Kuka3 wins RORC Transatlantic Race

(December 11, 2018; Day 18) – Franco Niggeler’s Swiss Cookson 50 Kuka3, skippered by Roberto ‘Chuny’ Bermúdez de Castro, has been confirmed as the overall winner of the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race. Whilst three yachts are still racing, none of them can beat the time set by Kuka3 after IRC time correction.

“This was my first Atlantic crossing and it could not have been better than this,” said Niggeler. “Grenada is a beautiful island with beautiful people, and we can’t be happier.”

Of the remaining yachts on the course, two are expected in Grenada today: Trevor Middleton’s Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep and Arto Linnervuo’s Xp-44 Xtra Staerk. The First 47.7 Kali owned and skippered by Corinne Wirth, who is taking part in her fourth transatlantic race but first as skipper, is 364.9nm from the finish line as of 0900 UTC.

Race details – Tracker – Results – Facebook

Background: Ten teams started the 5th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race from Marina Lanzarote at 1200 UTC on November 24, 2018. The 2,865 nautical mile-long race from the Canary Islands to Grenada is the final challenge in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 2018 calendar, and is viewed as a transition to the RORC Caribbean 600 in February 2019.

CURRENT RACE RECORDS:

Monohull Record:
10 days 5 hours 47 minutes and 11 seconds
MY SONG, Baltic 130
Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Baltic 130 My Song (ITA) broke the Monohull Race Record in the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race and was also awarded the International Maxi Association Transatlantic Trophy for Monohull line honours

Multihull Record:
5 days 22 hours 46 minutes 03 seconds
PHAEDO3, MOD70
In 2016, Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70, Phaedo3 set the multihull record for the race

Class40 record:
12 days 12 hours 36 minutes 32 seconds
TALES II, CLASS40
Gonzalo Botin’s Spanish Class40, Tales II was the first Class40 to complete the race in 2015, setting a Class40 record

Source: Louay Habib