First ARC Finisher Arrives at St. Lucia

The British Swan 82 DreamCatcher arrived at the Eastern Caribbean island of St. Lucia this morning, taking line honors in the ARC 2008, the world’s largest cruising rally.

Captain Jarrod Cripps and crew made the 2,700-mile passage from the Canary Islands in just under 14 days, nearly three days slower than the all-time record due to abnormally light winds. As is the tradition for every arrival, the DreamCatcher crew was met with St. Lucian rum punch and a basket of fresh local fruits provided by islanders.

Many boats within the 214-boat fleet are still nearly 1,000 miles back, but organizers hope most will arrive by the end of the week when shoreside festivities will be in full swing. For complete info see the website.