ARC rally, Italian boats well positioned with 1,000 miles to go

The body of 33-year-old Swedish sailor Dag Eresund, who fell overboard during ARC 2024 from the Austrian VO65 Ocean Breeze, has not been found. A “warning” remains for the fleet transiting the area identified by the MRCC (Marine Rescue Coordination Center) but the search has been called off. This is one of the saltiest budgets ever for the ARC Atlantic Rally, 140 boats at the start of the 2024 edition, which experienced another difficult situation this year with Sweden’s Leopard 45 Karolina Viking: the latter was abandoned following a major waterway to one of the hulls, the crew rescued by another boat part of the ARC fleet.

ARC – The fleet with 1,000 miles to go

The Atlantic rally meanwhile goes on, with Southern Wind 105 No Rush in the lead. In second position is the Vismara 62 Leaps and Bound, owned by Jean Philippe Blanpain, with much of the Italian crew. Among the tricolor boats is the fine performance of Alessandro Fabbri’s Swan 75 Maimai, leading the cruising division. Excellent racing so far also for Massimo Guardigli’s C-Cat 38 Bellamossa Città di Fiumicino, leading in the Multihull B division. The bulk of the fleet is about 1,000 miles from the finish in Santa Lucia and is currently sailing in heavy trade winds.