RORC Transatlantic Race

RORC Transatlantic Race, Day 11 - Tradewind kick in

Chris Sheehan's PAC52 Warrior Won (USA) is looking good for IRC Overall - photo © Lanzarote Sport

The RORC Transatlantic Race enters the eleventh day, with the Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON) skippered by Chris Sherlock, leading the monohull fleet 200 miles from Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada.

PAC52 Warrior Won (USA) is estimated to be winning overall under IRC, with Leopard second and Richard Fromentin’s JPK 1180 Cocody (FRA) third. Normal service has resumed for all of the 18 boats still racing in the RORC Transatlantic Race, with solid tradewinds producing double-digit boat speed for the entire fleet.

The race leaders 17 January at 1400 UTC: Monohull Line Honours & IRC SZ – Leopard 3 (MON). IRC Overall & IRC Zero – Warrior Won (USA), IRC One – Cocody (FRA), Class40 Sensation Extreme (FRA), and IRC Two Handed Tigris (GBR).

Celebrating Paul Larsen’s birthday on board Adrian Keller’s Allegra – photo © Helena Daverlid / Allegra

Multihull

Adrian Keller’s Nigel Irens 84 Allegra (SUI) has 550nm miles to go to cross the finish line. While the overall win after MOCRA time correction for Allegra is out of reach, the team can still make the podium if they can make up about 8.5 hours time correction on MOD70 Limosa (FRA). Allegra has reported wind speed of 20-25 knots and the catamaran is averaging 17 knots of boat speed with a top speed of close to 30 knots. ‘Rocket Man’ Paul Larsen celebrated his birthday on board Allegra with a taste of Grenada to come! Larsen believes that Allegra may finish ‘for sundowners’ on Thursday 18 January, which would be very close to Limosa’s time after MOCRA time correction.

Leading monohull – Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON) skippered by Chris Sherlock © Robert Hajduk / RORC

IRC Overall

Chris Sheehan’s PAC52 Warrior Won (USA) has lit the blue touch paper. Warrior Won has found its sweet spot, barrelling downwind in a ball of spray averaging 17 knots of boat speed and surfing up to 25 knots. Warrior Won is 400 miles from Grenada with a healthy overall lead after IRC time correction.

Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON), skippered by Chris Sherlock is revelling in the tradewinds, but in terms of winning overall after IRC time correction, Leopard doesn’t have the runway left with 200 miles to go. Leopard does have a firm grasp on the IMA Transatlantic Trophy for Monohull Line Honours. Leopard 3 is the next boat expected to finish Thursday 18th January at about 0300 UTC.

Leading IRC One is Richard Fromentin’s JPK 1180 Cocody (FRA) – photo © James Mitchell / RORC

IRC Super Zero

Leopard leads the class but a tremendous battle is on between three pro-am teams racing round the world racing boats; just six hours separate them after IRC time correction. Johannes Schwarz’s Farr 70 Ocean Breeze (AUT) is 730 miles from the finish and leading the trio after IRC time correction by just four hours. Farr 65 Sisi (AUT), skippered by Oliver Kobale is second. Third is RP70 Green Dragon (SUI) skippered by Benedikt Clauberg.

Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader (GBR) racing in IRC One – photo © Robert Hajduk / RORC

IRC Zero

Warrior Won leads the class by a big margin from Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Mylius 60 Lady First 3 (FRA) which is 945 miles from Grenada. Hanno Ziehm’s Marten 49 Moana (GER) is 1,150 miles from the finish and in third. Mikhail Malamud’s ClubSwan 50 Pimu (USA) is 110 miles ahead of Pimu, but after IRC time correction the lead is under four hours.

Leading Class40 – Marc Lepesqueux’s Sensation Extreme (FRA) – photo © James Mitchell / RORC

IRC One

Third overall under IRC and leading IRC One is Richard Fromentin’s JPK 1180 Cocody (FRA). The team from Lorient have been soaking south towards the rhumb line and weather forecasts predict that Cocody will have a hot angle of attack towards the finish. Cocody is in a struggle to hold off Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader (GBR) for victory in IRC One. Dawn Treader (GBR) is just 35 miles behind Cocody, equating to four hours after IRC time correction. Andrew & Sam Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) is just 39 miles behind Cocody but over a day behind after IRC time correction.

Gavin Howe’s Sun Fast 3600 Tigris (GBR), racing Two-Handed with Maggie Adamson – photo © Robert Hajduk / RORC

Class40 and IRC Two-Handed

Two Class40s are racing in the RORC Transatlantic Race; Marc Lepesqueux’s Sensation Extreme (FRA) leads with 1,300 miles to go from Charles De Coquet’s Concise 8 (FRA), which is hundreds of miles to the north of the leader.

Gavin Howe’s Sun Fast 3600 Tigris (GBR), racing Two-Handed with Maggie Adamson is approaching halfway in the race with 1,540 miles to Grenada. On the water and after IRC time correction Tigris has a close duel with a fully crewed entry; Frans Van Cappelle & Michelle Witsenburg’s J/122 Moana (NED).

A number of teams in the RORC Transatlantic Race are sending pack pictures and video from on board. These are posted on the RORC social media pages including Instagram and Facebook. All of the boats in the RORC Transatlantic Race are fitted with YB Trackers with regular position reports and more data available from the official minisite.

Paul Larsen – photo © Arthur Daniel

The RORC Transatlantic Race is part of the RORC Season’s Points Championship, the world’s largest offshore racing series. www.rorctransatlantic.rorc.org

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by Louay Habib / RORC

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