Tactics, Speed and Damage

Only the second day into the RORC Transatlantic Race and race tactics, unbelievable speed and boat damage have already added to the story. Gonzalo Botin's Spanish Class 40, Tales II, diverted into Tenerife last night. All four crew are fine but they have sustained damage to their port rudder and need to weld the problem before the Spanish team continue racing. Meanwhile Mike Gascoyne's British Class 40 Silvi Belle 2 has been eating up the miles. Mike knows all about unplanned pit-stops having spent 30 years in Formula One and expects Tales II to come roaring out of Tenerife. Tales II showed extraordinary pace at the start and will be looking to chase down Silvi Belle 2 once they get back out on the race track.

Despite the northerly route looking to be the most favoured option at the start, the two MOD 70s, Phaedo3 and Concise 10 turned south after passing Tenerife shortly after dusk on the first day, Lloyd Thornburg's Phaedo3, skippered by Brian Thompson chose a line to stay off Tenerife, whilst Tony Lawson's Concise 10, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield gybed south earlier and played the Tenerife coast, presumably looking for acceleration in the wind.

Acceleration is an apt word to describe these two ballistic MOD 70s as both trimarans have averaged over 20 knots and have hit top speeds of over 30 knots. They are likely to have covered an astonishing 600 miles in the first 24 hours. On board it will be full on and whilst the MOD 70s are built to take on the Atlantic Ocean, there are no creature comforts on board and the incessant noise and motion means that sleep is almost impossible.

However, at around 1200 GMT on Day Two the two MOD 70s will negotiate a high pressure ridge located off the West African coast which will slow their progress. The big decision will be when to gybe west. Phaedo3 sporting a new set of sails and a more experienced crew holds a 40 mile advantage and the weather gauge, as they are further west than Concise 10. It will be interesting to see who gybes first and what the reaction will be.

There is a different opinion towards tactics amongst the three powerful Maxis taking part in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Jean-Paul Riviere's French Finot Conq 100, Nomad IV was in her element last night, blast reaching across to Tenerife in Atlantic swell and by 0900 GMT on Day Two the French Maxi had opened up a 40 mile lead on Southern Wind 94, Windfall, skippered by Irish Olympic sailor Timothy Goodbody.  In the early hours of Day Two, Will Apold's Canadian Swan 78, Valkyrie chose a different option to the other Maxis. Leaving La Palma to starboard, Valkyrie looks to be taking the southerly option chosen by the two MOD 70s. Valkyrie is narrower in the beam than Nomad IV and Windfall and has better upwind performance, especially to her IRC Rating. Perhaps Valkyrie is looking to punch through the high pressure ridge to the south. Their course displayed on the YB Tracker page will reveal all.

Gerald Bibot & Michel Kleinjans contacted the RORC Race Team this morning to report their position by satellite phone from Zed 6. The Belgian catamaran is the most northerly of the fleet and after less than 24 hours racing, there is 300 miles of weather gauge between Zed 6 and the MOD 70s to the south. The two extreme tactics will play out interestingly as their courses converge on the other side of the ocean and time correction is applied for Gerald's smaller, less powerful boat.

For more information visit the dedicated event minisite: http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/

Follow the progress of the race via the fleet tracker: The RORC Transatlantic Race started at 1200 local time (GMT +0) from Marina Lanzarote bound for Grenada. The RORC Transatlantic Race YB Tracker is now LIVE! http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/tracking/2015-fleet-tracking.html

NOTES TO EDITORS:

HIGH RES PRESS IMAGES for media use only:
http://gallery.rorc.org/v/2015/2015-rorc-transatlantic-race/
User: Press
Password: RtrAcm15
Click on required image and choose download size (top right) then right click to save.
Credit: RORC/James Mitchell
Other image requests from: press@rorc.org
Trish Jenkins, RORC Press +44 (0)7880 518689

FOLLOW THE FLEET: Follow the progress of the race via the fleet tracker:
The RORC Transatlantic Race started at 1200 local time (GMT +0) from Marina Lanzarote bound for Grenada. The RORC Transatlantic Race YB Tracker is now LIVE!
http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/tracking/2015-fleet-tracking.html

RACE MINISITE: For more information visit the dedicated event minisite: http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/

RORC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalOceanRacingClub/

TWITTER:  #rorcrtr @RORCracing

VIRTUAL RACE: Well over 5000 armchair admirals have already signed up for the RORC Transatlantic Virtual Race: http://click.virtualregatta.com/?li=4540

THE RORC TRANSATLANTIC RACE:

    The second RORC Transatlantic Race starts in Lanzarote on Saturday 28th November 2015 and the 2,995 nautical mile race runs through the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic to arrive in Grenada
    The race is run in association with the International Maxi Association (IMA)
    The winner of the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy for best elapsed time under IRC in 2014 was Jeremy Pilkington's Lupa of London. The Baltic 78 was also presented with the International Maxi Association's Line Honours Trophy at a prizegiving ceremony held at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina at the finish in Grenada

THE ORGANISERS:

    Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) became famous for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral's Cup. It organises an annual series of domestic offshore races from its base in Cowes as well as inshore regattas such as the RORC Easter Challenge and IRC National Championships in the Solent
    The RORC works with other yacht clubs to promote their offshore races and provides marketing and organisational support. The RORC Caribbean 600 based in Antigua and the first offshore race in the Caribbean, has been an instant success and last year the RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the new RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada in November 2014 
    The club is based in St James' Place, London and Cowes, Isle of Wight
    In co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, RORC is responsible for IRC, the principal international handicap system for yacht racing worldwide.The Spinlock IRC rating rule is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL Centre de Calcul in Paris, France. The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement. For Spinlock IRC rating information in the UK please see:  www.rorcrating.com 
    www.rorc.org
    http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/
    Follow us on Facebook and Twitter:  #rorcrtr

INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION (IMA):

    The racing activities for the Maxi as a separate class started in Porto Cervo in 1980 with the first Maxi Yacht Cup. Immediately afterwards an association of the Maxi owners was founded under the name "International Class A Yacht Association" (ICAYA) with Baron E. de Rothschild elected the first President of the Class. The legal office was created in Geneva, Switzerland. "Class A" was the definition of a Maxi boat in the IOR rating system in force at that time. The following year Gianfranco Alberini was appointed first Secretary General of the Association. ICAYA organized the Maxi Yacht World Championship for many years in Porto Cervo as its European base, as well in other venues in USA - Honolulu, Newport R.I., Miami, St. Thomas, San Francisco. In Europe Puerto Portales, Antibes and Saint Tropez were selected as championship locations
    When the definition "Class A" disappeared with the change from IOR it was decided to rename the Class as "International Maxi Association" (IMA). The Class is now registered in Geneva (Switzerland), has a base in Porto Cervo and an office in the USA, for rating and technical matters. The Class is now expanding its activities, and in 2010 the first Mini Maxi World Championship took place in September in Porto Cervo, Italy,  In 2011 the new Rolex Volcano Race opened the Mediterranean sailing season
    Andrew McIrvine took over as Secretary General in 2013. In 2014 the pure racer Mini Maxis were reformed into the Maxi 72 Class. The IMA has organised previous Maxi Transatlantic races but this is the first in association with RORC. IMA has presented a vintage trophy for line honours for this new race
    IMA is a recognized member of the IRC Congress. Since November 2010 ISAF has recognised the Maxis as an international class. This means that the International Maxi Association is now the sole authority with the right to hold World and Continental Maxi Championships
    http://www.internationalmaxiassociation.com/

CALERO MARINAS:

    Calero Marinas has developed and manages three marinas in the Canary Islands, having accrued over 35 years' experience in the sector. The Canaries' warm climate and regular supply of breeze has lead Lanzarote to become a favourite training ground for offshore race teams, whilst the combination of good flight connections and easily available services has created a popular and reliable base for international sailors
    Marina Lanzarote is the newest addition to the group with secure berthing for vessels of up to 60m LOA, a wide range of services and the advantage of having the city and maritime quarter within a few minutes' walk
    The new shipyard is equipped to hoist superyachts and the inclusion of deep keel pits in the yard's design was considered especially to meet the needs of transoceanic racing yachts
    www.caleromarinas.com

Enquiries: msymes@caleromarinas.com

GRENADA TOURISM AUTHORITY:

    The premium yachting destination in the Southern Caribbean. Grenada and The Grenadines are widely considered to be the most unspoilt cruising grounds in the Caribbean. Famed for its people's warm and gregarious hospitality the 'Spice Island' of Grenada has a varied topography of mountains, rainforests and waterfalls, fringed by icing sugar beaches and cooled by trade winds
    www.puregrenada.com
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/discovergrenada
    Twitter:  www.twitter.com/puregrenada

WESTERHALL RUMS:

    http://www.westerhallrums.co.uk/

    The major operation of the company is the blending and bottling of rum, which has been in practice since the 1700s where Westerhall apply a secret family recipe to create their world famous rums. The company now produces seven brands of rum, with its flagship brand being Westerhall Vintage Rum. The company has always put great emphasis on maintaining high standards and quality control and today works to the highest international standards at every stage of the process from blending and bottling to labelling.
    https://www.facebook.com/Westerhall-Rums-Grenada

CAMPER & NICHOLSONS PORT LOUIS MARINA:

    Camper & Nicholsons is widely recognised to be one of the world's oldest and most prestigious yachting business names, with origins dating back to 1782 when boat building began at Gosport, in the south of England

    Owned and managed by Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, Port Louis Marina has transformed Grenada's yachting facilities. Overlooking the historic capital St Georges and designed to reflect the traditional Creole architecture, the marina offers 170 berths, including 30 superyacht berths for vessels from 25m to 90m LOA, and up to 7m draft
    http://www.cnmarinas.com

MEDIA ENQUIRIES & High res images/Interviews:
Trish Jenkins - RORC Transatlantic Race
Press Liaison
M: +44 (0)7880 518689
E:  press@rorc.org

RACE REPORTS:
Louay Habib
M: +44 (0)7801 800521
E:  louayhabib@gmail.com

RORC RACE ENQUIRIES:
Nick Elliott, Racing Manager
Royal Ocean Racing Club
T: +44 (0) 1983 295144
E:   racing@rorc.org
W:  http://www.rorc.org/

ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB:
20 St James's Place
London SW1A 1NN
Tel: 020 7493 2248
Fax: 020 7493 2470
E:  info@rorc.org