RORC & IMA Transatlantic Race, Lanzarote to Grenada

Kali completes 2019 RORC Transat - Dockside interviews, Grenada

Dec 12, 2019: Benedikt Clauberg's Swiss First 47.7 Kali finished the RORC Transatlantic Race on 11 December, completing the 3,000nm race in 18 days 08 hours 28 mins and 18 secs. Kali was competing for the second year in a row and beat their finish time for 2018 by nearly 18 hours.

“It feels great to beat our time from last year as we have been working hard on the performance of the boat,” said Kali's Benedikt Clauberg. “This year was much harder due to a lot of squalls, but we have a very enthusiastic team who wanted to change sails even when they were tired, and that made a difference. It feels like coming home when we arrived in Grenada because we know Charlotte (Fairhead) and all the C&N Port Louis Marina staff.”

2019 Dec 10: Jangada IRC Overall winner of RORC Transatlantic Race 2019:

Jangada, Richard Palmer's JPK 1010 racing two-handed with Jeremy Waitt, crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Tuesday 10th December, 2019 at 21:11:06 UTC. Their elapsed time was 17 days 10 hours 11 mins 06 secs. See all results here.

Pata Negra dockside interviews, Grenada

Andy Lis and the young crew on board Giles Redpath's Pata Negra completed the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race in 15 days 22 hrs 58 mins 13 secs. On arrival at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, they were interviewed about their experience by RORC Race Reporter, Louay Habib. “That was quite an adventure,” commented Skipper, Andy Lis. “Besides myself, this is the first time in the Caribbean for the rest of the crew. The most memorable moment for me was the boat flying through a squall - it was bucketing with rain and the sea went from a 4 metre swell to nothing, with the breeze pumping.”

Interview dockisde, Grenada: Andre Auberton-Herve/Dark Shadow

French Wally 100 Dark Shadow finished the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race on Friday 6th December in an elapsed time of 13 days 9 hours 11 mins and 3 secs. Dark Shadow was sailed by Andre Auberton-Herve (FRA) and skippered by Yerin Hobson (AUS). "I did the transat almost 12 years ago with the almost the same team. This time it was great, but we had tricky winds and still enjoyed it," commented Andre Auberton-Herve. "Racing with the RORC means great organisation at the departure and a great reception here. The transat was perfect, we loved it - Dark Shadow was flying! We reached 25 knots finally and that was very nice. It was great to put the team back together - The Expendables Transat!"  Dark Shadow crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Friday 6th December, 2019 at 20:11:03 UTC.

See also Bouwe Bekking, Skipper Childhood 1 - RORC Transatlantic Race video. Skipper Bouwe Bekking (NED): "It's always nice to start building a team from scratch. This is the beginning of it. There's a couple of really interesting young crew members who have a lot in them. I was pleasantly surprised. It's really nice to be here in Grenada, I've never been here before. The Marina is splendid, and that is one of the things you wonder when coming across, and this is really nice, and a really warm welcome. Thank you Grenada."

Childhood 1 Wins the IMA Trophy | RORC Transatlantic Race (video)

Swedish VO65 Childhood 1, skippered by Bouwe Bekking, has taken Line Honours in the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race. Childhood 1 crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada in an elapsed time of 11 days 11 hours 34 mins 49 secs. The International Maxi Association Secretary General, Andrew McIrvine, presented Bouwe Bekking and the team with the IMA Trophy for Monohull Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race. With cold beers and big cheers Childhood 1 was welcomed by Charlotte Bonin, Marina Manager and the team at Port Louis Marina. Nikoyan Roberts presented a basket of Grenadian goods on behalf of the Grenadian Tourism Authority.

RORC Transatlantic Race 2019 LIVE Tracker 04 Dec 2019 23:00: Childhood 1 Finish & Line Honours - 11d 11h 39m 49s.

Dec 1, 2019: with less than 1200nm to the finish at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada, leading the fleet is the Swedish VO65 Childhood 1. All of the competing yachts are south of the rhumb line but there is over 900nm of latitudinal separation in the fleet. Jangada is furthest north and Childhood 1 furthest south. Childhood's deep dive south has paid dividends to take the lead for line honours, Jangada leads the race overall after IRC time correction and Pata Negra have come from behind to overtake Kali. After nine days at sea the RORC Transatlantic Race fleet are now well offshore in the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean - the next sighting of land will be the Caribbean. More news here.

Day 5 Update, Nov 27:  Wally 100 Dark Shadow Satellite Phone Call (video): After five days into the RORC Transatlantic Race the international fleet is experiencing shifty conditions with a light to moderate wind oscillating between nor' east and east. All of the teams are south of the rhumb line but different strategies are producing a range of tactics in the 3,000nm race to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada. Richard Palmer, competing Two Handed with Jeremy Waitt on his British JPK 10.10 Jangada are currently provisional overall leader after IRC time correction. French Wally 100 Dark Shadow is 2,285nm from the finish and leading the fleet for line honours. Swedish VO65 Childhood 1 has sailed the most miles (945nm) and is the furthest south. Pata Negra is back in the race having made a pit-stop in El Hierro. More news here.

LIVE Tracker here.

Nov 26: Fleet leaders Childhood 1 & Dark Shadow take a deep dive southward (LIVE tracker).

Nov 24, 2019 -- RORC Transatlantic Race 2019: As expected, Swedish VO65 Childhood 1, skippered by Bouwe Bekking, is firmly in front having raced 251nm in the first 24 hours. The fleet are currently experiencing downwind conditions, however the nor’easterly gradient wind is far from stable as frequent rain squalls, combined with land effects, have dramatically changed both the wind speed and direction. Childhood 1 gybed south of the rhumb line shortly after sunrise this morning, indicating that the team may well be turning south after negotiating the wind shadow of El Hierro - the last sight of land that they are likely to see for many days.

After noon on day two of the race, the Wally 100 Dark Shadow also gybed south having raced 240nm in the first 24 hours. Dark Shadow's David Martriano commented via satellite phone. “All is well on board and we are currently sailing in about 15 knots of breeze from the northeast. The conditions are beautiful and we are enjoying some fantastic fresh food prepared by Annina (Zaini). Last night the breeze was up and down, which kept us busy with quite a few sail changes. This morning we got into a light patch of wind north of Tenerife, but we are now in good breeze and looking forward to some great sailing ahead.” More here.

RORC Transatlantic Race 2019 Start Nov 23 (video): Farewell Lanzarote! The RORC Transatlantic Race gets underway! The 6th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race got underway on time with the fleet starting from outside Marina Lanzarote at 1100 UTC on Saturday 23 November, 2019. After months of preparation, the international fleet have started one of the most iconic offshore races with a stiff breeze gusting up to 25 knots. Read more at http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/news/

See also: Jangada & Dark Shadow Dockside | RORC Transatlantic Race RORC video published Nov 22, 2019. 6th RORC Transatlantic Race Start: Saturday 23rd November 2019 - Marina Lanzarote; Notice of Race (pdf) and here (pdf), course: Lanzarote, Canary Islands, to Grenada, Caribbean. Approximate Distance: 2995nm.

Official website: rorctransatlantic.rorc.org and LIVE Tracking

Tweets by RORCRacing

more about sailing below (@ web version link below for mobile)

Follow @johnthecrowd

2015 RORC Transatlantic Race, Lanzarote to Grenada (Maxi videos)

Above video: Volcano Race 2015 - Line Honours Video - IMA - International Maxi Association


Above: Rolex Capri Sailing Week 2014 - IMA - International Maxi Association

IMA | News: "Competitors in the RORC Transatlantic Race - which is jointly organised by the International Maxi Association (IMA) - are making their way to the start from Marina Lanzarote. The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) announced that the Caribbean island of Grenada would continue to host the international fleet at the end of their 3,000 nm Atlantic race. The final and longest race in the annual RORC racing programme counts towards the 2016 Season's Points Championship series. A dozen teams including both corinthian and professional sailors from France, Great Britain, Belgium, Russia, Spain and Canada will compete for an impressive array of silverware, including the fine vintage silver trophy presented by the International Maxi Association (IMA) for monohull line honours."

2015 RORC Transatlantic Race
In association with the International Maxi Association
When: Saturday 28th November - Start: Lanzarote - Finish: Grenada

For more information: http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/

About 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 on 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

more info: http://www.internationalmaxiassociation.com/

source: RORC Press Release: 11 November 2015

more sailing news below (@ web version link below for mobile)

Follow @johnthecrowd