First finishers in RORC Transatlantic

(December 1, 2018; Day 8) – After an intense 3,000 mile battle across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Grendad, Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi 70 today took Multihull Line Honours in the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 6 days, 18 hours, 54 minutes and 34 seconds. The team completed the 5th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 06:54:34 UTC.

Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, was less than 46 minutes behind Maserati, finishing at 07:40:12 UTC to claim first place in the MOCRA Class. However, neither team was able to better the multihull record set in 2016 of 5 days 22 hours 46 minutes 03 seconds by the MOD70 Phaedo3.

“We are happy as it was a very, very nice race,” commented Maserati Multi 70’s Giovanni Soldini dockside in Grenada. “It was very tight and just fantastic to be with PowerPlay in the ocean for so many days; and so close together. It was really exciting for us.

“We learnt a lot about our boat and also from PowerPlay. In the beginning, they were racing much deeper than us. We studied their strategy and it was really interesting. We shall look forward to the RORC Caribbean 600 in February as there will be three of us competing against each, and that will be just fantastic.”

Maserati Multi 70’s crew was made up of seven professional sailors aboard the Italian trimaran; alongside skipper Giovanni Soldini, the Italian Guido Broggi (mainsail trimmer), Nico Malingri and Matteo Soldini (both grinder and trimmer); the Spanish Carlos Hernandez Robayna (trimmer) and Oliver Herrera Perez (bowman); the French François Robert (pitman).

Peter Cunningham’s MOD 70 PowerPlay after crossing the finish line in Grenada with crew of Fraser Brown, Ned Collier Wakefield, Peter Cunningham, Thomas Dawson, Paul Larsen, Jonny Malbon, Eddie Warden Owen, Martin Watts). © Arthur Daniel/RORC

“That was pretty amazing. After the first night I thought, seven more days of this is going to be really rough, but it just got better and better,” enthused PowerPlay’s Peter Cunningham. “We had good speed and the weather was great, although a few squalls came in.

“It is such a great crew and with Eddie (Warden Owen, RORC CEO) joining us with all his stories, we were laughing all through the race. Five hundred miles out we were once again side by side with Maserati; it was incredible to go all the way across like that.”

Every boat is greeted on the dock by the RORC Race Team with cold beers and a welcome basket of local goodies from the Grenada Tourism Authority; much to the delight of Cunningham and the crew on the MOD70 PowerPlay: “On board, the food was good, but there was no beer of course, although we did have virtual gin and tonics at sundown! We have been discussing for two days what this first beer would taste like and it is as good as you could imagine.”

Next to arrive in Grenada will be the largest yacht in the race, Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Baltic 130 My Song who at 0800 UTC have 1,171 miles to run and chasing the Monohull Race Record set by Nomad IV in 2015 of just over 10 days and 7 hours.

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 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