The start Whilst the Rally is strictly a cruising event with the use of engine propulsion allowed, commencing the journey does follow a race start sequence and, at the other end, prizes are given after adjustments for handicaps and engine hours used. Like many ocean races, the start didn’t go to plan for us. Three to four knots of breeze, sloppy seas left over from several days of strong wind and 46 other multihulls all trying to head downwind at the start isn’t anyone’s idea of fun — unless you unleash the ‘iron sail’ which many in the know did. We remained pure, engine off and hoisted the Code Zero to cross the line, before changing to our ‘North Easy Furling Gennaker’ — although around the boat it had earned another name: the “Difficult Unfurl Gennaker.” After almost an hour drifting along at only two to three knots trying to get it deployed properly, a procession of boats slipped past us, many under engine. (Engine use is permitted in the ARC under its handicapping system, but it still doesn’t feel ‘quite right’.) Finally, the gennaker filled and we started to hit our numbers. There is something magical about sailing at eight or nine knots beneath a colourful gennaker in only 13 or 14 knots of breeze. Sunshine glistens across the Atlantic, flying-fish scatter ahead of the bows, and life couldn’t be much better. Well … except for a few thoughts: Where’s the next boat? How close are they? Are they faster? Should we be doing something different? That’s offshore racing disguised as cruising! The ‘Southern Gamble’ Very quickly the fleet split. Some took a north-favoured course. Others, including us, committed to a route nearly 300 miles further south based on weather routing from Christian at WMI. The weather routing briefing described conditions along the northern route to be less stable, stronger pressure whilst the southern route was labelled marginally slower with more stable conditions. As first-timers with the new boat, we opted south. “Go south, young man!” Once committed, there was no turning back. Zero to hero. Today’s roosters become tomorrow’s feather dusters. TAM BLOG POST #1 Half the fleet turned west too early at bottom of Gran Canaria into the wind shadow, opening the door for us. As can be seen the fleet is splitting into the northern route and southern route – they have yet to encounter the wind shadow of Tenerife Island and its 3700m-high volcano at the south. Maybe another advantage in the making … Meanwhile Bron and I are on watch 11pm til 1am. We’re doing 8-9 knots, sometimes 10, in 13/14 knots at 145 true wind angle. Autopilot doing its thing, AIS showing ships approaching and we’re managing separation by about 2.5 miles. Rob and Neil are back on soon at 0100. We’re next back on at 0500. Mainsheet 2026 Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook 66 ARC Feature
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