The 11th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 attracted 76 teams from 21 countries and crews from six continents. The highly diverse fleet were challenged by the tough conditions and captivated by the beauty of a stunning race course. The non-stop 600 mile race around 11 Caribbean islands is unique and very much on the bucket-list of any offshore sailor.
“All the classes had amazing competition and many finished the race just minutes apart, especially in the battle between Maserati and Argo, and the Class40s,” commented RORC CEO Eddie Warden Owen. “There were a lot of new boats and faces at this edition and the quality of the fleet and sailors continues to impress every year. The weather served up classic trade wind conditions which makes the race a challenge, but also a fast and exciting one.”
For the 2019 edition, David and Peter Askew's Wizard (USA) is the first Volvo 70 to win the race and the eighth team from the USA to lift the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy.
“Awesome,” commented David Askew. “This is the first time we have done this race and to win it overall is beyond our wildest possible dreams. I really can't believe it.”
“Wizard planing at 25 knots - that is what makes this race so great and there is always something going on around these beautiful islands. This is the first time I have been to Antigua and the welcome has been phenomenal,” added Peter Askew.
Maserati Multi 70 skippered by Giovanni Soldini (ITA) crossed the finish line of the RORC Caribbean 600 in an elapsed time of 1 day, 06 hours 49 minutes and 00 seconds, taking Multihull Line honours and setting a new Multihull Race Record.
Cannon fire from Valletta’s Saluting Battery announced the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The record 130-strong fleet set off from Malta’s capital on the 606-nautical-mile course around Sicily via the Strait of Messina and many stunning landmarks, including Stromboli’s active volcano and the islands of Favignana, Pantelleria and Lampedusa. George David's Maxi Rambler 88 took an historic fourth straight Monohull Line Honours, while overall victory on handicap went to Géry Trentesaux’s JPK 11.80, Courrier Recommandé. Organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club with the support of Rolex, the Rolex Middle Sea Race celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018, marking a festive finale to the Mediterranean yachting season. Rolex World of Yachting video above published Nov 12, 2018.
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Apr 2, 2017: Race Day 3. The final day brought light breeze and the fleets got only one race off before the wind died down completely.
BVI Spring Regatta 2017 - Saturday
Published Apr 2, 2017: Day 2 video includes sweeping views of the British Virgin Islands and the Caribbean Sea. Follow the Bareboat fleet out around some of the most beautiful islands in the world.
The BVI Spring Regatta & Sailing Festival has the best of all worlds: weather, competition, parties, culture.
BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival: "The BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival is one of the largest regattas in the Caribbean. The aqua waters around the British Virgin Islands in the northern Caribbean, attracts over 100 yachts and sailors, friends and families from around the world. The pride of excellence of a well organized regatta, with international race officers and experienced committee members to ensure the best racing in the world. With 18 classes and three race areas allows all participants exclusive races depending on wind, waters and conditions. Racing in three bodies of water; the main Sir Francis Drake Channel, the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by over 60 islands, give the race committee a variety of windward/leewards and around island races to choose from."
Video above published Feb 27, 2017: The 2017 RORC Caribbean 600 started in magnificent conditions with the largest ever offshore fleet assembled in the Caribbean enjoying sparkling conditions. Close to 900 sailors from 30 different nations competed in the 9th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's classic offshore race. Olympic medallists, America's Cup winners and round the world sailors competed alongside passionate corinthians on the same 600 mile race course around 11 Caribbean islands, starting and finishing in Antigua. The 2017 edition will be remembered for highly competitive racing throughout the fleet, with American yachts winning the major prizes. The race was affected by unusual weather conditions, with a low pressure system sending the wind direction spinning through 360º of the compass.
Video above published Feb 29, 2016: 70 Boats from, 30 Different countries, 600 Nautical Miles, 11 Caribbean Islands--1 Amazing Race--The 2016 RORC Caribbean 600 started from Antigua on Monday 22nd February 2016. 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, finishing back in Antigua.
RORC Caribbean 600
RORC Caribbean 600
Organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with Antigua Yacht Club
Start: Antigua, West Indies - Monday 20 February 2017
Course: 600nm non-stop around 11 Caribbean Islands
Overall winner from the 2016 race - George Sakellaris' Maxi 72, Proteus
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. #rorcrc600 Tweets Tweets by RORCRacing more about sailing below (@ web version link below for mobile)
The RORC Caribbean 600 starts from Antigua on Monday 22nd February 2016. The RORC Caribbean 600 is an exciting 600-mile offshore race that takes competitors around some of the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean--
2015 RORC Caribbean 600 - Highlights of the first leg - Video highlights from Day One of the 2015 RORC Caribbean 600, with incredible arial footage of the high performance yachts in spectacular ocean racing conditions. (Published Feb 24, 2015)
Above is a short sailing video showing Phaedo³ at the start of the 2015 RORC Caribbean 600, from Ocean Images on Vimeo
Preview Video of the 2015 RORC Caribbean 600: The RORC Caribbean 600 has one of the most spectacular line ups of high performance boats racing anywhere in the world. Interviews with participating crews and practice action prior to the race start last year. (Published Feb 23, 2015) Thousands of spectators will gather at Shirley Heights to watch the impressive 66-boat fleet begin the 8th RORC Caribbean 600. Hundreds of thousands more will watch the race unfold via video, photographs, race reports and blogs from the boats. All of the competing yachts will be fitted with YB Trackers. THE RORC CARIBBEAN 600 RORC Caribbean 600 minisite: http://caribbean600.rorc.org The RORC Caribbean 600 starts from Antigua on Monday 22nd February 2016 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 Past Results: RORC CARIBBEAN 600 TROPHY - IRC OVERALL (Best best corrected time under IRC) 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) 2016 RORC Caribbean 600 news: Long Haul Arrivals and Weather Jabber | News 2016 | News: "Jim Clark & Kristy Hinze Clark's American Maxi Comanche arrived in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua on Saturday afternoon, 20th February. Having taken line honours in the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the 100ft Canting keel Maxi left Sydney by ship on 6th January bound for Charleston, USA, 9,272 nautical miles via The Panama Canal. Comanche then sailed 1,500 nautical miles in less than four days from Charleston to Antigua. Eric De Turckheim's French A13, Teasing Machine won its class in the Rolex Sydney Hobart but miraculously arrived in Antigua 24 hours before Comanche ..."
Featuring the most magnificent collection of racing yachts ever seen in the Caribbean, an incredibly varied fleet will be racing under the IRC, CSA and MOCRA rating systems, as well as Class40s racing under class rules. Comanche, Phaedo3 and Concise 10 will be gunning for course records but the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy will be won by the yacht with the best corrected time under IRC.
Monohull Record: 2011 George David, Rambler 100 - 40 hours 20 mins 02 secs.
Multihull Record: 2015 Lloyd Thornburg & Brian Thompson, MOD70 Phaedo3 - 33 hours, 35 mins 30 secs.
THE RORC:
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 RORC 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 and www.rorc.org
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