By dawn on day four of the RORC Caribbean 600, 29 teams had finished the race with nearly all of them crossing the finish line in a hectic overnight period. The army of Antigua Yacht Club volunteers rolled up their sleeves to congratulate every crew with a warm smile, cold Carib beer and a team photo to savour. With the number of finishers approaching half the RORC fleet, class winners are emerging.
Results link here
MOCRA
Gunboat 68 Tosca (USA) skippered by Alex Thomson has won the MOCRA Class after time correction. Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 was second with MOD70 Zoulou, sailed by Erik Maris in third.
“Apart from a few squalls we had plenty of steady breeze, which is great for Tosca - a perfect boat to do this race. You have the comfort of a superyacht and the speed of a Volvo 70,” commented Alex Thomson dockside. “Tosca has a great crew and together we are really understanding how to improve the boat’s performance. The MOD70s that were in front of us are amazing boats and there are great boats right through this class. We are really chuffed to win the MOCRA Class; it is a milestone for this boat. Now we are really looking forward to the Rolex Fastnet Race later this year.”
Eric de Turckheim's NMD54 Teasing Machine (FRA) at Redonda in the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 Race Photo: Tim Wright
IRC Zero
RORC Vice Commodore Eric de Turckheim racing NMD54 Teasing Machine (FRA) has won the highly competitive class. Kate & Jim Murray’s Pac52 Callisto (USA) is second, with Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 – Corum (FRA) in third. Racing in IRC Zero is the Verdier 54 Notre Mediterranee - Ville de Nice (FRA), sailed by Fabien Biron & Pim Nieuwenhuis, which is the first IRC Two-Handed team to finish the race in an elapsed time of 02 days 17 hrs 15 mins 15 secs.
Verdier 54 Notre Mediterranee - Ville de Nice (FRA), sailed by Fabien Biron & Pim Nieuwenhuis Two-Handed in IRC Zero of the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 Race Photo: Arthur Daniel
Class40
Albi Bona’s IBSA (ITA) held off a strong challenge from Ambrogio Beccaria’s Alla Grande – Pirelli (ITA) to win the 13-strong Class40 Division by one mile after 61 hours of racing. Completing the Class40 podium was Axel Trehin’s Project Rescue Ocean (FRA), just twenty minutes behind Alla Grande – Pirelli.
“We are very happy to win in a very good fleet. Brogio (Ambrogio Beccaria) comes from the North of Italy like me, so it is great to have two Italian boats at the top. This is the first time I have done this race. It is a great course for Class40 and it has been special to race with a team that knows it so well.”
IBSA crew for the race was an international team, skipper Albi Bona (ITA) was joined by Pablo Santurde (ESP), Luca Bertacci (ITA) and Luke Berry (FRA).
All of the teams in IRC One and IRC Two are still racing in the RORC Caribbean 600. Conditions out on the racecourse are generally nothing short of fabulous, with tropical heat, moderate sea state and stable easterly winds of about 15 knots.
Winning Class40 Albi Bona’s IBSA (ITA) in the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 Race Photo: Arthur Daniel
IRC One
Andrew & Sam Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) is about to round Redonda. Pata Negra is leading the class after IRC time correction by 30 minutes from First 53 Yagiza (FRA) skippered by Phillippe Falle. Yagiza is just a mile astern of Pata Negra. The two teams know each other very well, but there will be no quarter taken or given for the gruelling beat to the finish. Dan Litchfield’s classic Aage Nielsen 59 Hound (USA) is ranked third, but only by five minutes. Hound is very much in the game if their water-line length and displacement come into play for the upwind slog to Antigua.
ISORA's Andrew & Sam Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) competing in the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 Race Photo: Tim Wright
IRC Two
J/133 Vamoose (USA) skippered by Bob Manchester leads on the water and is the only boat to have passed Barbuda for the second time. About 30 miles behind three boats are in close combat with each other with one eye on the clock to win the class. Peter McWhinnie’s JPK 1080 In Theory (USA) still leads class after IRC time correction, but the two-hour time correction lead at Guadeloupe is now down to 37 minutes from Vamoose. Andy Middleton’s First 47.7 EH01 (GBR) is still in the hunt but has dropped to third in ranking for IRC Two.
Peter McWhinnie’s JPK 1080 In Theory (USA) still leads IRC Two after IRC time correction in the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600 Race Photo: Tim Wright
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