RORC Transatlantic enters the trades

(November 27, 2018; Day 4) – Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi 70 and Peter Cunningham’s MOD 70 PowerPlay have now launched into the trade winds in the RORC Transatlantic Race as as both trimarans have been recording boat speeds of over 30 knots.

Maserati has maintained a course on starboard tack allowing the Italian team to use their foil (the starboard rudder is conventional due to damage before the start). PowerPlay have been soaking west, attaining a lower average speed, but sailing 57 miles less than Maserati to place just three miles astern.

At 0800 UTC, Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Supermaxi My Song was leading the monohulls on the water by 100 miles. “All is good on board; everything is under control,” reports navigator Nacho Postigo. “We finally hit the trades last night and started sailing in some waves and wind. We saw our first flying fish this morning and there’s a good spirit and rhythm on board which is helped by great Italian food!”

Race fans will have noticed that the YB tracker player on the official website is displaying the track of the monohull record run of Nomad IV in 2015. My Song can be seen to be right up on record pace.

In the IRC fleet, racing for the overall win for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy, Franco Niggeler’s Swiss Cookson 50 Kuka3 was estimated to be in pole position. My Song was second and Trevor Middleton’s British Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep, skippered by Jake Carter was going well in third.

Black Sheep has now got into the breeze and will be relishing the prospect of fast downwind racing. Arto Linnervuo’s Finnish Xp-44 Xtra-Staerk is just 13 miles behind Black Sheep and with a longer waterline length will be hoping to catch Black Sheep on the reach southwest. Benedikt Clauberg’s First 47.7 Kali, skippered by Corinne Wirth is the most easterly yacht of the fleet and made good progress during the night.

At 0800 UTC in the Class40 Division, Ari Kaensaekoski reported in from Sirius to say all is well on board despite falling 40 miles behind the latest generation of Class40s in the shape of Catherine Pourre’s Eärendil, and Henrik Bergesen’s Hydra. The leading Class40s are engaged in a terrific battle, with the lead swapping on numerous occasions as they enter the trades.

Race details – Tracker – 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 07 hours 06 minutes and 59 seconds
NOMAD IV, FINOT-CONQ 100
In 2015, Jean-Paul Riviere’s French Finot-Conq 100, Nomad IV set a record for the 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