Volvo 70 claims line honors in Transatlantic Race

St George’s, Grenada (January 17, 2023) – The Polish National Foundation’s Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, crossed the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race finish line today to take Monohull Line Honors in 08:23:37:07.

Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 took Multihull Line Honors on January 13, setting a new multihull race record of 5 days 5 hours 46 mins 26 secs. I Love Poland fell short of the monohull elapsed record of 7 days, 22 hrs, 01 mins, 04 secs set in 2022 by the 100ft VPLP Design/Verdier Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth.

I Love Poland Crew: Grzegorz Baranowski, Mateusz Byrski, Arkadiusz Fedusio, Adam Glogowski, Grzegorz Gozdzik, Robert Hajduk, Dominik Janowczyk, Pacyfik Koseski, Konrad Lipski, Borys Michniewicz, Bartosz Nowicki, Filip Pietrzak, Patryk Richter, and Jakub Surowiec.

Nine of the I Love Poland crew are under 35 years of age and skipper Grzegorz Baranowski is the leader and oldest member of the team. A highly accomplished match racer, Baranowski became involved in the Polish National Foundation program in the early stages to train Polish offshore sailors.

“Last year was our first Transatlantic Race and our aim was to complete the race safely,” said Baranowski. “This year, safety was still the top priority but with more experienced sailors on board, and some new youngsters, we could push harder.

“To win this race flying the Polish flag, with an all-Polish crew is just perfect. I Love Poland race with a lot of passion and emotion; you can feel the power on board. A Volvo 70 was made for ocean racing and in 15-20 knots of wind speed it is really wet on deck, but she really starts to fly.

“The RORC Transatlantic Race is the perfect start to our Caribbean program and next we will sail to Antigua to race in the RORC Caribbean 600.”

I Love Poland navigator Konrad Lipski is just 27 years old but has already claimed Monohull Line Honors in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, Roschier Baltic Sea Race, and now the RORC Transatlantic Race.

“From the beginning we knew that it was likely to be an almost classic trade winds race,” said Lipski. “However, it was a bit shiftier than usual and there was a variety of sailing conditions, from over 20 knots to very light winds. We had a plan at the beginning and we stuck to it.

“I was a bit nervous when we were very far south and the shift was late in coming, but by then we had built up a good lead and we could be a bit more conservative, so we gybed back towards the rhumb line.

“For me personally, I had to withdraw from the crew last year because of COVID, and you never know if you will get another chance. So, it is fantastic to do this race again and to win Monohull Line Honors makes me very proud.”

Race details – Entry list – Tracker – Results – Facebook

The 9th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race started January 8 from the Spanish island of Lanzarote of the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, with 21 entries racing under the IRC and MOCRA Rating Rules competing on the 3,000 nm course to Grenada.

Multihull elapsed record is 5 days 5 hours 46 mins 26 secs set in 2023 by Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70.

Monohull elapsed record is 7 days, 22 hrs, 01 mins, 04 secs set in 2022 by the 100ft VPLP Design/Verdier Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth.

Source: RORC