What does the flag parade mean for visitors and residents?
Anyone on Gran Canaria on Sunday 8 November can wave off the ARC+ right at the port of Las Palmas. Event director Andrew Pickersgill explicitly encouraged the neighbours to come to the departure, according to La Provincia.
Nothing changes for Tenerife: the parade took place at the Muelle Deportivo (sports harbour) in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Holidaymakers in southern Tenerife would have to plan the trip to Gran Canaria themselves.
The organiser, the World Cruising Club, says the fleet crosses the start line at 12:30, and the livestream begins at 10:45. Those who stay at home can follow the departure online.
Our research found no road closures, access rules for spectators or notices from the port authority or the city. Anyone planning to watch in person should check with the Las Palmas port authority beforehand.
How did the opening ceremony in the port go?
Many passers-by stopped to greet the crews. The national flags showed the variety of the fleet.
All the boats share one aim: to cross the ocean under sail. Bea Arts, from the Dutch boat Caconano, highlighted the chats with the public and the encouraging shouts.
Pickersgill stressed the international character of the fleet. He thanked Turismo de Gran Canaria, the Ayuntamiento (city council) of Las Palmas and the port authority for their support.
What is on the programme until the start?
According to La Provincia, the shoreside programme of the ARC+ has run since 28 October. It lasts until departure.
The organiser will stream the start live on 8 November, with the “Dockout Show” running from 10:45 to 12:00. It also broadcasts “ARC Live” shows on 4 and 6 November.
Where do the boats sail, and how long does it take?
La Provincia describes the ARC+ as an Atlantic crossing with a stop in Cape Verde, before the fleet heads on to Grenada in the Caribbean. The stop splits the voyage in two legs and lets the crews meet up again.
The first leg ends in Mindelo, Cape Verde, where the World Cruising Club expects arrivals between 13 and 15 November. The onward leg to Grenada is planned for 20 November.
The organiser's website does not give the leg lengths for 2026. Last year the route covered about 3,000 nautical miles, according to the regional broadcaster RTVC: 850 to Mindelo and 2,150 to Saint George's on Grenada.
How big was the fleet last year?
The 2025 ARC+ was the twelfth edition. It started on 9 November 2025 with 89 boats and 422 sailors from 27 countries, RTVC reported.
Another RTVC article gives 86 boats and 400 sailors from 26 nations, so the final figure remains unclear. The largest boat then was “Anastasia” from Jersey at 20.36 metres, and the smallest was “Restless of Stornoway” from Great Britain at 10.77 metres.
Neither La Provincia nor the organiser says how many boats are entered in 2026. Last year's timetable serves only as a guide: at 10:00 the boats headed to the start line off the Parque San Telmo, at 12:45 the multihulls started, and at 13:00 the monohulls. The organiser has not confirmed the 2026 schedule beyond the 12:30 start line.
Which race starts after the ARC+?
The big ARC to Saint Lucia starts two weeks after the ARC+, on 22 November according to the organiser. Last year 150 boats set out, RTVC said.
The ARC office opens in Las Palmas on 10 November, according to the World Cruising Club. The shoreside programme for the second fleet then begins.
The ARC has run since 1986, and more than 7,000 boats have started from Las Palmas since then, according to RTVC. On the economic impact, the port authority points to the stay of about a month by organisers, sailors and families, but no euro figure is available.