Three RORC Transatlantic Race teams are in the shoot-out for Monohull Line Honours and the IMA Transatlantic Trophy. The exquisite 19th-century sterling silver trophy will be presented in Grenada by the International Maxi Association Secretary General, Andrew McIrvine. The winner is expected tomorrow, Tuesday, 17th January 2023.

Contenders are: Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, IMOCA Canada Ocean Racing (CAN), raced Two-Handed by Scott Shawyer and Alan Roberts, and the Swan 115 Jasi (SWE), skippered by Toby Clark.

I love Poland is firmly in pole position for Monohull Line Honours and predicted to complete the race around midday (UTC) on Tuesday, 17th January. At their current speed, I Love Poland is over a day faster than their elapsed time in last year's race. In 2022, I Love Poland was second over the line to the 100ft Supermaxi Comanche. I Love Poland currently has a 144nm lead, but the all-Polish team is taking nothing from granted, as Navigator Konrad Lipski commented by satellite from on board on day seven.

IMOCA Canada Ocean Racing (CAN) has kept the same speed as I Love Poland over the last 24 hours. This is an impressive performance as Canada Ocean Racing is competing Two-Handed with Scott Shawyer and Alan Roberts.

Swan 115 Jasi (SWE), skippered by Toby Clark is positioned close to the rhumb line and has been making significant gains on their final approach to Grenada. Jasi is 156 miles behind I Love Poland and unlikely to take Monohull Line Honours, but a battle with Canada Ocean Racing is playing out in the final stretch to the finish outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. Jasi is taking a direct route to Grenada with a better wind angle than I Love Poland and Canada Ocean Racing.

On Friday, 13th January 2023, at 19:46:26 UTC, Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 took Multihull Line Honours in the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race.

Maserati’s elapsed time set a new Multihull Race Record of 5 days 5 hours 46 mins 26 secs, smashing the previous record by just under 17 hours.

Maserati Multi70 Crew: Giovanni Soldini, Guido Broggi, Matteo Soldini, Oliver Herrera Perez, Francesco Pedol, Lucas Valenza-Troubat and Francesco Malingri.

There was a huge welcome on the dock for Giovanni Soldini and the Maserati crew as they arrived at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada. The team were all smiles as cold beers and loud cheers greeted the team to Grenada. Chinel Sandy, representing the Grenada Tourism Authority, presented a basket of Grenadian goods to Giovanni Soldini. Arriving on Friday was really good timing as the grills were being fired up for BBQ Night at the Victory Bar and Restaurant. 

Maserati Multi70 at the finish of the RORC Transatlantic Race in Grenada © All Photos - Arthur Daniel/RORC

For Maserati the victory and new race record did not come easily in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Strong winds and a big sea state took its toll on the boat, but the crew battled through the troubles and strife to smash the previous record by 16 hrs 59mins 37 secs.

“I am very happy, we were very fast and we took a very nice route in this race,” commented Soldini. “We had a big problem with the centreboard and a rudder, but we kept fighting. I am so happy to be here in Grenada and I am so proud of my team, they are special guys.”

This was the fourth RORC Transatlantic Race for Maserati Multi70. Last year Maserati came from behind to take Line Honours in a photo-finish. This year’s win was even sweeter; Soldini has raced across the Atlantic over 40 times and he believes this race was as close to perfect as possible.

“We made a mistake in the beginning when we went looking for thermal wind in the Canary Islands; we probably missed it by half an hour. After that we did a really nice job when you look at our course. We gybed well on the shifts and came out of every manoeuvre on a great angle.” 

Frank Slootman’s American MOD70 Snowflake, skippered by Gavin Brady is expected to be the second boat to finish the RORC Transatlantic Race. At 21:00 UTC on 13th January, Snowflake was 72 miles from Grenada.

The 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race started on time in glorious conditions outside Marina Lanzarote and there was a number of Irish crew on the 30 boats on the 3,000 nm race to Grenada. As previously reported, Ireland's top ocean racer Justin Slattery is onboard the 100ft canting keel Maxi Comanche while Conor Corson of the National Yacht Club and Southampton based Callum Healy whose family hail from County Kildare are both on Phosphorous II. ISORA regular Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra from Wales is competing as Louay Habib reports.

Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay (CAY) hit speeds of 33 knots at the start of the RORC Transatlantic Race when 30 boats took the start off Marina Lanzarote for the 3,000 nm race to Grenada © James Mitchell

The 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race started on time in glorious conditions outside Marina Lanzarote. A flotilla of spectator boats witnessed the spectacle and thousands more watched by live stream, with Vendee Globe star Pip Hare providing commentary. After months of preparation and planning, the 3,000nm race to Grenada has begun for 256 sailors from 27 different countries. The record fleet of 30 boats set off at blistering pace downwind leaving Lanzarote behind. The RORC fleet will race through the Canary Islands before sailing into the open waters of the Atlantic. A complex weather system promises a fascinating race to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada.

Conor Corson of the National Yacht Club and Southampton based Callum Healy whose family hail from County Kildare are both on Phosphorous II

“15-20 knots of wind with a wave height of nearly one and a half metres made for a spectacular downwind start,” commented RORC Deputy Racing Manager Tim Thubron. “Both the MOCRA and combined IRC class starts were very competitive; it just shows how spirited this fleet is. The RORC Race team will be monitoring their progress throughout the race 24-7, and as with all of our Club’s events, we wish all our competitors a safe and enjoyable race.”

José Juan Calero, Managing Director of Calero Marinas commented: “It is fantastic to see the race start in perfect conditions. I speak for all of the team at Calero Marinas and all of the supporters of this race, to say we are so proud of how this race has developed. It is an amazing experience for all of the sailors. This is the eighth year we have hosted the start and I thank the RORC for putting their trust in Lanzarote to deliver. A big thank you to the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France for supporting the race.”

Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) © James Mitchell

Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati (ITA) - © James Mitchell

MOCRA

At speeds of over 30 knots the powerful multihulls in the MOCRA class were first away. Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) won the pin end with Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati (ITA) first to cross the line to leeward. The Italian team was the first to gybe inshore and to the turning mark at Puerto Calero. However, Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay (CAY) ripped out in front hitting a speed of 33 knots. PowerPlay was first to clear the passage between Lanzarote and Fuerteventura. Argo and Maserati gybed south of the rhumb line, but PowerPlay continued to head to the north. Less than three hours into the race, the trio had travelled over 70 miles.

L4 Trifork VO70 © James Mitchell

IRC SUPER ZERO

L4 Trifork got the best start of the big boat class, with Joern Larsen at the helm and Bouwe Bekking calling the shots. L4 Trifork started to leeward and got into clean air to hoist their massive spinnaker. L4 Trifork was originally the VO70 Ericsson 4 but now has DSS foils and a longer bowsprit – turbo charged would be an understatement. However, the 100ft canting keel Maxi Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth also got away well, passing L4 Trifork to windward in a show of power. L4 Trifork gybed on their line and might have even got a tow in their quarter wave. It was an aggressive start by both teams. Three hours into the race Comanche leads by five miles. Behind the leaders on the water HYPR (NED), sailed by Jens Lindner, has taken a northerly position. The Polish National Foundation’s VO70 I Love Poland and The Austrian Ocean Racing’s VO65 Sisi are further to the south.

IRC ZERO

The super-fight between the offshore fifty-footers got off to a cracking start. Max Klink’s Botin 52 Caro (CH) nailed the pin end of the line like the team were starting an inshore race. David Collins Botin 52 Tala (GBR) was hardly shy of the line either. The Botin 56 Black Pearl (GER), helmed by Stefan Jentsch was also in the mix. Three hours into the race the trio were screeching along, three-abreast, at close to 20 knots of boat speed.

IRC ONE

Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) pulled away from the class at the start to lead on the water. Boat Captain Chris Jackson called in just after the start: ‘It’s great to get going and we are doing very nicely, touching 12 knots and it is great to be first on the water in our class.”

Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra with boat captain Chris Jackson (GBR) © James Mitchell

Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) had a great tactical start, hugging the coast of Lanzarote to record a velocity made good of over 10 knots. Christopher Daniel’s J/122 Juno (GBR) is racing across the Atlantic for the first time and contacted the race team after the start: “Glamour conditions for the start! We managed to recover quickly from a blown fitting on the tack line and are now enjoying a VMG run downwind past the amazing Lanzarote coastline. Having passed the turning point off Puerto Calero we will make our way through The Canary Islands; next stop Grenada!”

Without doubt IRC One has the biggest variety of yachts in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Three classic yachts are racing under IRC, including Remy Gerin’s Faiaoahe (FRA) who is a larger-than-life character and racing his 65ft (19.8m) cutter-rigged sloop Two-Handed with Bernard Jeanne-Beylot. Racing a traditionally built boat with just two people requires all-round skill, but the pair are not short on humour either, besides an exercise bike below deck, Remy admits to having a huge quantity of broccoli on board. “I love it but my children don’t, so this is one of my big treats on board. I don’t get enough at home!” Laughed Remy.

Summing up the commitment by the Royal Ocean Racing Club to this race, RORC CEO Jeremy Wilton commented: “It takes a lot of resources from the whole RORC team and from our partners both here in Lanzarote and across the ocean in Grenada. The preparation before the start and the welcome at the finish are all part of a great experience for competitive teams racing 3,000 miles. Ocean racing is part of our name, it is in our DNA and the majority of our members around the world are ocean racers. The RORC is respected for managing racing and for our safety standards. To provide great offshore races is what we strive to deliver and these also become bucket-list events.”

Sailors participating in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race shared their thoughts on the eve of the start during a press conference at Marina Lanzarote on Friday 7 January.

Brian Thompson, tactician for Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo, said: “It’s going to be a fantastic competition between four boats for multihull line honours.

“The winner will be the team that manages these powerful boats, especially in the rough conditions, and the one that takes the best route.

“This year the trade winds are not as normal as they should be, so for the record we will have to wait and see.

“It is always exciting to race across the Atlantic; it hasn't got any smaller or any easier!”

Bouwe Bekking, principal helmsman and strategist for Volvo 70 L4 Trifork, said: “If you want to know why Lanzarote is such a great place to start a race across the Atlantic, just look out the window: the temperature is great, the conditions are fantastic, and you need breeze for these races.

“Lanzarote has great facilities, and the people here are real experts in lots of areas. Racing across the Atlantic is becoming more popular, it is an incredible experience, and this race is a great way to start a campaign.”

Ireland will be represented by Justin Slattery among the crew of the record-setting Maxi VPLP, Comanche — whose bowman Willy Altadill and crew Diogo Cayolla spoke their minds.

“Every child dreams of racing on a boat like Comanche and it has brought me responsibility and experience,” Altadill said. “It's not easy to race on Comanche, but it’s amazing to get a chance to race on a boat like this with a world-class crew.”

Cayolla added: “This will be my first Atlantic race on Comanche and I’m really looking forward to it. Comanche is a big powerful boat and it likes the wind. We do have a record in mind and that is going to be our biggest goal for the race.”

Also in attendance for the organisers were Héctor Fernández of the Lanzarote Tourist Board, Yacht Club de France vice president Olivier Pecoux , International Maxi Association secretary general Andrew McIrvine, RORC chief executive Jeremy Wilton and José Juan Calero, managing director of Calero Marinas.

Thirty teams from all over the world will start the eighth edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race on Saturday 8 January from 11am UTC.

The race start will be live-streamed on the Puerto Calero Marinas Facebook page in Spanish with commentary and in English by Vendée Globe star Pip Hare.