RORC Caribbean 600: Rambler 88 takes Monohull Line Honours

George David's American Maxi, Rambler 88 finished the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600 on Wednesday 22 February 2017 at 11 hrs 56 mins 17 secs AST taking Monohull Line Honours.

This year was George David's third line honours win in the RORC Caribbean 600. However, the record set by his previous boat, Rambler 100 in 2011 remains intact for another year. However, George David was very content with the performance of the team and Rambler 88.

"The forecast was right on for direction as the breeze went a full 360 degrees, but we had a bit more velocity than anticipated. It was a good race and we enjoyed it very much but this was a different race altogether. It was more like the English Channel than the Caribbean and Rambler 88 will be racing there this summer in our build up to the Rolex Fastnet Race. I have never taken part in those races before so that will be interesting as well.

"This year we had a full-on reach all the way from St. Barth to Guadeloupe. When you are at the helm and the boat is beautifully balanced and you are doing 20 knots with a poled out J1 and staysail for 150 miles, you can't help but smile. It is great to have taken line honours again, but we have only won this race overall one time. We will come back because it is such a great place to be; everything about the race is nice."

Tactician, Brad Butterworth was quick to commend the Rambler 88 crew dockside shortly after finishing the RORC Caribbean 600:

"We were looking through the data all through the race and between Anguilla and St. Maarten we had to gybe while our competition got the new pressure and by dawn, they were right behind us, so we lost most of our lead there. Racing a boat like Rambler 88 you need a really good crew and we have guys that have the experience to get the boat going faster all the time. This year the race was not as tough as previous years, but it is far from a Caribbean holiday. We had to make a lot of sail changes which is very gruelling on the crew. This boat is like a Volvo 70 on steroids; it has unlimited power and in these conditions the helm is still relatively easy to handle and there is a lot of water coming over the bow, but we don't go up there!"

Rambler Ted Martin
Rambler 88: Rodney Ardern, Silvio Arrivabene, Scott Beavis, Josh Belsky, Brad Butterworth,  Andrew Cape, Rodney Daniel, Simon Daubney, George David,  Jan Dekker, Brian Giorgio, Brad  Jackson, Jerry Kirby, Will McCarthy, Robert Naismith, Mark Newbrook, Dean Phipps, Aaron Reynolds-lovegrove, Joao Signorini, Stuart Wilson
© RORC/Ted Martin

Mike Slade's British Maxi Leopard 3 is expected to be the second monohull to finish the race in front of two Maxi72s vying for the overall win under IRC: Hap Fauth's Bella Mente and George Sakellaris' Proteus. Lionel Pean's French Volvo70 SFS II is also expected to finish the race today, 22 February at 17:30 AST.

To keep up to date with all the news and to follow the race. www.caribbean600.rorc.org

(Race Report: Louay Habib)

How to follow the race:

Race minisite:   http://caribbean600.rorc.org/
Blogs from the boats, daily race reports, images, videos and news. Follow the action as it unfolds on the RORC Caribbean 600 website.

Fleet Tracking: http://caribbean600.rorc.org/Race-Information/Tracking/

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

RORC YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/rorcracing

Social Media:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rorcracing
#rorcrc600  @rorcracing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rorcracing/

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

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
    73 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