ISORA campaigners Andrew and Sam Hall retired from the RORC Transatlantic Race after his yacht Pata Negra lost a rudder with 900 miles to go in the 3,000-mile race.

According to Liverpool Yacht Club crew reports on social media, the Lombard 46 was running downwind in the middle of the night when the damage occurred. 

"Lost port Rudder, crew all OK, making way to harbour" is the official report on the race website.

There was some sail damage in the incident, too, but all are reported safe and well on board. 

The crew say they are 'devastated' at not being able to finish the race, according to information received by ISORA's Peter Ryan.

The latest update from onboard says, "They have managed to bung the hole to stop the water coming in and are now nursing the boat under jib to the nearest land, 5-6 days away."

As Afloat reported earlier, Dublin Bay's Conor Corson is Pata Negra's Watch Captain.

Pata Negra is under reduced sail since losing a rudder

Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON), skippered by Chris Sherlock, has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 10th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race.

Winning the IMA Transatlantic Trophy, the international team of 17 (including Cork Harbour's Tom McWilliam) celebrated dockside at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada. Leopard 3 completed the race in an elapsed time of 10 Days, 17 Hours, 23 Mins, 51 Secs.

“Leopard suffered a major setback just two days into the race. It wasn’t a significant hit, but what was believed to be a whale, which badly damaged our port rudder, delaminating one metre up”, explained Chris Sherlock. “We made a calculated decision on board to keep pushing on and to see if the rudder held, with options to pull into the Cape Verde Islands, or continue. The rudder held across the Atlantic and we have taken Line Honours, so we have achieved our goal. Our preparation for this race was really good; Gian (Ahluwalia) and his team did a terrific job getting the boat ready. Excluding the misdemeanour of the rudder damage on day two, we are very happy with how we sailed the boat.”

Leopard’s owners, since 2018, have been competing in their first transatlantic, and like all of the team, settled into the watch system to race with the professional crew. Leopard’s owners commented dockside:

“We have competed with Leopard in several 600-mile races: the Aegean, the RORC Caribbean 600 and the Rolex Middle Sea Race. These races are two or three days long and the RORC Transatlantic Race was the next type of challenge. It is a life-changing experience to race across the ocean. The experience in the middle of the ocean is amazing, you are transcended to another place. Leopard 3 is super-exciting and thrilling.

“This has been an adventure with a crew of 17, with all the ups - like beautiful sailing, moonlit nights and going through the finish line; and there are the downs, like damaging the boat, 30 knot squalls. We have been building this team for five years; all of the crew are very capable and there is a tremendous atmosphere on board. The crew have crossed the Atlantic a huge number of times and we benefit from their knowledge, but you can really see their passion, and that is a big part of why we do this.”

For this race, Leopard’s tactician was Mitch Booth who was skipper for the 100ft Maxi Comanche for the record run in 2022.

“Every RORC Transatlantic Race is a different event, but this one was really quite unique,” commented Mitch. “We had a huge weather system to the north which looked like a route that would really punish you. So, like just about all of the fleet, we went south, which adds a lot more miles to the race, and we had light conditions. So this was a slow race but very tactical and very enjoyable; even though we had damage, we still had a lot of fun.”

So, when does Mitch Booth think we may see a showdown between Comanche and Leopard? “Comanche is going to be heading back to Europe this season,” continued Mitch. “We will clash at a couple of events and go head-to-head; it’s going to be a very interesting battle! Leopard has had such a big upgrade, giving a huge jump in performance, but Comanche is a weapon. It will be great to see two 100-footers at the top of their game in some big races.”

Leopard 3 will be racing next month in both the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series and the RORC Caribbean 600. For the inshore racing, Leopard 3 will have strong competition from Wendy Schmidt’s phenomenal Botin 85 Deep Blue (USA). For the RORC Caribbean 600 Leopard’s rival for Monohull Line Honours will be the 107ft Wally Spirit of Malouen X (FRA) raced by the Paprec Sailing Team and skippered by Stephane Neve.

The second monohull to finish in Grenada was Chris Sheehan's PAC52 Warrior Won (USA), which completed the race in an elapsed time of 11 Days 05 Hrs 18 Mins 29 Secs.

On day seven, after IRC time correction, the RORC Transatlantic Race race leader is Chris Sheehan’s PAC52 Warrior Won (USA) (with former Dublin Bay sailor Christy Welch onboard), approximately 200 miles behind the water leader Leopard (with Cork Harbour's Tom McWilliam on the crew).

The early race leader overall under IRC was Richard Fromentin’s JPK 1180 Cocody (FRA), which is now ranked second overall, 1,700 miles from Grenada. After seven days of racing, Warrior Won and Cocody are both in the running to lift the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.

Cocody is the furthest boat to the north; the JPK 1180 is highly manoeuvrable and the experienced team from Lorient, France will be using every shift to work south and stay in the pressure. The good news for Cocody is that the calm area of wind to the south of their position is expected to disappear and be replaced by strong tradewinds to slingshot Cocody towards Grenada. Warrior Won has raced a remarkable race so far; hanging onto the coattails of Leopard almost twice their length is nothing short of admirable. However, Warrior Won’s biggest threat to the overall win is Cocody. Tactically there is no way to influence the performance of Cocody hundreds of miles from their position. All Warrior Won can do is put their foot to the floor as skipper Chris Sheehan commented by satellite:

Chris Sheehan commented from Warrior Won by satellite: 

Meanwhile, Ireland's Conor Corson on Pata Negra reported to Afloat that the "Transat is going okay so far; we have had a fairly traditional route. Head south till the butter melts and hang a right.

There were lots of snakes and ladders coming down the African coast, but as we entered Cape Verdes, we found a bit more steady breeze and started munching up the miles.

Complete drag race now with us, Dawn Treader and Sea-Nergy, all within about 30/40 miles of each other. It will be interesting to see how we all converge with Cocody, who have gone off on their own up north.

We have a good breeze at the moment (15-18 knots two) and are humming along nicely".

Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) crossed the finish line outside Port Louis Marina, Grenada, on Saturday, 13th January 2024, at 22:34:30 UTC to take Multihull Line Honours in the 10th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 06d 10h 34m 30s.

The Argo crew pictured below before starting were: Jason Carroll, Chad Corning, Pete Cumming, Charlie Ogletree, Alister Richardson and Brian Thompson.

Team Argo - Race crew and shore team dockside before the start at Marina Lanzarote, with José Juan Calero, CEO of Calero Marinas Photo: Robert Hajduk/RORC

Live results here

Ireland is well represented in today's RORC Transatlantic Race by two Irish sailors onboard two hot boats in the 24-boat fleet for the 3,000-miler.

Royal Cork's Tom McWilliam is onboard a race favourite, the Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON), skippered by Chris Sherlock, who is expected to line up against five former round-the-world racing yachts in the IRC Super Zero division.

As Afloat previously reported, Solent-based McWilliam is a regular on the sleek racer, having competed most recently in the 2023 Middle Sea Race last October.

Roy P. Disney’s Pyewacket 70 (USA) is making its race debut and is the biggest threat to Leopard.

Also racing is former Dublin Bay sailor Christy Welsh, who is onboard the Pac52 Warrior Won, the winner of the 2022 Caribbean 600 race when Howth's Shane Diviney was on board.

Welsh raced earlier this year on the Maxi A Galateia with a strong Irish crew and also the Wally Cento and the Volvo 70, Tschuss.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 10th-anniversary edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race will start from Lanzarote on the 7th of January 2024 at midday. The fleet will set off from Marina Lanzarote to race across the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Port Louis Marina in Grenada, West Indies.

The much anticipated two-handed entry of Dublin's Conor Corson on the Sunfast 3300 Asgard did not materialise, but Corson is competing as boat captain on board Pata Negra skippered by ISORA's Andrew Hall.

An estimated six Maxi yachts will be vying for the overall win under IRC, as well as the IMA Transatlantic Trophy awarded to the first Maxi yacht to complete the race.

Six Multihulls are expected in the MOCRA class, including an unprecedented four 70ft trimarans vying for Multihull Line Honours.

The big boat entries feature all-carbon boats with canting keels; two Volvo 70 entries from Johannes Schwarz in Ocean Breeze (NED) and Green Dragon (AUT). Jens Lindner’s Volvo 70 HYPR (ESP), and Farr 65 Sisi (AUT), skippered by Gerwin Jansen, are ramping up for the battle.

As regular Afloat readers know, Sunday's course was changed to remove a requirement to leave the Canary Islands to port due to weather.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 10th-anniversary edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race will start from Lanzarote on the 7th of January 2024.

The RORC fleet will set off from Marina Lanzarote to race across the Atlantic Ocean, bound for Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada, West Indies.

Two months before the start of the RORC Transatlantic Race, 24 teams from 10 countries responded to the challenge for the 3,000-mile oceanic race. An estimated six Maxi yachts will be vying for the overall win under IRC, as well as the IMA Transatlantic Trophy awarded to the first Maxi yacht to complete the race. Six Multihulls are expected in the MOCRA class, including an unprecedented four 70ft trimarans vying for Multihull Line Honours.

Roy P. Disney’s Pyewacket 70 (USA) is making its race debut Photo: James Tomlinson

Farr 100 Leopard 3 (MON), skippered by Chris Sherlock is expected to line up against five former round the world racing yachts in IRC Super Zero. Roy P. Disney’s Pyewacket 70 (USA) is making its race debut and is the biggest threat to Leopard. The big boat entries feature all-carbon boats with canting keels; two Volvo 70 entries from Johannes Schwarz in Ocean Breeze (NED) and Green Dragon (AUT). Jens Lindner’s Volvo 70 HYPR (ESP), and Farr 65 Sisi (AUT), skippered by Gerwin Jansen, are ramping up for the battle.

Johannes Schwarz Green Dragon (AUT) and Jens Lindner’s HYPR (ESP) Photo: Tim Wright

In 2016, Leopard 3 with Mike Slade at the helm, won the IMA Transatlantic Trophy. Now under new ownership, she has undergone a major refit, including a new rig. Leopard 3 was in fine form in October, taking Monohull Line Honours in the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race. After the RORC Transatlantic Race, Leopard 3 plans to take part in their sixth RORC Caribbean 600, having taken Line Honours in two editions and will also compete in the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series.

“The new owners have been involved with the boat for three years and they are very analytical and want the best out of the boat," explained skipper, Chris Sherlock. "After the major refit and several 600-milers, the owners are ready to enjoy a longer race with the Leopard crew. The RORC Transatlantic is a fantastic race track, especially as in modern times the dynamic has changed as the boats have got so much faster. Now it is rare to go the traditional southern route, often you are pushing north to get into more breeze to go faster."

For the 2024 RORC Transatlantic Race, the turbo-charged Leopard 3 will have one eye on the Monohull Race Record set by Comanche in 2022 of 07 Days 22 hrs 01 min 04 secs at an average speed of 16 knots.

“I am not saying Leopard is quicker than Comanche, but in its previous heavier configuration, Leopard averaged over 18 knots for a very similar course (Tenerife – Virgin Gorda) in the 2012 IMA Transatlantic Race. Breaking race records is heavily dependent on the weather at the given time of the race,” continued Chris Sherlock. “Leopard is now beautifully set up. If we get relatively flat water and 25 knots from the right direction, we could break the record for the RORC Transatlantic Race, that is what we are going to try to do.”

Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 (ITA) Photo: Tim Wright

For Multihull Line Honours and potentially a new RORC Transatlantic Race Record, four boats are in contention. Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 (ITA) set the Race Record last year, blasting across the Atlantic in 05 days 05 hrs 46 mins 26 secs. Maserati has just taken Line Honours in the Hong Kong – Vietnam Race. Sailing the boat via Cape Town, Maserati is expected in Lanzarote in December to prepare and then defend last year’s win. Stiff opposition is expected from three modified MOD70s; Erik Maris’ Zoulou (FRA), Jason Carroll’s Argo (USA), and Alexia Barrier’s Limosa (FRA).

Richard Fromentin’s JPK 1180 Cocody (FRA) Photo: Paul Wyeth

At least 18 boats are expected to be racing under IRC for the overall win and the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. The latest entries include Dan Segalowicz’s Solaris 55 Team 42 (FRA), Club Swan 50 Pimu (MON) owned by Mikhail Malamud and skippered by Collin Mulry. Sebastian Dziwisch’s JPK 38 Orinoco (GER) will join Gavin Howe’s Sun Fast 3600 Tigris (GBR) in IRC Two-Handed. Richard Fromentin’s JPK 1180 Cocody (FRA) will have a match race with Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader (GBR). Tom Kneen’s JPK 1180 Sunrise (GBR) is also available for charter with LV Yachting.

Racing across the Atlantic Ocean is on the bucket list of any offshore sailor. Predominantly fast downwind surfing, both day and night, and with the added thrill of serious competition both on the water and after IRC time correction.

2024 Entries and expressions of interest here

Irish sailor Conor Corson who won the AZAB Ocean race overall in his Sunfast 3300 Asgard earlier this season, will be racing across the Atlantic this January in the 10th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race.

The 3,000-mile race is expected to feature thrilling battles among the fleet, including IRC racers, high-performance race boats, and two-handed warriors. The MOCRA division, in particular, promises to be hotly contested, with a dazzling array of multihulls vying for glory.

Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the International Maxi Association, and the Yacht Club de France, the race will see the fleet set off from Marina Lanzarote, bound for Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada. With entries and expressions of interest from Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States, the RORC Transatlantic Race is an international affair.

70-foot Trimarans will steal the limelight in the 10th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race sets sail on January 7, 2024 and include Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo Photo: Ultimate Sailing

Four 70-foot trimarans are expected to participate in the race, making it the largest collection in the event's 10-year history. Multihull Record holder Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 is looking to secure a hattrick of Line Honours wins. Soldini will be taking on three MOD70s - Jason Carroll’s Argo, Erik Maris’ Zoulou, and Alexia Barrier’s The Famous Project - whose ultimate ambition is an all-women Jules Verne Record attempt with the Maxi-trimaran Idec Sport.

While the above will be gunning for Multihull Line Honours, the multihull class will also be racing under the MOCRA Rating system. The smallest Multihull entered so far is Clarin Mustad’s Alibi54 Dakota. The IMA Transatlantic Trophy for Monohull Line Honours is expected to be hotly contested by a number of ocean-going Maxis. The largest boat confirmed so far is the 107ft Wally Spirit of Malouen X, skippered by Stephane Neve, which is also in the newly created Superyacht Class for displacement yachts of 24m and over.

Once in the Caribbean, nearly all of the entries will be competing in the RORC Caribbean 600, which is celebrating its 15th edition. The RORC Transatlantic Race also has a Classic Class with details in the Notice of Race, adding to the variety of yachts participating in the event.

Ocean-going Maxis such as the Farr 100 Leopard 3 are set to contest the IMA Transatlantic Trophy in the the RORC Transatlantic Race Photo: International Maxi Association/Studio Borlenghi

Leopard 3, a Farr 100 skippered by Chris Sherlock, is expected to make a return to the RORC Transatlantic Race. The vessel, now under new ownership, has undergone significant changes, including a new deck, rig, and winch package. Despite being a multi-world record-setter, the yacht has some stiff competition this year.

HYPR, skippered by Jens Lindner, is the first of several Volvo 70s and VO65s that have declared their intention to race. Four more are expected to join but have yet to enter the race officially. The winner of the RORC Transatlantic Race is determined by IRC time correction, and smaller entries have at least an equal chance of winning the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. In the past nine editions, four Maxi yachts have won, but most victories have come from boats between 33 to 54 feet.

The Volvo 70 HYPR will be back in the RORC Transatlantic Race, skippered by Jens Lindner Photo: James Mitchell

New to the race this year is Chris Sheehan's PAC 52 Warrior Won, which has been on a world tour since winning the 2022 RORC Caribbean 600. The American boat has participated in the Rolex Sydney Hobart and the 2023 Rolex Fastnet while in Europe. Its journey back across the Atlantic will continue the loop, with Warrior Won aiming for another crack at the RORC Caribbean 600 in February 2024.

Chris Sheehan's American PAC 52 Warrior Won was an impressive sight as she rounded the Fastnet Rock at dawn in the recent Rolex Fastnet Race Photo: ROLEX/Kurt Arrigo

Andrew & Sam Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra, which won IRC One last year and was second overall in 2019, is one of the monohulls under 50 feet that are expected to race. The father and son co-skippers are anticipated to return with a fully crewed Pata Negra to challenge for the 10th edition.

Winner of IRC One in the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race, ISORA skipper Andrew & Sam Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra Photo: Arthur Daniel

Competing for the first time in the RORC Transatlantic Race are two boats both called Moana. The German Marten 49 Moana, skippered by Hanno Ziehm, and the Dutch J/122 Moana, sailed by Michelle Witsenburg and Frans van Cappelle, are the boats making their debut. Yves Grosjean's new boat, the all-carbon Neo 430 Roma NeoJivaro, raced in the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race and is entered for its debut in the RORC Transatlantic Race.

Gavin Howe’s Sunfast 3600 Tigris will be racing in the IRC Two-Handed division of the RORC Transatlantic race with Maggie Adamson Photo: James Tomlinson

Among the monohulls under 40 feet, three teams will also be making their debut in the race. Ed Bell's much-travelled Dawn Treader will race with a full crew. Ross Farrow's Sunfast 3300 Asgard will be racing Two-Handed with Conor Corson. Gavin Howe's Sunfast 3600 Tigris will be racing in IRC Two-Handed with Maggie Adamson, as he has done for the Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race and the Rolex Fastnet Race; 2024 will be their fifth season on Tigris.

Gavin Howe, skipper of Tigris, said, “I really enjoy long offshore races, but due to circumstances, including the pandemic lockdown, this will be my first transatlantic race. Ticking off my bucket list for both the RORC Transat and the Caribbean 600 is something I have really wanted to do. Racing downwind for many days can be so rewarding. You adapt to life at sea and get a good rhythm going. Life becomes fairly simple, but it is a very special and privileged environment, I love it. We always race wanting to win, and the Sun Fast 3600 Tigris is a good all-rounder and very robust.

“Good preparation is very important, and then it is about sailing the boat properly and going as fast as you can. Choosing the right Two-Handed partner is so important. Maggie comes from Shetland, and she is on the Lerwick Lifeboat, one of the toughest in Britain. She is also skipper of The Shetlands Tall Ship The Swan, and twice Scottish champion fiddle player. You don’t do things like that casually. We got on from the very first moment, and she has been really committed. A good sailing partner, especially double-handed, is someone you can trust.”

Thursday, 19 January, Grenada West Indies: RORC Vice Commodore Eric de Turckheim, racing his NMYD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA), is the overall winner under IRC for the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race. While 10 boats are still racing, none of them can beat Teasing Machine’s corrected time under IRC for overall victory. However, the battle is still on for those racing for class honours and special prizes.

Teasing Machine lifted the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, becoming the first boat to win the trophy on two occasions; Teasing Machine also won overall in 2017. This year’s triumph follows on from their overall win under IRC for the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race, so Teasing Machine will be going for a hattrick of victories in next month’s RORC Caribbean 600.

“Winning the trophy for the second time after such an incredible race is fantastic,” commented Eric de Turckheim. “It was downwind all the way at huge speed, with very tough competition from Black Pearl, Rafale and Tulikettu. All these 50-footers are in different configuration, so Teasing Machine had to be in top, top form. The biggest battle was with Black Pearl; we were constantly watching each other on the tracker updates to see how we were performing. This year’s RORC Transatlantic Race is probably the most amazing race I have done. It was not individuality which gave us success in the RORC Transatlantic Race, it was because of an incredibly good team with extraordinarily good team spirit.”

Eric de Turckheim said it was a team effort when interviewed about winning the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race Overall Photo: James Mitchell

Teasing Machine makes her way to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina after crossing the finish line in Grenada Photo: Arthur Daniel

“Many things have worked for us in this race and it is a great feeling to win,” commented Teasing Machine Tactician Laurent Pages. “We have been optimising the boat since 2017 and we are very happy with the boat’s performance and reliability. Good preparation has been a key area of our success and the team has been very efficient in getting the fastest boat speed that we can. We have four drivers and Eric (de Turckheim) has the speed record for this race (25.72kn), but all of the drivers are fast and that gives us consistency. Good team work between the driver and trim team is essential; the team constantly delivers the fastest speed possible.”

Teasing Machine Crew: Eric de Turckheim, Laurent Pages, Quentin Bouchacourt, Bertrand Castelnerac, Aymeric Chappellier, Quentin le Nabour, Paco Lepoutre, Gabriele Olivo, Christian Ponthieu, Jerome Teillet.

Teasing Machine at the start of the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race which started off the Canary Islands Photo: James Tomlinson

Following the finish of Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), four more monohulls completed the RORC Transatlantic Race in the space of just nine hours. Tired, but elated, the teams have joined in the celebrations at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada.

Runner-up for Monohull Line Honours was IMOCA Canada Ocean Racing (CAN) which finished the race in Grenada in the early hours of Wednesday morning in an elapsed time of 9 days 12 hrs 26 mins and 16 secs.

The third monohull to cross the finish line was Swan 115 Jasi (SWE), skippered by Toby Clarke in an elapsed time of 9 days 14 hrs 43 mins 37 secs.

The Botin 56 Black Pearl (GER), with Stefan Jentsch at the helm and Ireland's James Carroll on the crew was next, finishing the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 9 days 15 hrs 42 mins and 16 secs. The latest team to finish the race was Eric de Turckheim’s NMYD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA) in an elapsed time of 9 days 20 hrs 21 mins and 36 secs.

Dockside at Port Louis Marina, the teams enjoyed a warm welcome and shared their stories from the RORC Transatlantic Race.

Stefan Jentsch – Botin 56 Black Pearl:  For all of the Black Pearl team this has been pretty emotional. Last year was a difficult experience for everyone. It could have gone very badly when we broke our mast (700 miles offshore). To put the boat back together again and finish this race makes me very proud. Black Pearl is a machine and we have had absolutely perfect conditions. The first seven days we were flying triple-headed all the time, so we're blasting along at around 20 knots. Black Pearl’s average speed was 15.5 knots for seven days. For a 56-foot boat, I think says it all. The boat is what we expected; super safe and dry inside, which was very important for us because a dry crew is a happy crew, and a happy crew is a fast crew. We are all very happy; Black Pearl has been very good to us this time.”

The Polish National Foundation’s Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Tuesday, 17th January 2023 at 13:47:07UTC. I Love Poland has taken Monohull Line Honours and won the IMA Transatlantic Race Trophy.

The I Love Poland Crew: Grzegorz Baranowski, Mateusz Byrski, Arkadiusz Fedusio, Adam Glogowski, Grzegorz Gozdzik, Robert Hajduk, Dominik Janowczyk, Pacyfik Koseski, Konrad Lipski, Borys Michniewicz, Bartosz Nowicki, Filip Pietrzak, Patryk Richter, Jakub Surowiec.