I participated in the ARC several years ago on a 52' cruising cat. It was a fantastic experience, 16 days at sea with almost nothing in sight. But make no mistake, 2 boats are a race, 225 are a big race, even if it's called a rally.

We have an annual event in Israel whch combines distance racing with "cruising". About 40 cats of all kinds, from getaways to f20Cs, race North about 40 miles on Friday. Since many of the participants are not racers, we have 2 escort ribs, a medic, a standby tow vehicle and a couple of gates to ensure people don't stray too far from shore. We are greeted with beers, have a big barbecue and sleep in tents on the beach after the prizegiving ceremony. Saturday is a more relaxed sail back, mostly because we don't have an official start - boats head out as the wind fills in. Some families join in for the evening, and many have kids sail along on the way back. It is always a fantastic event, not too difficult for the casual sailors, a full on race for the racers