A noforeignland user, Elizabeth shares her thoughts on experiencing the World ARC, a global sailing adventure that she and her husband joined this year aboard their home, SV Water Sprite.

A fellow sailor recently asked for any advice about joining the World ARC (WARC), and as we were part of the 2025/26 fleet, I thought there were a few things that might be useful for him to know.

The World ARC (WARC)

The World ARC is a 15 month 26000nm circumnavigation, leaving Rodney Bay, St Lucia in January, returning to the Caribbean in the following April. The fleet typically comprises around 30 boats, drawn from many countries. 

The route generally follows the trade winds, with a full itinerary being posted on the World Cruising Club website along with a wealth of other information about the various rallies. 

Organization and logistics

The WARC is divided into two sections (St Lucia to Australia; Australia to St Lucia), each with multiple legs. You can choose to complete it as one journey or take a break and rejoin a later fleet along the way. A couple of boats in our fleet left in French Polynesia and plan to rejoin in Fiji the following year. Another is taking a year out to cruise in Australia before rejoining to complete their circumnavigation the following year. Two of the boats are participating in the WARC for the second time!

There is also flexibility regarding departure and arrival dates on any specific leg, which can be handy if you need repairs, are waiting for crew, or have visitors joining you. You always know where the other boats in the fleet are, but you’re not always traveling together, and some legs are “free cruising” so boats decide when and where they want to go (eg. 6 weeks “free cruising” in French Polynesia).

Before each leg starts, a Skippers’ Briefing is held, talking through issues relating to passage planning, weather routing, and giving comprehensive information on arrival procedures. Once the fleet has left the harbor, you’re usually only in visual contact with other boats for a day or two as the fleet spreads out. However, there’s good communication and lots of WhatsApp chats going on between the boats, as well as the normal VHF traffic and a daily email from the organizers.

Our motivation to join in

The WARC is billed as “the adventure of a lifetime” but some sailors are quite disparaging of it, saying it’s not for “real sailors”… but I beg to disagree. Sure, it’s not for everyone, but the rally offers some important advantages, some unexpected pleasures, and suffers from quite a few misunderstandings.

We joined because, at the time, the Panama Canal was experiencing drought and boats were having a hard time getting slots to transit. We knew the ARC were good at organizing, and had been managing fleets through the Canal for more than 30 years. Our transit was smooth, as it was for the rest of our fleet, and beyond that, the ARC are super organised – experienced agents in ports/countries where they are needed, a wealth of information regarding local services (e.g. medical, trades etc). They facilitate the immigration and customs requirements for entry and exit to the various countries and even managed all the requirements for cruising in the Galapagos, which is no mean feat!

Benefits of the WARC

Having been part of the WARC there are some positives that stand out, making it an appealing option for cruisers.

Flexibility and pacing

We always planned to leave the fleet in French Polynesia because we want to take our time across the Pacific. We are an Australian boat, and left Sydney in April 2019 to embark on our circumnavigation. We sailed independently for most of this, and we didn’t want to be “rushed” on the last leg home. Pace of travel is a concern for many, especially if you are a slower boat, or if repairs impact your schedule. 

Although there’s flexibility in the itinerary, the faster pace works well for many. We had 7 family boats in our fleet – parents were happy for their children to have the experience, but didn’t want it to be open ended. A number of the owners had taken sabbaticals from work, or had left their businesses in the care of others, so again, the faster pace and known schedule worked well. 

Companionship

Another appeal of the WARC is the company of other boats and cruisers. Meeting other boats is always part of cruising, but we’ve been really impressed with the community spirit the WARC engenders.

All boats are tracked via Yellow Brick, and communication is made easy via Starlink and WhatsApp, so it’s easy to stay in touch even if you’re in different places, especially the “free cruising” sections in the itinerary. The easy communication makes for a super supportive community for anything from “Does anyone have a soldering iron we could borrow?” to “Anyone up for a beach BBQ?” And I was surprised to find what a pleasure it was to drop the anchor in a new bay, knowing several of the boats around us!

We felt quite a strong bond with many of the other boats in our fleet and look forward to staying in touch, even though we won’t be completing the WARC with them.

Overcoming challenges together

There was an incredible willingness for all the boats to share information and experience. For some, this was their first taste of ocean cruising, but for others this was not their first circumnavigation – everyone had something to offer the fleet. Spares were lent between boats and those who could help with a particular issue were always very willing to give their time. Sometimes it was just good to know whatever challenges we were facing, others in the fleet could relate.

There were several newly purchased “high end” boats in the fleet, and they gave some surprises. Like all boats, they had gear failures, and given their relative sophistication and complexities, repairs proved challenging. I must admit, at the start of our journey we didn’t understand the challenges of sourcing and shipping spare parts in remote locations, but we had several years to get our heads around it! It’s definitely a factor, and if anything, the WARC makes it easier thanks to their local contacts in the various countries, and again, the community came into its own in providing help to those in need.

Would I recommend it?

Having experienced the World ARC, I’m a fan. There are considerations – time, money etc (all the usual!), but there are options and benefits that may make it a better fit for you.