There are all sorts of competitions within the ARC. There is wall painting, a costume ball tonight (we have other plans), and then the passage itself. Being a cruising race those who choose not to join the racing division – most of the boats – are allowed to use their engines.

We have our competition number on the lifelines, although being the sole member of the powerboat class competition is lacking. Still, we are interested in what happens (hopefully) behind us.

As previously mentioned there are a couple of neighbors who could easily horizon us in the right conditions, if properly sailed. To the Swan 80 and Steinlager we now add a ULDB Shipman 80 at the head of the dock.

The first two or three days are shaping up to be light, so we’ll pick up some cushion. But then when the trades come in – and the long range forecast is looking strong for the last half of the crossing – who gets to St. Lucia first becomes a matter of wind pressure and angle. If the breeze is on the quarter, odds are we are going to be ground down. Not that we are racing anyone…

The social whirl continues and we are on the verge of exhaustion. Happy hour nightly. Last night a dinner and dancing. Tonight dinner with a group of industry professionals.

We have been fitted with our tracker by the ARC organizers. You can see the fleet progress every six hours at http://www.worldcruising.com/arc/viewer.aspx

The walkway behind the yachts on the quay is a popular spot for taking a stroll, discussing events of the day, and checking out the boats. That is Big Spirit, a steel cutter optimized for sailing to weather, moored next to us. They will do the passage with nine guests paying handsomely for the privilege.

We will leave you with a few of the wall paintings.

Meanwhile, this mystery artist is hard at work. To be continued…