada at 23:10:23 local time on Wednesday 1st December, completing their transatlantic crossing after 12 days and 14 hours at sea. Arriving after 2,424nm of sailing, there were loud cheers from the crew and music blasting out from the comfortable deck of the catamaran to hail their arrival.
The crew were elated to be the first boat to finish and after crossing the line, made their way into the Carenage before being guided by Dock Master Joel Grey into Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina where the ARC+ boats will be hosted over the next few days.
The ARC+ yellow shirts and Marina Manager Zara Tremlett were waiting for Piment Rouge on the dock to give a very warm Spice Island welcome. The crew donned fun long black wigs and sunglasses for their night time arrival before spraying a bottle of French champagne to celebrate their victory! It has not been an easy run across the Atlantic with light airs haunting the rhumb line route requiring the navigators to sail further south than ever before in search of the tradewinds, but the adrenaline of making landfall and excitement of such a warm welcome provided a fitting end to their voyage.
The Piment Rouge crew are Pierre De Saint-Vincent, Hervé Cardona, Catherine Ducret, Vincent Henry, Serge Milliard and Sylvie Servoles.
“I’m feeling good. The ARC+ was a very good experience with a very good crew and there was a great atmosphere on board. We went south and made at least 20 directional changes en route to Grenada from Cape Verde. The last two days were quite difficult, with a lot of rain, but we managed a 240nm run in the last 24 hours. I’ve only had the boat since July but I know now that Piment Rouge is a good boat,” said Pierre De Saint-Vincent.
The first arrival is a special moment as it officially kicks off the ARC+ arrival programme in Grenada. Welcoming the ARC+ fleet for the first time, the Grenada Tourism Authority Team and staff of Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina who have been diligently planning a programme of events compliant with COVID protocols and are dedicated to giving ARC+ sailors the warmest of welcomes to ‘Pure Grenada’. Manager of Nautical Development and Marketing & Sales (Ag), Mrs. Nikoyan Roberts stated, “The Grenada Tourism Authority is thrilled to welcome the yachts, especially during this festive season. We have planned an exciting and safe itinerary that is sure to delight and give the crews a true taste of what Grenada has to offer. Our people stand out globally as being resilient, warm and welcoming to everyone and we are showcasing our best for these international sailors. ”
A further 70 yachts will make landfall in the coming days. All the yachts are equipped with a YB Tracker, regularly updating their position to the online Fleet Viewer and YB Races app for friends and family to follow the fleet. Tales of fishing triumphs and tradewind sailing will also be sent to the World Cruising Club website, as participants share their ocean adventures.
