Is this doable or am I dreaming

[AKAPeterc]

I plan on going to the US in July 2013 purchase a yacht and Sail down to St Lucia join the ARC world rally leaving in Jan 2014 and sail back to Australia. I have a budget of $190K so I presume I will purchase a yacht for around $150K and use $40K to upgrade the yacht ready for the trip. I assume that I will need a water maker, new rigging and navigation equipment.

[killarney_sailor]

I think it is doable. You did not say what size boat you are looking for, but with your budget you should be able to get a very nice boat that is already equipped for extended cruising - with watermaker, nav/comm equipment, etc.

My only concern with the ARC World Rally is that their schedule is pretty tight and unless you are quite large and fast (which your budget suggests you might not be); why not go at your own speed and pick the route you like?