There is a pent up enthusiasm for experiences right now. After nearly two years of limitations, many of us are hankering for wider horizons, to escape the Zoom meetings, look beyond the box-set, and sense freedom once again. But international travel is still not straightforward: entry regulations and health checks vary frequently, and simply keeping on top of the ever-changing rules is time-consuming and stressful.
So it’s no surprise that organised rallies are seeing a resurgence. Already the default option for many cruising sailors planning to take on a first transocean passage, many rallies are gathering bumper entries for 2022 and beyond after cruisers postponed their 2020/21 plans. But there are also growing numbers of sailors prompted by the pandemic to make the leap to long-term cruising, and for whom the safety net of an organiser on call, who’ll keep on top of the health protocols and even catch your lines on arrival, was the deciding factor.
Jeremy Wyatt of the World Cruising Club, organisers of the ARC transatlantic rally among other events, is seeing a trend: “We are definitely getting some interest from sailors because of the extra administration that Covid is causing them as a cruiser.
“But I would also say there’s been a definite mindset of people reviewing their lives, looking at what their priorities are and saying ‘No, we need to go and do what we talked about doing’. So in terms of numbers of enquiries and how it’s looking for next year, it’s really gone crazy.”
Wyatt has noticed that an increasing proportion of enquiries come from the younger families. “The 40-something families are the ones deciding, ‘Let’s go and do it. Why are we sitting in the rat race?’”
Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Yachting World.
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Denne historien er fra January 2022-utgaven av Yachting World.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
NIKKI HENDERSON
WHERE DO YOU FIND HANDY BILLY WHEN YOU NEED HIM?
MATTHEW SHEAHAN
IS OLYMPIC SAILING ACTUALLY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS A SHOWCASE OF THE SPORT FOR BOTH COMPETITORS AND SPECTATORS?
Building fleet for Baltic Sea Race
The second edition of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, a 635-mile race out of Helsinki, Norway, saw varied conditions and a new benchmark course time set.
New cruising charter 'Odyssey'
Charter company Dream Yacht has launched a new round the world supported cruising programme for yacht owners which draws on the company's extensive network of charter bases.
Mixed fortunes at Marseille
The Paris 2024 sailing regatta saw mixed fortunes for many favourites - some confirming their dominance, others crashing out as variable winds played havoc.
The yacht Bayesian
Bayesian is one of Italian yard Perini Navi's 56m series, originally named Salute.
Seven dead in superyacht sinking
Seven people are dead following the sinking of the superyacht Bayesian, a 56m/184ft British-flagged Perini Navi, off the coast of Sicily.
5 EXPERT TIPS HELENA DARVELID ON MULTIHULL CONTROL
Performance multihull racing is growing hugely in popularity. Helena Darvelid shares some key learnings with Andy Rice
PALMA'S FUN FACTOR
FUN ON AND OFF THE WATER IS AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION AT THE SUPERYACHT CUP PALMA, WRITES PHIL RILEY
SWAN 88 DREAMCATCHER
GLOBAL LEADERS AT THE SEMI-CUSTOM END OF THE PRODUCTION SCENE, NAUTOR SWAN INVITED US FOR THE FIRST SEA TRIALS OF ITS BIG NEW 88