2027-18 | FALKEN | ARC | Las Palmas-St. Lucia
FALKEN is headed back across the Pond for a second time in 2027! 59º North will return a bit to our "roots" with this trip, where we'll be joining the iconic 'Atlantic Rally for Cruisers', aka ARC rally. Andy & Mia worked for the ARC going back to 2008 and have long been involved in running the shoreside operations on rallies including the Caribbean 1500, ARC Europe and ARC itself. It's definitely with a bit of nostalgia that we're joining the rally fleet! The sail itself will be a classic east-to-west Tradewind trans-Atlantic, 3,000 miles from Gran Canaria to St. Lucia, an island we haven't visited since 2013 when Andy's dad's boat SOJOURNER was stationed on the finish line in Rodney Bay. Being part of the ARC rally means we'll be sailing in company with over 250 boats, from 30-footers up to boats much bigger than FALKEN. Crew will be welcome to be part of all rally events in Las Palmas and St. Lucia - they've got seminars, parties, island tours and a lot more going on which you can be a part of. Andy will be involved in delivering some of the pre-departure seminars. Weather-wise, expect it to be chillier than you think on leaving Las Palmas, but quickly warm up as we 'sail south 'til the butter melts, then turn right!' FALKEN should complete the crossing in 16-20 days, depending on how well-established the Trades are at the time.
SAILING STAFF
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The Passage
Rough itinerary
All 59º North passages are very much subject to weather. We pick our routes based on the "correct" time of year to be sailing in the different regions we visit, and we always build-in enough time to give us some margin for weather windows. The skipper has final say on departure dates and weather windows, but generally speaking, the intinerary for this passage will look like this:
November 17, 2027
Crew arrive to FALKEN at 1300 in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. FALKEN orientation followed by crew dinner. All crew stay onboard FALKEN.
Prep Days
Between the joining and departure dates, all pre-passage preparation, provisioning, and safety briefings will be completed. The specific pre-departure schedule will be outlined and posted onboard FALKEN by the skipper.
November 21, 2027
Scheduled departure, weather dependent.
December 12, 2027
Latest date (12:00 noon) for crew to depart FALKEN from Rodney Bay, Saint Lucia.
ARC Events & Dates:
The ARC Rally has many events both in Las Palmas prior to the rally start, and in St. Lucia after the rally concludes. The dates published on our site, here, represent the days you may stay aboard FALKEN in port both before and after the passage. But you're welcome to join the ARC events before this join date, but you'll need to book shoreside accommodation.
Likewise, after we arrive in St. Lucia, you're welcome to stay for all the ARC festivities, but you must depart the boat at the end date here on the website. FALKEN will be one of the faster boats in the fleet and therefore will get to St. Lucia pretty early in the festivities. We would expect to arrive into St. Lucia around Dec. 10-ish +/- 1-2 days.
Tuesday 9 November: ARC offices opens in Las Palmas and shoreside activities begin
Sunday 14 November: Latest boat arrival date for Las Palmas
Saturday 20 November: Skippers' briefing
Sunday 21 November: Start day. Las Palmas to Saint Lucia
Friday 17 December: ARC finish line closes in Saint Lucia
Saturday 18 December: Prizegiving in Saint Lucia
More info on ARC activities and dates can be found here or at https://worldcruising.com/events/arc/arc-2027.
TRAVEL LOGISTICS
Las Palmas
Rodney Bay
Weather conditions
In-depth analysis, by WRI
WHY 59º NORTH?
ambitious sailing schedule
The best boats
Professional, well-paid staff
knowledge & community
Why it costs what it costs...
"If you are thinking about reefing—reef! The same logic applies to sailing with Andy and Mia: if you are thinking about sailing with them, stop thinking and GO! Andy and Mia are great sailors, leaders, teachers, cooks, and warm, intelligent, accepting people. No matter how many blue water miles you have under your keel, you will be a better sailor after your trip on ISBJØRN."
"At 65, I was anxious about my first ocean passage from Antigua to Bermuda, but 59º North provided a unique opportunity to experience the magic of passage making while learning new skills. Mia Karlsson was inspiring and supportive while sailing FALKEN and cooking amazing meals, and Captain Chris Kobusch brought a wealth of knowledge and experience. This was truly the experience of a lifetime."
"Before 59º North I didn't know my bowsprit from my binnacle and suffered from low sailing esteem. After two weeks of 59º North, what a difference! As a longtime podcast listener, I arrived for my Bermuda to Horta transatlantic with high expectations, and they were all not just met but exceeded. I could not imagine a skipper and mate more professional and enthusiastic than Andy and Emma."
"It was an honor to be onboard FALKEN for her crewed maiden voyage. We sailed in challenging conditions on our 5-day romp in the English Channel, with the crew rising to the occasion inspired by our skipper, Nikki, and first mate, Alex. If you want to experience real-world offshore life under expert supervision with like-minded folks, look no further than 59º North."
"My time on FALKEN crossing the Atlantic was highly rewarding and incredibly enjoyable. The trip was routinely challenging and always a lot of fun, allowing me to stretch myself and enjoy being absent from the rest of the world for a time. Unforgettable."
"I had an unbelievable sailing experience aboard ISBJØRN with Naxo as skipper and David as apprentice. They took special care to accommodate everyone's wants and needs, and we sailed every point of sail, practiced MOB drills, docking, navigating, trip planning, and weather forecasting. The food was hot, plentiful, and varied, even during our cold offshore passage. I plan on doing this trip again and recommend that you do too. Thanks to 59º North, Naxo, and David."
"As this was my first major passage, I wasn't sure what to expect. You have to have a lot of respect for people who choose offshore sailing for their profession. Erik and Ben were top-notch professionals, and my experience with 59º North was great!"
THE BOAT
Farr 65
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FALKEN
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FALKEN is ideally set up for long-distance offshore sailing. We fully rebuilt the boat in 2022 to our exacting specifications and with the help of legendary yacht designer Bob Perry. She's comfortable belowdecks and each crew has their own dedicated sea berth & gear locker. On deck she has a huge cockpit which easily seats 10 people for our daily meals offshore, and allows for plenty of room to move about when handling lines and trimming sails. She's also easy to maintain, fast and fun to sail! FALKEN sails with 8 crew plus a Skipper & Mate and the occasional apprentice.