Christian Zugel’s Tschüss 2 has taken line honours in the west-to-east RORC Transatlantic Race 2025 in an elapsed time of seven days, 15 hours, 29 minutes and 10 seconds.
American owner Zugel may be relatively new to offshore racing, but his recent achievements with Tschüss 2 are nothing short of astounding. Since July 2024, the Volvo 70 has won four major offshore races overall under IRC and logged 22,000 nautical miles in the process.
Tschüss 2 has been the overall winner for the 2024 Roschier Baltic Sea Race, the east-to-west Transatlantic Race and RORC Caribbean 600, and looks untouchable for the west-to-east Transatlantic Race.
“This was a phenomenal race — very fast and far beyond my expectations,” Zugel said. “We ended up beating the IRC corrected time record by 30 hours. That’s something I never imagined when we set out.
“In this campaign we’ve now sailed the same as one lap around the equator — including two transatlantic races. We’ve been pushing hard, but smart. Our boat is still in great shape, and our crew is motivated and injury-free. We could probably go sailing again tomorrow!”
Cork Harbour’s Nin O’Leary underlined the crew’s slick watch system as one of their keys to success | Credit: Lloyd Images/RORC
Tschüss 2 trimmer and helmsman Nin O’Leary of Cork Harbour reveals what life is like on board in the North Atlantic: “Our watch system is pretty slick. We run four groups rotating every two hours with two watch captains — Stu Bannatyne and Neal McDonald. It means there’s always someone on deck who knows exactly what’s going on, and intel gets passed seamlessly.
“When you’re helming in zero visibility, spray flying, pitch dark and fog so thick you can’t see two boat lengths, you’ve just got to trust the numbers. You’re trimming for VMG constantly. One night a tanker with no AIS popped up just four boat lengths away — it was that kind of race.
“Despite the brutal conditions, the mood on board was always positive. Everyone’s a pro, and even though most hadn’t sailed together before, we clicked fast. I was trimming alongside Pete Cumming — what a gent — and we were in sync from day one.
“And then there’s the wildlife. I’m into fishing, so when a couple of fish washed onto the deck after a nosedive, I made ceviche with lime — Campbell and I were the only takers! We saw whales, dolphins and sunfish, and even passed a longliner deploying 40 miles of swordfish line. We warned the boats behind via WhatsApp. That camaraderie, sharing safety info mid-ocean, was really special.”
Tschüss 2 co-skipper Johnny Mordant of Howth Yacht Club attributes the team’s success to the highly experienced offshore sailors and a well-prepared boat with virtually no equipment failures.
Co-skipper Johnny Mordaunt of Howth YC is proud of his highly experienced crew | Credit: Lloyd Images/RORC
“We’ve got some of the best offshore sailors in the world, each bringing a wealth of experience,” he said. “That knowledge trickles down and creates a solid foundation. The crew know what to expect, how to stay safe, and how to push performance. It’s about discipline and consistency, and it’s worked again. We push hard, stick to our plans, and execute well.
“From my side as boat captain I’m pleased to report virtually no equipment failures — just two minor issues, and neither were on me! The boat was fast, the team was sharp, and we were calm even in tough conditions like zero visibility at 22+ knots of speed.
“Now we turn our focus to the Rolex Fastnet Race. We’re picking up new sails tomorrow and heading into the most competitive offshore fleet imaginable. With the race’s centenary and the return of the Admiral’s Cup, it’s going to be an incredible event — truly inspiring, even for someone like me who’s been doing this for decades.”
Oliver Kobale’s VO65 Sisi is expected to be the next boat to finish the Transatlantic Race 2025. As of Thursday afternoon (26 June) the Austrian team was just off the South Coast of Ireland with 300 miles to go. Follow the fleet live via YB Tracker.
Tschüss 2 Crew: Christian Zugel, Johnny Mordaunt, Al Fraser, Andrew McLean, Campbell Field, Christopher Welch, Edward Myers, Fredric Shanks, Neal McDonald, Nicholas O’Leary, Pete Cumming, Stefano Nava, Stu Bannatyne, Trystan Seal.
The Volvo 70 powers towards the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes after crushing the IRC corrected time record by 30 hours | Credit: Lloyd Images/RORC
