Ninfea (Gran Canaria - St. Lucia)

The Atlantic Rally Cruise (the ARC) is the biggest ocean rally in the world with 250 boats attending this year. It is supposed to be safer to cross with many boats at the same time as there will be always help available if things go wrong. To me the chaos of millions boats sailing did not feel too relaxing as there always is the risk of collision. But after the first days the group spread and seeing a boat in the horrizon was an occasion in the end of the voyage.

Our boat was a 53 foot Amel Super Maramu 2000 equipped and provisioned with everything we would be needing, especially for high quality dining. People living together for the next few weeks came from very different backgrounds: an Italian Venezuelan couple with their multinational son and crew from around the world with skills together covering all areas required for the ocean crossing.

Ready for anything

Roberto the Captain is a retired nuclear engineer with excellent skills for fishing and playing card games. Thanks to him I now have a much better understanding for the theory of relativity.

Mariantoinetta as the wife of our captain had the role of fulfilling his wildest dreams in the field of the culinary. Sometimes I picked up good tips for cooking from her as well as handy Spanish sentences. Cono! mueve ese culo!

Robert Jr. is their 13-year-old son who enjoyed getting run over on the wrestling mattress at the end of the boat but also in the field of board games.

Sally came from London to do most of the communication with surrounding boats and excelled also at the field of cleaning dishes.

Francesco is the Italian bad boy who quit smoking, and was summoned when the generator caught fire.

My special skills in the kitchen granted me four times the honour of preparing food for the lucky diners.

Spectacular spectators

Thomas came to say goodbyes just before the start

Mariantonieta and Sally were mostly behind the cameras

Too many boats on the sea

Starting line

Fruits preserve better in nets

We had some problems with Amel system second gennaker

Sailing

At the sea the days followed each other with great similarity

-waking up and eating corn flakes

-altering sails if it was needed

-few games of checkers

-taking a nap

-waking up when we caught a fish

-reading a book

-dinner

-playing cards

-another nap

-some excercises or measuring strength with Robertito

-evening snack

-sleeping / night watch

2-3 hours divided in watching stars, excercising, listening music, thinking and plain relaxing, 

although on the rougher nights the time was used on observing the wind strengt/direction

other boats, possible squalls and altering sails depending on those elements.

The celestial activity peaked at the third night when I counted 9 flying stars and one huge meteorite that lit the sky. With each flying star I kept wishing various wishes but mostly for longer and thicker eyebrows. My wish is still yet to be granted

Madonna de barbuta

picture for my mother

Sailor warriors

We are hoping to get the prize for the best fishing.

1 Sailfish which we accidentally let it go as it was too small anyway, around 8kg

1 Wahoo, 5kg

3 Bonitos, 3-4kg

19 Dorados, 2-8kg

Biggest fish

Same fish

Same fish

Solar extravaganza

Training mattress

training mattress

Modelling for Armani

San Francesco

After 17 days we arrived at St. Lucia and the crew prowed the last requirement of being a true sailors by absorbing great amounts of rum.

Direction further