What the World ARC Is Really All About
A Q&A with the Crew of Pure Joy
Seawind 1600 Passagemaker owners Joy and David Poole, along with their eight-year-old son Elliot, are currently sailing around the world aboard Pure Joy as part of the World ARC Rally. We caught up with them mid-journey to talk about what life is really like on a global sailing rally – the highlights, the surprises, and why it has been the perfect adventure for their family.
Q: For those who don’t know, what is the World ARC?
The World ARC is a 16-month rally that takes a group of cruising boats on a full circumnavigation, or a half rally if you only want to go partway. It’s not a race – it’s a supported adventure…with some friendly competition! (After all, anytime there’s more than one boat, it’s a race, right?) Truly though, the magic of the World ARC is in the structure and support the World Cruising Club provides, and the safety in numbers and camaraderie that the fleet provides.
Each boat sails at its own pace between destinations, but at every port there’s a warm welcome by the WARC ‘yellow shirts’, shared experiences, and plenty of stories swapped over sundowners. You keep your autonomy, but you gain a floating community that becomes like extended family.
Q: What’s life like onboard Pure Joy as a family of three?
It’s a blend of simplicity and richness that’s hard to describe until you live it.
Days at sea have a rhythm: watches, schoolwork, meals, and those quiet stretches where the horizon is all yours. Elliot is becoming a confident sailor – tying his bowlines, taking on shifts, baking banana bread at sea, and making friends from all over the world.
Our Seawind 1600 makes it easy to live comfortably for weeks at a time. There’s space for everyone to have their corner, and the cockpit and saloon flow together so naturally that home life and sailing life feel seamless.
Q: What experiences have stood out – both expected and unexpected?
The expected joys – the sunsets, the dolphins, the landfalls – are even more magical than we imagined. But it’s the unexpected moments that stay with us.
Boats helping and problem-solving together mid-ocean and in the anchorages. A spontaneous potluck dinner in a remote anchorage. Kids from six different nationalities inventing games together on a beach in Vanuatu.
And then there are the lessons – about patience, teamwork, weather, and resilience. You realise how small you are compared to the ocean, but also how capable you can be when you trust your crew and your boat.
Q: How has sailing in the rally shaped your experience as cruisers?
It’s given us a deeper sense of connection – to the ocean, to other sailors, and to the places we visit. The logistics are easier because the World Cruising Club handles customs, routing, and safety coordination, which frees you up to truly experience each destination.
You learn constantly – from the fleet, from locals, from your own mistakes and small triumphs. It’s like a crash course in seamanship, cultural immersion, and self-reliance all rolled into one.
Q: Why should other Seawind owners consider joining the World ARC?
Because it turns the dream into something real and achievable.
A rally like this takes away many of the unknowns that hold people back: safety concerns, routing decisions, or just the loneliness of crossing oceans. You get the adventure of a lifetime with a built-in support network and friendships that last long after you cross the finish line.
We found the Seawind 1600 to be perfect for it – comfortable enough for happy family living, a cockpit spacious enough for an impromptu cocktail party, and quick enough to keep us toward the front of the fleet on each leg.
If you’re sitting at anchor wondering whether “one day” will ever come, the World ARC might just be your cue to hoist the sails and go.
About the Owners
Joy and David Poole are sailing around the world aboard their Seawind 1600 Pure Joy with their eight-year-old son, Elliot, as part of the World ARC Rally. Follow their journey on Instagram @sailingpurejoy, at www.sailingpurejoy.com, or through Elliot’s vlog on YouTube.
Pure Joy will be available to purchase from April 2026, fully prepared for her next adventure and her next crew.