While Antigua is renowned for its brisk trade winds and lively Atlantic swell, those taking part in today’s first IMA Maxi class races in the RORC Nelson’s Cup instead found themselves soaked and bewildered as a squall passed through reducing visibility to zero, the wind suddenly blowing 25+ knots accompanied by an\ intense tropical deluge.
Five yachts are competing in the IMA Maxi class at the Nelson’s Cup all of whom competed in the first edition of this prelude to the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Caribbean 600 offshore race. The line-up comprises two ex-Wallycentos sharing the same IRC rating of 1.798: Chris Flowers' Galateia, winner of the IMA’s 2025 Mediterranean Maxi Inshore Challenge and Karel Komárek's V, which finished second overall in the IMA Maxi class in the 2025 Nelson’s Cup. Making it a trio of 100 footer was Joost Schuijff's Leopard 3 - very familiar with these waters and recently fitted with new rudders, an interceptor and a new aero package.
They were joined by the shorter, but still ultra-competitive 85ft Deep Blue of Wendy Schmidt and Filip Balcaen's Maxi 72 Balthasar.
A breezy, wet, squally, foggy first race gave way to a more clement, lighter second. Photo: Tim Wright
Before the 1100 start off the entrance to Antigua’s English Harbour, the skies had darkened and the heavens first opened as squalls started passing through. This had a dramatic effect on the wind, shifting it through 30˚ to the extent that straight off the line the maxis were able to tack and lay the first mark on port. Here Galateia just got her nose ahead and they were similarly able to lay the bottom mark off Falmouth Harbour. “Both of us were doing 20 knots together,” recounted Galateia tactician Kelvin Harrap. “We were quite a way ahead of the other boats at that stage. But they [V] had a [spinnaker] trawl at the bottom mark and that was the race right there: the rich got richer, we got back into the old pressure as the squall went over. And that’s how it ended up.”
Of the squall Harrap said: “I don't think anyone had it in their forecast today for that big squall line to come through. We were surprised to see the amount of wind and rain that we did. You just couldn't see anything, you couldn't see the marks, couldn't see the bowman! The seaway wasn't bad – that came up later during the day - it was just more the driving rain. It was maybe 25-26 knots of wind - all the boats would have been over range on their sails. We had a J2 on.”
First home on the water, Galateia also won the race by almost seven minutes on corrected time from Balthasar.
In the second race V and Galateia enjoyed a photo finish with Galateia coming from behind to arrive seven seconds ahead on the water. “There was a real light patch near the finish,” Harrap continued. “We managed to just stay to the left of V. We were quite lucky to be honest, that we stayed in the left pressure longer and sheared off them. There wasn't much they could do really.”
At the time of writing the jury was contemplating a protest over an incident earlier in the second race when Galateia had planted a leebow tack on V that later saw the Wallycentro disqualified.
Very much the star of the second race was Leopard 3. She found her legs on the first upwind to arrive at the top mark first on the water ahead of her newer rivals. She lost out on the run taking too long to gybe back from the shore, but then recovered on the second beat. “We tacked on the mark, when the others went inshore,” explained Leopard 3’s skipper Chris Sherlock. From here Leopard 3 just sailed around V and Galateia. “From underneath them, we were higher and faster and got to that top mark again first. Then we were expecting the other guys to catch us on the run but we used a different spinnaker, an A2.5, which is a little bit heavier. And it worked out well because it was a little bit bow up and we managed to hold both of them off quite easily. So a very pleasing day.”
Wendy Schmidt's Deep Blue launched. Photo: Tim Wright
At the end of day one Galateia leads on 3 points from Leopard 3 on 5 with Balthasar tied with Deep Blue on 7.
Lizz Flowers, who helmed Galateia today, commented: “Today was wonderful. In the first race there was a good shower which was exciting. Nothing went wrong on the boat. I had a better start on the first one and the second race we were behind V and we got a little bit more breeze towards the shore that just pushed us across the finish line just barely. The wind gods were in our favour today!”
On board Deep Blue project manager Terry Halpin said they are still trying to bed in some of the major modifications they made to their 85 footer last year, that included moving the position of the mast in the boat. “Today was a very interesting day weather-wise. We had a low end of 5 knots and a top end of 25 - all over a very short period. And a lot of rain. It was quite challenging with the breeze - visibility was reduced to pretty near zero because there was a driving rain in your face and all the rest of it. And the marks are black too. So it was bit of a challenge, but everybody seemed to be able to figure it out. It was good. A lot of fun.”
Racing is once again due to start at 1100 on Wednesday with two coastal races (including reaching legs) scheduled.
Results here
