We are delighted to share that the Arcona 435 Mk II La Bamba will be on the start line of this year’s ARC, setting off across the Atlantic in November.
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, run by the World Cruising Club, takes a fleet of well over two hundred yachts from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia. It is more than 2,700 nautical miles of open ocean, close to three weeks at sea for most crews, and the sort of passage that finds out a yacht rather thoroughly. Equipment either works or it does not. Motion either wears the crew down or it does not. And unlike a coastal passage, there is no harbour to duck into and have another go at a problem.
Which is why it matters that the Arcona 435 Mk II has been here before, and done rather well.
In the 2024 ARC, two Arcona 435 Mk II yachts crossed the Atlantic and took first and second in their class. One of them, (pictured), had SE Yachts Director Simon Rosier aboard as crew for the full crossing, which means our advice on preparing a 435 for an ocean passage is not theory. Sail plans, downwind rig choices, watch systems, provisioning, what breaks and what does not: we have lived it, at sea, on this model.
The qualities that make the 435 Mk II quick round the cans are the same ones that make her a good ocean boat. A vacuum infused hull gives her stiffness without excess weight, so she carries her way in a seaway instead of stopping in every wave. The powerful rig means she keeps moving in the light patches that catch out heavier cruisers mid Atlantic. And she is genuinely manageable shorthanded, which matters more than anything when it is three in the morning and there are two of you on deck.
Below, she is set up for living rather than merely surviving: generous stowage, a secure galley you can work in when she is heeled, and a cockpit laid out for comfort and control in weather rather than for the boat show floor.
We will be following La Bamba’s progress across the Atlantic and sharing updates as she goes. Our very best wishes to her owners and crew for the preparation, the start and the crossing itself.
As the exclusive UK and Ireland dealer for Arcona, we work with each owner to specify and equip their yacht for serious offshore sailing, from solar and watermakers to downwind sail packages and storm sails.
The Arcona 435 Mk II is on display at the Southampton International Boat Show from 18 to 27 September, berth M442. Come and talk ARC preparation with people who have actually done it.
Book an appointment aboard the Arcona 435 Mk II
Or contact info@seyachts.com or 02380 457 770.