Record Entry for RORC Caribbean 600

A fleet of over 80 yachts is expected for the ninth edition of the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600 in which 900 sailors from 30 different nations will race non-stop around 11 Caribbean islands, starting and finishing in Antigua. Passionate corinthians will be rubbing shoulders with Olympic medallists, America's Cup winners and round the world sailors in a race to take home the coveted RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy. The 600 mile course is designed to offer a tactical, high speed race with stunning vistas at every corner.

"The RORC Caribbean 600 is very different to the other 600 mile races and definitely not a holiday race in the Caribbean," commented RORC Racing Manager, Nick Elliott. "The race has many tactical legs with land effects and wind-driven currents which are both difficult to predict. The heat of the day and the long nights are also unusual features for an offshore race making it every bit as challenging as the Rolex Fastnet Race, and just as exciting. It is interesting to note that the records for the Rolex Fastnet Race and the RORC Caribbean 600 are very similar."

Featuring a magnificent collection of yachts, an incredibly varied fleet will be racing under the IRC, CSA and MOCRA rating systems, as well as Class40s racing under class rules. Rambler 88, Phaedo3 and Maserati will be gunning for course records, however, the winner of the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy will be decided by the yacht with the best corrected time under IRC.

George David's American Maxi Rambler 88 is back with an impressive crew line-up for another tilt at the race record, the overall win and class honours. New Zealand's multiple America's Cup winner, Brad Butterworth is part of an impressive afterguard including fellow Kiwi, Brad Jackson and Australian navigator, Andrew Cape. Virtually the entire crew are America's Cup winners and stars of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Lloyd Thornburg's American MOD 70 Phaedo3 has lowered the bar for the multihulls for the last two years and this year will be up against stiff competition from Giovanni Soldini's Italian MOD70, Maserati.

Phaedo3 has assembled a phenomenal crew for the race and multiple world record holder, Brian Thompson is joined by Volvo Ocean Race winners Robert Greenhalgh and Damian Foxall. Extreme 40 champion, Pete Cumming and the formidable talent of Michel Desjoyeux, the only sailor to have won the Vendée Globe twice. Maserati's skipper, Giovanni Soldini is Italy's most decorated offshore sailor and Maserati has been fitted with foils which can provide a speed advantage over Phaedo3. A fascinating contest for multihull line honours is expected.

The winner of the Multihull Class will be the yacht with the best corrected time under MOCRA. Seven teams are entered including Shaun Carroll's Australian Modified Sea Cart 30, Morticia which is the smallest yacht competing in the entire fleet, and the head-turning all-carbon R-Six, skippered by Robert Janecki, which is the first ever entry from Belize.

IRC Overall for the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy
Overall winners of the previous eight editions of the race have all come from IRC Canting Keel and IRC Zero. Amongst this year's favourites are two Maxi 72s: Hap Fauth's Bella Mente - overall winner in the 2015 race, and current holder of the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy, George Sakellaris' Proteus.

Whilst the two Maxi 72s are firm favourites, the stellar cast racing in IRC Canting Keel and IRC Zero includes; Farr 100 Leopard and three Volvo 70s, Lionel Pean's SFS II from France, Trifork skippered by Dutchman Bouwe Bekking and Green Dragon, skippered by Austrian Johannes Schwarz. The dark horse of the canting keel class is Maverick, skippered by Oliver Cotterell. The Infiniti 46 with DSS side foils was class winner for the RORC Transatlantic Race and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

In IRC Zero, the 182ft schooner Adela, skippered by Greg Perkins is the largest yacht taking part and making a RORC Caribbean 600 debut is Anders Nordquist's Shamanna. The 115ft superyacht is the largest of nine Swans competing this year and boasts a crew including many of Malta's best sailors from the Calascione, Podesta and Ripard families. RORC Admiral and IMA Secretary General, Andrew McIrvine is a guest aboard Grant Gordon's Maxi cruiser 72, Louise. Overall winner of the 2017 Cape to Rio Race, Stefan Jentzsch's German Carkeek 47, Black Pearl is the smallest yacht in IRC Zero. South African America's Cup sailors, Mark Sadler and Marc Lagesse form the afterguard.

With 17 yachts, the largest class competing this year is IRC One and a huge variety of yachts includes Giles Redpath's Lombard 46, Pata Negra, with RORC Commodore, Michael Boyd among the crew. Bernie Evan Wong's RP37, Taz will be proudly flying the Antiguan flag once again. Bernie is the life and soul of the race having competed in all nine editions as skipper.

The IRC Two champion, Ross Applebey's Scarlet Oyster is back attempting to win the class for the fourth consecutive race in a highly competitive field including; Ed Fishwick's Redshift on El Ocaso with a young, top-class crew including, 2012 Olympic Silver Medallist Luke Patience and Figaro sailors, Alan Roberts and Nick Cherry, as well as Volvo Ocean Race sailor, Nick Bubb.

Close racing is expected in IRC Three among four vintage Swans, including two Sparkman & Stephens designed Swan 48s, Jonty Layfield's Sleeper X and Andrew & Mia Schell's Isbjorn. Peter Hopps, skipper of the Sigma 38, Sam has competed in every edition of the RORC Caribbean 600.

Short-Handed Challengers
A number of young talented Figaro teams are expected from Guadeloupe and James Heald's British Swan 45 Nemesis will be racing Two-Handed. Five Class 40s will be competing including Halvard Mabire and Miranda Merron's Campagne de France which won the Class40 division in the 2016 RORC Transatlantic Race, Catherine Pourre's Eärendil, Peter Harding's Phor-ty, Mikael Ryking's Talanta and Marc Lepesqueux's Saint-Pierre & Miquelon.

For more information and to follow the race go the race minisite: http://caribbean600.rorc.org/

HOW TO FOLLOW THE RACE:
For more information and to follow the race go the race minisite: http://caribbean600.rorc.org/

All yachts will be fitted with a tracker:
Tracking:http://caribbean600.rorc.org/Race-Information/Tracking/

Social Media: Twitter: #rorcrc600  @rorcracing
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/rorcracing/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoyalOceanRacingClub

Join the Virtual Regatta: http://click.virtualregatta.com/?li=4740

(ENDS: Louay Habib)

NOTES TO EDITORS

PRESS ENQUIRIES:
Trish Jenkins
RORC Press Officer
Local cellphone: +1 268 725 4367
M: +44 (0)7880 518689
E:   trish@j2pr.co.uk, press@rorc.org
Skype: trish jenkins
Race/Press office opens at Antigua Yacht Club on Tuesday 14th Feb

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 

THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600:

    RORC Caribbean 600 minisite: http://caribbean600.rorc.org
    The 9th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 starts from Antigua on Monday 20th February 2017
    The 600nm course circumnavigates 11 Caribbean Islands starting from Fort Charlotte, English Harbour, Antigua and heads north as far as  St Martin and south to Guadeloupe taking in Barbuda, Nevis, St Kitts, Saba and St Barth's
    80 yachts have entered the race to date and a record number of boats from around the world is expected to take part   
    Twitter: #rorcrc600 @rorcracing
    Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaloceanracingclub
    Instagram: instagram.com/rorcracing

PAST RESULTS: RORC CARIBBEAN 600 TROPHY - IRC OVERALL
(Best best corrected time under IRC)

2016 - George Sakellaris, Maxi 72, Proteus (USA)
2015 - Hap Fauth, JV72, Bella Mente (USA)
2014 - George Sakellaris, RP72, Shockwave (USA)
2013 - Ron O'Hanley, Privateer, Cookson 50 (USA)
2012 - Niklas Zennström's JV72, Rán (GBR)
2011 - George David, Rambler 100, JK 100 (USA)
2010 - Karl C L Kwok, Beau Geste, Farr 80 (HKG)
2009 - Adrian Lee, Lee Overlay Partners, Cookson 50 (IRL)

THE ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB:

    Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) became famous for the biennial Rolex 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 in 2014 the RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada in November
    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

RACE PARTNERS:

The Royal Ocean Racing Club has partnered with Rolex SA, adding the RORC Caribbean 600 to the leading Swiss watchmaker's prestigious roster of yachting events around the world.  www.rolex.com

Sevenstar Yacht Transport - Official Logistics Partner to the RORC Caribbean 600.Sevenstar Yacht Transport is the world's leading provider of yacht shipping services. A global network of destinations, ranging from the familiar to the exotic, and our own fleet of more than 100 independent carriers have propelled Sevenstar to the peak of its sector for more than 25 years. For race yachts, Sevenstar offers a unique package to the teams which includes all logistics of boat and spares. http://www.sevenstar-yacht-transport.com/racing-logistics.aspx

Sevenstar Yacht Transport Enquiries:
Wouter Verbraak - Direct:  +44 238 021 5063, Mb: +44 755 752 6451
E: wouter@sevenstar-uk.com

MEDIA RESOURCES:

Interviews/media requests: Please get in touch if you have any requests or wish to interview one of the organisers or competitors before, or after the race. (Contact: press@rorc.org).

Images: High resolution, copyright free images will be available after the start, from Barbuda, St Barths and Redonda, where our event photographer, Tim Wright (Photoaction.com) will be to get the best shots.

Video: Four video edits will also be made available: preview, start, early arrivals and a wrap up highlights edit. Let us know any requests for broadcast quality footage.

Features: if you would like a specific feature for your magazine on the race, or certain boats within it, we'd be pleased to help.

Follow the race: Social media, a race tracker and daily updates on the race minisite will bring the race alive for those of us not lucky enough to take part.

Media Team: On site in Antigua from Tuesday 14 February: Trish Jenkins (Press Officer), Louay Habib (Race Reporter), Roddy Grimes-Graeme (Video), Tim Wright (Photographer), Ted Martin & ELWJ Photography. Race team based at Antigua Yacht Club.