Up to 21 yachtsmen have signed up for an Atlantic rally which is now to incorporate a racing section. The Christmas Caribbean Rally event is linking up with the Royal Southampton Yacht Club to run their IRC division race.

Sailing Rallies founder, John Simpson, said: ‘The Royal Southampton has enormous experience in organising well managed racing and Rear Commodore of Sailing, Brian Hinde, Bob Trimble Racing Captain, and Commodore, Sue Lamb have been very enthusiastic about the race.

The Christmas Caribbean Race will be run under the guidance and race rules of the RSYC. This means that any charter/racing boats will be able to join in and whilst the cruising division will have an element of fun competition, those who want to take it more seriously and dash across the Atlantic can now do so. The good news is that the price is the same whether you are racing or cruising and you pay one price for the boat (no extra cost for extra crew). There will be slightly different safety requirements which will be posted on our website shortly.’

In preparation for the Atlantic crossing Sailing Rallies is launching a Transatlantic Forum Weekend, 11 – 12th May taking place at the Cruising Association, Limehouse Basin, London. Sailing Rallies’ Events Manager, Mikaela Meik explains the format for the forum.
 
‘The weekend will be covering preparation, planning and what you are likely to experience during an Atlantic crossing. Whether you are planning to sail the Atlantic this year, next year or if you have only just started dreaming about it – the Transatlantic Forum will provide expert advice and plenty of hints and tips to make your trip a success.’
 
The forum will showcase the rally and a variety of speakers, all of whom are experienced ocean sailors, eager to share their in-depth knowledge & experience. There will be a wide range of useful topics – all relevant to those embarking on a long ocean passage. Guest speakers include Jane Russell – author of ‘The Atlantic Crossing Guide’, weather forecaster & routing specialist, Mike Broughton MD of Winningwind.com and John Simpson, Managing Director of Sailing Rallies. There will also be representatives from a wide variety of companies including Advance Yacht, Mailasail, Peters & May and Berthon on hand to offer advice and answer questions.
 
Contact Mikaela on 0845 257 5004 or mikaela@sailingrallies.com

The Christmas Caribbean Rally, including the IRC racing division starts on Monday December 16th from Rubicon Marina, Lanzarote bound for Jolly Harbour Antigua. The package includes 15 nights free berthing, one fixed price for each yacht regardless of the number of crew, all yachts will receive a Christmas and New Year party pack and Sailing Rallies have negotiated many more discounts including lift-outs, yard work, chandlers and insurance. Sailing Rallies offer assistance in cutting through the ‘red tape’ of official paperwork and will be organising lots of social and fun activities in the Canaries and Caribbean.

For more information go to: www.sailingrallies.com