Jimmy Cornell will be adding another rally to his list of sailing accomplishments. The environmentally focused Blue Planet Odyssey, his latest round-the-world rally set to start in July of 2014, will be prefaced by the first-ever Atlantic Odyssey.
This transatlantic journey will depart from Spain’s Canary Islands and sail to the Caribbean.
There’s a twist, though: the Atlantic Odyssey will have two different start and finish dates at different ports. Atlantic Odyssey I will begin November 17, 2013 in Arrecife, Lanzarote at the new Marina Lanzarote and finish in early December in Le Marin, Martinique. Atlantic Odyssey II will depart from Marina La Palma in Santa Cruz de la Palma on January 12, 2014 and arrive later that month in St. George’s, Grenada.
“The Atlantic Odyssey is going to be a rally purely for cruising sailors,” says Cornell, who has organized 20 transatlantic rallies, four circumnavigations and one round-the-world race over in the past 27 years.
To reinforce this mission, Cornell, in collaboration with Canary Islands-based Puerto Calero Marinas, is providing a number of perks for Atlantic Odyssey participants. There will be discounted fees for longer stays at the ports and hotels and for haul-outs. Docking fees will be waived a week before the start of the rally. Plus, each participating boat’s progress can be tracked at atlanticodyssey.org, thanks to complimentary satellite tracking devices.
Amateurs are welcome, and regardless of boat or crew size, every participant will pay an all-inclusive fee of 500 euros, with complimentary entries for families with children under 16. (Past participants in Cornell’s round-the-world rallies need only 250 euros to enter the Atlantic Odyssey.)
Like the three-year-long Blue Planet Odyssey, which will make stops at climate-change-impacted nations like the Maldives, the Atlantic Odyssey will have an environmental component. The November start in Lanzarote coincides with the island’s 20th anniversary of being declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve to ensure sustained economic development and conservation of natural resources. After leaving Lanzarote, participants will be encouraged to take part in environmental research projects during their crossing.
The Atlantic Odyssey II fleet will arrive in Grenada in time to be part of celebrations for its 40th anniversary of gaining independence.
To register for the rally, email [email protected] or visit atlanticodyssey.org/register. For more information about the Blue Planet Odyssey, visit blueplanetodyssey.com.
