...was a report from a cruiser in La Palma, prior to the start of the ARC... They were part of a fleet of boats that were anchored, not participating in the rally...

Virtually all of the boats crossing "on their own" were sporting vanes, whereas the ARC fleet gathered inside at the marina had a much smaller percentage of vane steering... (Of course, the "average" ARC boat is now likely something like a 56' Oyster, but still...) One anecdotal sampling, of course, could be largely coincidental, but I'd still suggest it speaks volumes about who's still using vanes these days, and who isn't...