The 2026 RORC Caribbean 600 got underway in spectacular style in Antigua from Fort Charlotte, high above the iconic Pillars of Hercules. At the start of the 17th edition, the international RORC fleet set out for the non-stop 600-mile race around 11 stunning Caribbean islands.
The edition contains numerous Irish interests with ISORA boats from Wales, Jackknife (Sam and Andrew Hall) and Mojito (Vicky Cox and Andrew Dunlop), along with Cork's Justin Slattery competing on Ran, Howth's Shane Hughes on Black Jack and Crosshaven's Tom McWilliam on Leopard 3.
Race Director Chris Jackson describes near-perfect conditions off Fort Charlotte. “What a fantastic day,” said Jackson. “15 knots of trade winds, delivering classic conditions for the start. With the wind to the south of east we made a slight adjustment to the line to create a safer, more even approach at the pin end, and that worked really well. All the starts were clear bar one boat that was OCS, but they returned quickly and didn’t lose much time. It was a great, clean start.” Jackson added that the race team is now fully engaged in round-the-clock monitoring for the RORC Caribbean 600. “We’ll be watching the fleet 24 hours a day with a full team on duty, keeping an eye on anything unusual and always ready to respond if needed.”
Pin-End Pressure — Swan 56 Azahar (FRA) and RP42 Rikki (USA) accelerate off the IRC One start beneath Fort Charlotte as tightly packed rivals contest the favoured pin end in brisk trade winds. Photo: Tim Wright
The starting sequence was split into five starts with the Multihull and IRC Monohull entries at the end of the sequence. White caps on the Caribbean surf confirmed at least 15 knots of breeze, but tantalizing shifts and wind lanes produced very tactical decisions from the get-go.
IRC Two
Among the 14 boats competing in IRC Two, Cox & Dunlop’s J/122 Mojito (GBR) made a sharp inshore start, timing their run to the line to perfection. Richard Dilley’s GS46 Belladonna (GBR) slightly overcooked their approach and were called OCS but returned promptly to restart correctly. With most of the fleet opting for the pin-end, it was a busy and tightly contested area; however, in spite of this there was plenty of space for everyone and the class got away cleanly and in good order.
Sharp Shooter — Cox & Dunlop’s J/122 Mojito (GBR) times her IRC Two start to perfection with a decisive inshore run to the line. Photo: Arthur Daniel
First Night Ahead — The IRC Two fleet heads offshore into strengthening trade winds as the opening miles of the Caribbean 600 unfold. Photo: Tim Wright
IRC One
It was congested at the pin end for the IRC One start, with a ball of boats lining up for a fiercely competitive run to the gun. Opting to stay clear of the mêlée and start inshore paid dividends for Hervé Grunig’s Swan 56 Azahar (FRA), who found clean air early. Among those committed to the pin-end battle, Xavier Bellouard’s Lift 45 Maxitude (FRA) and Bruce Chafee’s RP42 Rikki (USA) emerged best from the pack. Meanwhile, from the middle of the line, Bernard Giroux’s Solaris 55 Team 42 (FRA) showed strong acceleration to power away in good shape.
Packed Line Pressure — Morpheus, DNR and Afazak Impulse battle for position in the congested IRC One start sequence. Photo: Tim Wright
IRC Zero + Class40
If the opening salvos are any indication, the 2026 RORC Caribbean 600 is set for a full-blooded duel in IRC Zero. The pre-start between Niklas Zennström’s Carkeek 52 Rán (SWE) and Frédéric Puzin’s Carkeek 54 Daguet 5 (FRA) was nothing short of electric. Rán seized the early initiative, forcing Daguet 5 into evasive action to avoid being over the line. The pair split tacks seconds from the gun, but quickly converged again beneath the cliffs of Fort Charlotte, pressing all the way inshore in a high-stakes game. With Rán to leeward and Daguet 5 controlling from windward, the tack out was virtually simultaneous, a battle royale is clearly set to continue offshore.
Further down the course, the Mach 50 Palanad 4 (FRA), skippered by Antoine Magre, reported a broken J1 halyard within hours of the start, briefly slowing their charge. The issue has since been resolved. At the Barbuda Mark, Daguet 5 was ahead from Rán by less than seven minutes with Palanad 4 back up to full speed and less than six minutes behind Rán.
Pre-Start Duel — Carkeek 54 Daguet 5 (FRA) and Carkeek 52 Rán (SWE) engage in an intense pre-start battle before splitting tacks seconds from the IRC Zero gun. Photo: Tim Wright
Early Setback — Mach 50 Palanad 4 (FRA), skippered by Antoine Magre, presses on after resolving a broken J1 halyard shortly after the start. Photo: Arthur Daniel
Mike Hennessy’s Owen Clarke–designed Class40 Scowling Dragon (USA) currently heads the Class40 charge but only by the slimmest of margins. The American entry is just nudging ahead of Robin Follin’s Guelfi-designed Solano (FRA) and Matéo Le Calvic’s Manuard FPFP-TP (FRA), with barely a paper-thin gap separating the leading trio. Among the older generation designs, Jean-Yves Algae’s Manuard-designed Martinique Horizon (FRA) is also holding pace well.
Scow Surge — Class40 Scowling Dragon (USA) edges ahead in a tightly matched leading trio during the opening exchanges offshore. Photo: Tim Wright
Generation Game — Martinique Horizon and FPFP-TP (FRA) hold pace among the Class40 fleet as the leaders stretch away from Antigua. Photo: Tim Wright
IRC Super Zero
With virtually the entire big boat class committing to the pin end, the start was always going to be a high-stakes confrontation. Mills 72 Balthasar skippered by Louis Balcaen was marginally early and eased sheets a fraction close to the line. Balthasar was quickly overhauled by Remon Vos’ Maxi 100 Black Jack 100. To leeward and a fraction later than Black Jack, the Farr 100 Leopard 3, helmed by Joost Schuijff, hit the line at full pace and squeezed up to windward of Black Jack 100, momentarily backwinding the 100-footer as both charged towards the cliffs of Antigua with little sea room to spare. The early duel continued offshore, with Black Jack 100 rounding the Barbuda mark first, holding a two-minute advantage over Leopard 3.
Maxi Showdown — Mills 72 Balthasar, Maxi 100 Black Jack 100 and Farr 100 Leopard 3 thunder off the IRC Super Zero line in a high-stakes start. Photo: Tim Wright
Multihull Class
The pin end was once again tightly packed for the 11-strong multihull start, setting up an aggressive dash off the line. Marc Guillemot’s MG5 WellnessTraining (FRA) judged it perfectly, winning the pin and stretching out in clear air. To leeward of the main group, Matteo Uliassi’s DNA F4 Falcon (ITA) also secured a clean getaway. Taking a more measured approach, race record holder Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) avoided the congestion entirely, accelerating through the line well to leeward of the fleet. In contrast, Jon Desmond’s MOD70 Final Final – Zoulou was momentarily bottled up in the pin-end traffic, but emerged without major concerns, albeit trailing Argo. By the Barbuda mark, Argo held the advantage, though by less than eight minutes, keeping the duel finely poised.
Multihull Blast-Off — The 11-strong multihull fleet launches from the pin end in an aggressive dash across the Antigua start line. Photo: Tim Wright
Record Holder On The Move — Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) accelerates clear in clean air after avoiding congestion at the multihull start. Photo: Arthur DanielRC
MOD70 Match-Up — Final Final – Zoulou and Argo charge north in close formation as their offshore duel begins. Photo: Tim Wright
As the fleet stretches out on the first day of the RORC Caribbean 600, the opening exchanges have already delivered a thrilling spectacle but the 600-mile challenge has only just begun.
The 2026 RORC Caribbean 600 is now fully underway, and the battles taking shape promise to intensify as the fleet powers deeper into the Caribbean.
Report by Louay Habib
