Records fall in RORC Transatlantic Race

The 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race was a fast edition with new multihull and monohull elapsed records set for the 3000 nm course from the Canary Islands to Antigua.

First in was Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA), taking Multihull Line Honors on January 16 with crew Chad Corning (skipper), Pete Cumming, Sam Goodchild, Charles Ogletree, Alister Richardson, Brian Thompson. They set a new Multihull Race Record of 04 Days 23 Hrs 51 Mins 15 Secs.

“By Day Two, we were doing 30 to 32 knots in big seas,” said Corning. “The nights were long; 13 hours, very dark, very little moon. It felt like skiing a black diamond run with a blindfold on.”

Helming rotations were reduced to 45-minute stints, with drivers stepping off soaked, exhausted and eyes stinging from constant spray.

“You’re locked into true wind angle, feeling the power, the heel, the waves trying to throw the boat sideways. You’re trying to keep the boat surfing, not letting the wave take control,” continued Corning. “There were moments when guys said, ‘I’m not up for the helm right now.’ And that’s respected. Knowing when to step back is part of surviving a race like this.”

Baltic 111 Raven, skippered by Damien Durchon, then took Monohull Line Honors on January 18, setting a new Monohull Race Record of 06 Days 22 Hrs 27 Mins 47 Secs. The Raven crew had Brad Jackson, Carlos Hernandez Robayna, Charlie Wyatt, Claes Nyloef, Corrado Rossignoli, Damien Durchon, Daryl Wislang, Dean de Groot, Simbad Quiroga, Julien Cressant, Justin Slattery, Pablo Arrarte, Robbie Naismith, Roger Samuelsson, Rudi van Velzen, Tony Mutter, and Will Oxley.

Light for her length, foil assisted and engineered to sustain very high average speeds for days at a time, Raven represents a new chapter in offshore maxi yacht design. For navigator Oxley, who also navigated Comanche to the monohull race record in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race to Grenada, the comparison between the two boats highlights just how radical Raven is.

“It’s fascinating to compare Raven and Comanche,” explained Oxley. “Comanche is still the global benchmark in VMG downwind sailing, but Raven has clear performance advantages at certain angles. In this race, which is largely a classic downwind Atlantic crossing, when we’re sailing our angles we’re faster. Where Comanche still has the edge is pure VMG, and that’s something we continue to work on. But Raven is an incredible platform, and what we’ve achieved here sets a very serious benchmark.”

Unlike fully flying foilers, Raven generates enormous righting moment through her side foils while remaining largely in the water, combining performance with control.

“This boat is incredibly stable,” said Durchon. “The better it performs, the safer it becomes. We have huge righting moment from the foils, backed up by 10 tonnes of water ballast and strong hull form stability. If a foil stalls, the boat simply behaves like a conventional yacht. In many respects, I would say Raven is safer than most offshore boats.”

Event details – Entry list – Tracking

The 12th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race started January 11 and extends 3000 nm from the Canary Islands to Antigua.

Elapsed Records:
Multihull: 2026 – Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) – 04 Days 23 Hrs 51 Mins 15 Secs.
Monohull: 2026 – Baltic 111 Raven, skippered by Damien Durchon – 06 Days 22 Hrs 27 Mins 47 Secs

Source: RORC