ARC Bahamas Journal pt. 4

ARC – S/V Euro Trash Girl (Part 4)

Why did I choose to join this blue water adventure on a 40 foot J120 with seven other people that I knew nothing about? Quite simply, I needed to find out for myself what it honestly takes to sail 24/7 for an extended period of time on the open ocean!

From the time the race committee sounded the horn our excitement levels grew. We trimmed for the course somewhere between beam/broad reach. Heading towards and through the Gulf Stream we would remain on a starboard tack and this is true for most of this trip. As we lost sight of land so went our cell signal. When I powered down my cell phone I knew it meant no family contact for the remainder of the journey. No cell phone?!….this in itself would prove to be therapeutic!
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ARC Bahamas Journal pt. 3

ARC – S/V Euro Trash Girl (Part 3, Let the race begin!)

I woke up well rested early Monday morning. Hurray Race Day! I threw back the blankets and turned on the lights to reveal that my dry bag had somehow exploded its contents all over the room during our lengthy stay in Portsmouth. Oh well, it will give me a chance to get reacquainted with my gear.

The crew had instructions to meet aboard Euro Trash Girl at 0730 hours. A few of us checked out of the hotel and walked the rivers bulk head for the last time. The skies were clear and blue, the river was like glass and it was a perfect Fall morning for a sail.

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ARC Bahamas Journal pt. 2

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ARC – S/V Euro Trash Girl (Part 2 The Long Wait)

Ocean Marine Yacht Center located in Portsmouth Virginia is where S/V Euro Trash Girl would spend the next few nights tied up. Our 2 Captains, Jeff and Tony, remained at the marina after we docked to meet with ARC officials. The rest of the crew enjoyed a warm summer like stroll towards our hotel along the rivers bulk head, it was a beautiful day. Of course being the good sailors that we are we decided to delay checking into our rooms and grabbed seats at the bar! After a couple hours of wondering what happened to our skippers….in they walk looking exhausted and in need of a cocktail(s)! They said they had a short list of items to tend to in order to pass the ARC safety requirements, most were easy fixes such as adding a 6 foot length of line to our bucket! The most time sensitive item was replacing our LifeSling because there wasn’t a date of manufacture/inspection on it, our new unit would be overnighted to the marina! ALL issues resolved! Read more

ARC Bahamas Journal

The following is part 1 of a five part series written by Rick Pryor, one of our crew members from the ARC Bahama, many thanks to Rick.

ARC Bahamas 2014 (Annapolis MD to Portsmouth VA to Marsh Harbor Bahamas)

Wednesday October 29 – Sunday November 9, 2014

Where do I start?! When I first saw that JWorld Annapolis announced they would be participating in the ARC Caribbean/Bahamas I thought…wow a race from Portsmouth Virginia to the Bahamas sounded cool, but I really didn’t give it serious consideration. My family had just enjoyed a wonderful BVI charter in July and I figured the timing wasn’t quite right for a selfish blue water bucket list adventure for myself. Over the next several weeks I continued to daydream about what it would be like to really sail non-stop for days on end on the deep blue sea, especially with a crew I knew very little about! By the way the ARC – Atlantic Rally for Cruisers is professionally coordinated by the World Cruising Club, they offer ARC’s all around the globe including a 26000 NM circumnavigation if you have some spare time! check them out at www.worldcruising.com

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J World Annapolis Begins Caribbean 1500 Bahamas Route

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While the Volvo Ocean Race sailors are bashing their way towards South Africa, six J World Annapolis clients and J World director Jeff Jordan and coach Tony Bastidas have just finished leg one of their exciting offshore cruise to the Bahamas.

While the Volvo gets the glory, sailing from Annapolis to the Bahamas is no small task.  Possibly the most challenging part of the trip for these six clients was the trip down the Bay. The crew dodged ships and navigated the Chesapeake overnight and arrived in Portsmouth, VA this afternoon just over 24 hours after leaving Annapolis.  For most of the clients, last night was their first overnight sail – not quite shellbacks yet, but on their way to becoming seasoned sailors.  Just a few days from their final departure – the ocean beckons them.

The next few days will be spent preparing the boat for the ocean passage and engaging with World Cruising Club members and others crews participating in the Caribbean 1500 and ARC Bahamas Rally.  There are multiple ways of tracking the team as they make their way to the Bahamas.

1)  You will find their track at the World Cruising Club’s site via the Yellowbrick Tracking service

2)  You will find their track via the Euro Trash Girl’s SPOT Gen3 Tracker

3)  You can also track their progress by following our MMSI Number (367641340) on any number of AIS tracking pages.  I am currently a fan of Vessel Finder.  Click on the link and it should take you to our page.

Stay tuned for more coverage, interviews and news of the first annual J World Annapolis ARC Bahamas Rally!

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