Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA), owned by Christian Zugel and co-skippered by Howth Yacht Club's Johnny Mordaunt, is the overall winner of the 2025 RORC Caribbean 600.
The crew included Dublin Bay's Cian Guilfoyle and Wicklow's Simon Johnson.
Tschüss 2 completed the race in an elapsed time of 01 Day 21 Hrs 31 Mins and 15 Secs. While nearly half of the boats are still racing, none of the competitors at sea can beat Tschüss 2's corrected time under IRC to win the race overall.
Tschüss 2 Crew: Christian Zugel, Sonia Zugel, Johnny Mordaunt, Al Fraser, Alex Higby, Andrew McLean, Campbell Field, Christopher Welch, Cian Guilfoyle, Edward Myers, Fredric Shanks, Luke Muller, Neal MacDonald, Pete Cumming, Simon Johnson, Stefano Nava and Stu Bannatyne.
'It's all about the team' - says co-skipper Johnny Mordaunt Photo: Arthur Daniel
Christian Zugel has only been offshore racing for two years but has enjoyed fantastic success racing with the RORC, of which he is proud to be a member, as well as his membership of the New York Yacht Club. In that short time, Zugel’s Tschüss 2 has been the overall winner of the Roschier Baltic Sea Race, the RORC Transatlantic Race, and now the RORC Caribbean 600.
“As I started to get more and more involved in ocean racing it was clear we had to come here and the RORC Transatlantic Race was the obvious choice to get here,” commented Christian Zugel. “This was an extremely competitive race with 11 entries in IRC Super Zero, with amazing boats like Leopard, Pyewacket, Lucky, Aiolos and Balthasar, just to name a few. We knew it will be a real battle just to win the class and that every second would count.”
For any boat racing under IRC in the RORC Caribbean 600, to win the race overall, you must first win your class. If that is achieved then the focus can switch to the overall ranking and the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy.
“We concentrated on boats in our class but sometimes we looked over our shoulder at other classes, especially Rán and Daguet,” commented Zugel. “Once we had finished, we went to the bar to celebrate winning IRC Super Zero and we had three laptops open watching Rán and Daguet’s battle to the finish, which was pretty tense for us because they could still beat us. When Rán caught a good shift and was gaining pace, the nervousness in our crew was unbelievable. However, once they crossed the finish line, we knew we had it - much to our great relief and lots of joy.”
Christian Zugel - Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 (USA) © Arthur Daniel/RORC
Tschüss 2 co-skipper Johnny Mordaunt has had a long and distinguished career in sailing. Best known as a project manager for major campaigns, he has served as shore manager for several round-the-world races, including the 2008-09 Volvo Ocean Race with Green Dragon, representing his native Ireland. Mordaunt considers the overall victory in the RORC Caribbean 600 the highlight of his career and dedicated the win to his mother, Patsy.
"For me it’s all about the team," commented Mordaunt. “The individuals come together as a team, that's the most important aspect of it. We are mates pulling and pushing in the same direction; for me that's the most enjoyable part. Having the right team with the right experience; we've got complete legends on the boat who make my job easier. I would go to war with this team.”
Mordaunt is also the Boat Captain for Tschüss 2, responsible for amongst many things, making sure the boat is in good shape for the race.
“We broke one little thing, which I kind of take personally, and I actually broke it, so I have to take that on the chin,” commented Mordaunt. “I've always been pretty good in the sense that I've got confidence in the boat and the guys around me. I know that our preparation has been good; I try not to leave anything to chance. When you're coming up that last beat, knowing that you can just keep sending it in there and nothing's going to break, that brings the value of that preparation to fruition.”
Co-Skipper and Boat Captain of Tschüss 2 Johnny Mordaunt Photo: Arthur Daniel
This was Christian Zugel’s first RORC Caribbean 600, but it certainly will not be his last.
“The RORC Caribbean 600 is clearly an amazing race,” concluded Zugel. “You read about it, you hear about it, it's in the Caribbean with beautiful islands and great trade winds. I think it is a must on every sailor’s list. It is an incredible race and I can only recommend it to anybody out there in the sailing world to do it at least once.
Tschüss 2 at the start of the 600NM RORC Caribbean 600 Photo: Arthur Daniel
“When I first decided to get into offshore racing, I didn't quite know what to expect, I think that the RORC run fantastic sailing events. I can only express my compliments and congratulations. In my opinion, the RORC is clearly the best organised sailing club in the world.”
The next big race for Christian Zugel’s Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 will be the West to East Transatlantic Race organised by the New York Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
The race starts from Newport Rhode Island on the 18th June and will finish in Cowes, IOW.
Tschüss 2 wins the 2025 RORC Caribbean 600 Overall Photo: Tim Wright
