New Benchmark at RORC Transatlantic Race

(December 5, 2018; Day 12) – Pier Luigi Loro Piana’s Supermaxi My Song has not only set a new monohull race record for the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race, but also the benchmark for the remaining boats to beat racing under the IRC Rating Rule. The best corrected time will win the race outright and lift the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.

Franco Niggeler’s Swiss Cookson 50 Kuka3, skippered by Roberto ‘Chuny’ Bermudez de Castro was 287 miles from the finish at 1200 UTC on December 5. Kuka3 was showing an impressive turn of speed on the YB Tracker, averaging over 14 knots, and presumably surfing down Atlantic rollers at some pace. Kuka3 must cross the finish line by 18:58:08 UTC tomorrow (December 6). At their current pace, Kuka3 is expected to be well inside the required time.

Trevor Middleton’s British Sun Fast 3600 Black Sheep, skippered by Jake Carter is having a tremendous race. The smallest yacht in the RORC Transatlantic Race had over 1,000 miles to go, but is in with a fighting chance of winning the race overall.

Arto Linnervuo’s Finnish Xp-44 Xtra Staerk was also approaching the ‘1,000-mile barrier’, just eight miles behind Black Sheep. Benedikt Clauberg’s Swiss First 47.7 Kali, skippered by Corinne Wirth is on course to complete the race in 18 days or less, which is fast-going for the all-amateur crew.

In the Class40 Division, Catherine Pourre’s French-flagged Eärendil had a 300 mile lead, and was 706 miles from the finish. “We are on direct route for Grenada. Since yesterday, we have encountered a lot of weed – les sargasses. They are everywhere; a little bit more year after year it seems. We already had to make a reverse maneuver to free the keel of them and we will have to make it again soon.

“Our ETA is now December 7 at 2200 UTC. We currently have more clouds and gusts, with an average wind speed of 24 knots, but gusts up to 29 knots. We run with two reefs and the mainsail and have kept our little spinnaker flying (the A5),” reports Catherine Pourre.

Henrik Bergesen’s Norwegian Class40 Hydra, skippered by Tristan Kinloch has shown great pace after their earlier pit stop, to catch up with Stephane Bry’s French-Finnish team racing Sirius.

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