World Cruising Club announced this week that Portsmouth, VA, will be the new home port for all WCC sailing rallies held on the East Coast of the USA, including the Caribbean 1500, the ARC Bahamas and the ARC Europe. Moving from Hampton to Portsmouth will allow all rally boats to dock in the same space and to enjoy the amenities of a working yacht center as well as a charming downtown.
Located on the western side of the Elizabeth River at the mouth of the Chesapeake, Portsmouth has a long and vibrant sailing history. It’s also home to Ocean Marine Yacht Center, a world-class marina complex, which will provide both docking and support through an on-site refit yard, yacht chandlery and comprehensive yacht services. During the weeklong preparation for departure, sailors will be able to utilize this one-stop shop for their boats and enjoy the restaurants, bars, walking paths and sites of historic Portsmouth.
Andrew Bishop, Managing Director of WCC is looking forward to the upgrade, saying, ‘The move to Portsmouth is a great opportunity for us to develop the event, with all the yachts berthed in one marine close to the downtown area.”
The ARC Caribbean 1500 is North America’s largest and longest-running offshore yacht rally. This year’s rally is scheduled to depart for Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, on November 3, 2013, and SAIL will be there to cover it. To learn more or to register for the rally, visit worldcruising.com.
