The excitement and nervous anticipation is rising with just a few days to go to the start of ARC 2015. The ARC is a very big event for boats, crews, organisers, friends and the Gran Canary Island with over 200 entries, more than 1200 crew and about 40 nationalities, including Australia with three entries – Trilogy, Toothless and Hanse Sailor. Trilogy’s crew were fortunate to be joined by Myra and Gwen who flew in from Spain and Susan who flew in from Australia to lend support (and when pressed, to join the festivities as well).

Its been a fevered couple of weeks since Trilogy arrived in Las Palmas with an endless list of jobs required to get he ready for the voyage to Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, almost 3000nm away. But we have come to the end of the jobs with the last few tucked away. The preparation was rewarded with Trilogy being the first boat to pass its mandatory safety certification on the first inspection.

Not only has Trilogy been getting ready so too have the crew, attending a range of seminars run by ARC . The seminars were little master classes to help both the experienced and the inexperienced prepare for the adventure of a lifetime covering subjects as weather and routing, managing emergencies, rigging, sailing downwind - and catching fish!

What sets the ARC apart however are the social events, which run during the fortnight leading up to the start. It’s a good excuse for a party and attracts partners and friends from far afield to join the crews. Trilogy’s crew were dedicated social butterflies and party animals at the opening and closing cocktail parties, the daily sundowners, the opening ceremony and march past, and the dinners for crew and owners. Between partying and working on Trilogy they also managed to squeeze in some sightseeing on Gran Canaria as well.

The undoubted social event highlights however weren’t on the ARC social scene.

We were fortunate enough to be invited by the captain of the currently rated number one luxury cruise ship “Mein Schiff” to come aboard for a personally guided tour of the liner and then join him and his partner for dinner. Our hosts - Kjell and Michelle – live in Bundaberg, Qld when not sailing “Mein Schiff” and are keen sailors, now owning one of the famous old racing boats “Siska3”.

And Rick celebrated a very significant birthday (which actually falls the day after the start) by hosting with Susan and dinner for the crew dinner at the 1890’s hotel Santa Catalina. It was a great event in magnificent surroundings.

Trilogy and crew are ready and the weather looks good for 3000nm of downwind sailing in warm winds. Next stop – Saint Lucia - and the start of our cruising adventures in the Caribbean.