RORC Caribbean 600: Guts and a glimer of Glory

Day Two morning report 06:00 AST - The strong conditions experienced at the start of the RORC Caribbean 600 continued through the first night. At 06:00 AST on 20 February 12 yachts have officially retired from the race. Reports of wind speed in the region of 30 knots, with gusts of up to 40 knots are being reported by crew in the 600-mile race around 11 Caribbean islands.

Peter Aschenbrenner's Irens 63 Paradox is blasting along at the front of the fleet, but in their rear virtual view mirror provided by the YB Race Tracker, George David's American Maxi Rambler 88 is hunting the multihull down. Paradox is currently behind record pace for the multihulls, but only by 42 minutes. Rambler 88 continues at record pace for the monohulls and is expected to cross the finish line before midnight on Tuesday 20th February, well inside the race record.

Rambler 88 is blasting around the course hitting speeds of close to 30 knots. At Tintamarre, the most northerly point of the course, Rambler 88 was nearly an hour ahead of the race record. At 06:00 AST on 20 February, Rambler had completed half the course and was blast reaching past Montserrat on the way to Guadeloupe. Peter Aschenbrenner's Irens 63 Paradox is enjoying a thrilling reach towards Guadeloupe, leading the multihull fleet by a handsome margin. Last night, the American trimaran sustained a boat speed of 30 knots or more for several hours. The crew of Greg Slyngstad's American multihull Fujin which capsized last night, have all been safely transferred to a French coast guard.

In IRC Zero, after time correction Rambler 88 is estimated to have a lead of well over one hour in the class from The USMMA Sailing Foundation's American Volvo 70 Warrior. Ron O'Hanley's American Cookson 50 Privateer is estimated to be third after time correction. The majority of the retirements are in the big boat division: Ludde Ingvall's CQS, George Sakellaris' Proteus, Quentin Stewart's Maverick, Dixon 100 Danneskjold, Stephen Durkin's Bob, Clint Brook's Conviction and Oyster 885 Guardian Angel have all retired with crew reported safe and well. Bernie Evan-Wong's RP37 Taz has retired due to an injured crew member requiring hospital treatment for a hand injury.

Eduardo Plass' Brazilian Soto 65 Camiranga has also retired with a ripped mainsail. Camiranga crewman Samuel Albrecht spoke about the conditions: "We had 30 knots of wind with gusts of 40 and a building confused sea. We damaged the main in one big gybe and then it tore in half when we were beating towards St.Barths. We are all okay but it is a great shame as we have really been looking forward to the race and it was amazing sailing. We hit a top speed of 27 knots, just fantastic. We hope to be back to race again."

In the Class40 division all yachts are still racing. Catherine Pourre's Eärendil has opened up a 10-mile lead on Louis Burton's BHB. Mathias Muller von Blumencron's German Class40 Red is in third position. The Class 40s have already had a taste of the exhilarating reaching conditions with Eärendil hitting over 20 knots of boats speed yesterday. The Class40 fleet are negotiating the top of the course and after beating through the Anguilla Channel, the pocket rockets will pull the trigger to blast reach to Guadeloupe.

In IRC One, the provisional top three boats are Philippe Frantz French NM43 Albator, Kevin McLaughlin's American J/44 Spice, and Lombard 46 Pata Negra sailed by Michael Wright with a team from the Howth Yacht Club, Dublin Ireland. 

At the top of the leaderboard in IRC Two a battle is ranging between three British charter boats, all skippered by close friends. Andy Middleton's Beneteau First 47.7 EH01 is estimated to be just five minutes ahead on corrected time from Ossie Stewart and Ross Applebey's Dufour 45 Scarlet Island Girl. Grand Soleil 43 Quokka 8 skippered by Christian Simpson is third. All three yachts are beating towards St.Barth's. Scarlet Island Girl has chosen to sail above the rhumb line to take advantage of the lee of St.Maarten and St.Barth's. EH01 and Quokka are side-by-side taking the more direct route, beating into punishing conditions.

In IRC Three, Richard Palmer's JPK 10.10 Jangada, racing Two Handed with Jeremy Waitt is the provisional leader; a sterling effort from the British duo. Irish yachtsman of the year Conor Fogerty racing his Sunfast 3600 Bam representing the Howth Yacht Club in Dublin is second. RORC Commodore, Steven Anderson, racing with co-skipper Jane Anderson is third. Last year's class winner Jonty and Vicki Layfield's Swan 48 Sleeper 10 has retired with gear failure, as has Sapphire Knight, skippered by Michael Skeet.

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

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

Virtual race: http://click.virtualregatta.com/?li=4865

Social media:

Twitter: Follow @rorcracing  - Hashtag: #Caribbean600 #rorcrc600

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

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

High Resolution images for media use:

http://gallery.rorc.org/main.php

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NOTES TO EDITORS

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Trish Jenkins

RORC Press Officer 

Antiguan cell: +1 268 717 0273

M: +44 (0)7880 518689

E:   trish@j2pr.co.uk

Skype: trish jenkins 

RACE REPORTER:

Louay Habib

Antiguan cell: + 1 268 717 1811

M: +44 (0)7801 800521

E: louayhabib@gmail.com

RORC Race Enquiries:

Chris Stone, 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  

MEDIA TEAM: On site in Antigua from 12 February: Trish Jenkins (Press Officer), 

Louay Habib (Race Reporter), Roddy Grimes-Graeme (Video), Tim Wright (Photographer), Arthur Daniel & Mags Hugdell (Photography). Race team based at Antigua Yacht Club.
 

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: trish@j2pr.co.uk)

IMAGES: High resolution, copyright free images for editorial use will be available

VIDEO: Preview, start, early arrivals and a wrap up highlights edit will be available. 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.

THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600:

RORC Caribbean 600 minisite: http://caribbean600.rorc.org

The 10th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 starts from Antigua on Monday 19th February 2018. 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 . 87 yachts have entered the race to date

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

2017 - Hap Fauth, Bella Mente, JV72 (USA)

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 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 including the RORC Easter Challenge and the IRC European Championship (Includes the Commodores' Cup) in the Solent. 

The RORC Caribbean 600, based in Antigua and the first offshore race in the Caribbean, has been an instant success. The 10th edition will take place in 2018. The RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada, the first of which was in November 2014. This year, the RORC Transatlantic Race is part of the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta.

The club is based in St James' Place, London, but after a merger with The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes, now boasts a superb clubhouse facility at the entrance to Cowes Harbour and a membership of over 4000.

RORC website: www.rorc.org

Twitter: #rorcracing @RORCracing

Facebook: www.facebook.com/royaloceanracingclub

Instagram: www.instagram.com/rorcracing

RORC RATING:

The RORC has also been a leader in yacht handicap systems and in co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, created IRC - the principal yacht measurement system for the rating of racing yachts 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

IRC rating globally: www.ircrating.org

Social media: www.facebook.com/rorcratingwww.facebook.com/ircrating

Twitter @RORCrating @IRCrating

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