Castries, Saint Lucia: Saint Lucia welcomed the first boat across the line, Malolo, in the 37th edition of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) from Grand Canaria to the shores of the country. Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Hilaire attended the ceremony and expressed pleasure.
The “First Over the Line” welcome ceremony for ARC 2022 was held at the IGY Rodney Bay Marina. This event is to acknowledge the achievement of the boat that is 1st to cross the finish line at the Rodney Bay Marina.
Andrew Pickersgill – Event Manager ARC 2022 gave the official welcome, and information on ARC 2022 journey thus far.
Other remarks were provided by Sean Devaux – General Manager of the IGY Rodney Bay Marina, Lorine St. Jules – CEO of Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, and Dr Ernest Hilaire – Minister of Tourism.
To mark the “First Over-The-Line” achievement, Lorraine Sidione – CEO of Events Saint Lucia gifted Malolo’s owner – Tom Kassberg with a bouquet. Minister Ernest Hilaire presented the crew with an award. Events Saint Lucia Production Manager, Kayode Francois gifted the crew with a hamper of local rum, and Lorine St. Jules, CEO of SLTA, and her team presented the crew with branded gift bags.
ARC 2022 is the 37th Edition of ARC and the 33rd in Saint Lucia.
The Malolo completed the 3108 nautical mile trek across the Atlantic is 11 days, 12 hours, 12 minutes and 26 seconds which is 2 hours faster than last year’s winner.
He stated that ARC has contributed to country’s economic development for the past 37 years bringing thousands to their shores after their adventure across the Atlantic.
Saint Lucia in itself is an adventure with many sites and attractions to visit in addition to our recently launched Kabawe Krawl which takes you to rum shops (kabawes) across the island.
As the other boats cross the finishing line, he urged all of them to explore Saint Lucia and take in all of its natural beauty. Through the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority and the Community Tourism Programme, we have curated and enhanced several activities that will bring them into the community to enjoy authentic Saint Lucian experiences.
