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RORC Transatlantic Race 2016
26th November 2016: Marina Lanzarote to Camper & Nicholsons, Port Louis, Grenada
http://orctransatlantic.rorc.org/- Oceanracing 2016 -
14 July 2016
Laying down the gauntlet for the third RORC Transatlantic Race
Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the International Maxi Association and supported by Marina Lanzarote, Camper & Nicholsons Marina, Port Louis Grenada and
Grenada Tourism Authority. Saturday 26th November 2016, Lanzarote to Grenada
MOD70 duel at the start of the 2015 RORC Transatlantic Race from Marina Lanzarote. Tony Lawson's Concise 10, skippered by
Ned Collier-Wakefield and Lloyd Thornburg's Phaedo3 © RORC/James Mitchell
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MOD70 duel at the start of the 2015 RORC Transatlantic Race from Marina Lanzarote. Tony Lawson's Concise 10, skippered by
Ned Collier-Wakefield and Lloyd Thornburg's Phaedo3
© RORC/James Mitchell
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The third edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's RORC Transatlantic Race will start on Saturday 26 November 2016 and the line-up will include MOD70s and Maxi yachts vying for the prestigious IMA Transatlantic Trophy awarded to the line honours monohull winner. The usual diverse range of highly competitive, experienced offshore RORC racers will also be on the start line. Their focus will be competing for the RORC Transatlantic Race antique silver trophy and the new RORC Caribbean Series Trophy for the best combined result in the RORC Transatlantic Race and 2017 RORC Caribbean 600.
The 2,995 nm RORC Transatlantic Race will be welcomed back to Marina Lanzarote, situated in Arrecife where the 'lunar-like' volcanic mountains provide a spectacular backdrop to the start of the race from the most easterly Canary Island. Race hosts are the well-known Calero family who are no strangers to race boats and major regattas. They have organised a full week of hospitality and parties before the start of the race which will keep the race crews fully entertained.
Grenada welcomes back competitors
The highlight for most crews is the arrival and warm welcome received in Grenada, where Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina will be hosting the fleet once more, along with the continued support of the Grenada Tourism Authority. The beautiful tropical spice island is also famed for its dive sites, including the world's first underwater sculpture gallery at Molinere Bay. The prizegiving will be held on Friday 16th December, giving crews enough time to enjoy everything the island has to offer before Christmas, or to join in the Caribbean regatta season on their way to the RORC Caribbean 600 in February 2017.
Nomad in Grenada @ Arthur
Competitors in the 2016 RORC Transatlantic Race can expect a warm spice island welcome once they reach Grenada. Jean-Paul Riviere's 100ft Finot-Conq, Nomad IV set a new monohull record in the race last year and is aiming to return to defend his title
© Arthur Daniel/RORC
Super-Maxis return
Several yachts have expressed their interest in the race and intend to compete in the 2016 edition. Returning for the third consecutive race will be the Southern Wind 90, Windfall and Jean-Paul Riviere's 100ft Finot-Conq, Nomad IV who won IRC overall in the 2015 race, along with the IMA Trophy for monohull line honours. Nomad IV also set a new monohull record for the RORC Transatlantic Race in the same year.
Other notable Maxi's include the largest on the entry list, Peter Harrison's Farr 115ft (35m) ketch, Sojana, and current holder of 5 World Speed Sailing records and 7 course records, Mike Slade's 100ft Farr (30m), Leopard:
"Full congratulations to the RORC for promoting an east to west transatlantic race which has proved a success in the last two years. Leopard is hoping to compete in the event and would be keen to attack the record set last year by Nomad IV of 10 days 07 hours 06 minutes and 59 seconds to add to our other Atlantic records," exclaims Slade.
Leopard Alex Irwin _ Sportography.tv
Hoping to set a new monohull race record in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Mike Slade's Maxi 100, Leopard
© Alex Irwin @Sportography.tv
Multihull battle for line honours
The on-the-water MOD70 battle looks set to continue between Lloyd Thornburg's unstoppable Phaedo3 and Tony Lawson's Concise 10, skippered for the past eight years by 28-year old Ned Collier-Wakefield of Team Concise. Both record-breaking crews have registered their intent to repeat the MOD70 duel after match racing across the Atlantic in last year's race.
Hotting things up is the possibility of Sidney Gavignet's Musandam-Oman Sail joining the race. Oman Sail's flying machine recently claimed multihull line honours, taking over 2 hours off their existing record and setting a new world record for the fastest-ever sail round Ireland in the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race - with Phaedo3 and Concise 10 minutes behind them!
Following the recent launch of Giovanni Soldini's newly refitted semi-foiling MOD70, Maserati, the Milanese navigator seems to also have his sights set on smashing records such as the RORC Transatlantic Race in a bid to continue his record breaking campaign. Watch this space, as it will be huge battle by the four MOD 70's for the first to arrive in Grenada.
Infinity 46, Quin Bisset
One to watch: Maverick, the new Infinity 46, equipped with DSS foils © Quin Bisset
Diverse fleet
It's not all about super-maxis and trimarans though, as the last two editions of the race have attracted highly competitive boats from the smaller end of the fleet, such as Class40s and several Two Handed teams. This third edition is set to follow in the same mode.
The first boat to enter the 2016 RORC Transatlantic Race was James Heald's Swan 45, Nemesis and he will have good competition from Ossie Stewart's Dufour 45, Island Girl. Veteran Olympic sailing medallist, Stewart last crossed the Atlantic in 2014 with the ARC. This time they are hoping to cross with the RORC Transatlantic Race and have big aspirations of a podium position before taking on another season of racing in the Caribbean. Rónán Ó Siochrú's Sun Fast 37, Desert Star is also hoping to be on the start line and the Principal at Irish Offshore Sailing has a wealth of offshore experience.
Two new boats to watch out for will be the DSS equipped Infinity 46, Maverick and a brand new Marc Lombard designed IRC 46, Pata Negra for Giles Redpath. Redpath is planning a full RORC Offshore Championship season and the 2016 RORC Transatlantic Race will be the first event of his 2017 campaign.
For more information about the race check out the website: http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/
ENDS/....
THE RORC TRANSATLANTIC RACE:
The third RORC Transatlantic Race starts in Lanzarote on Saturday 26th November 2016 and the 2,865 nautical mile race runs through the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic to arrive in Grenada
The race is run in association with the International Maxi Association (IMA)
THE ORGANISERS:
Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) became famous for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral's Cup. It organises an annual series of domestic offshore races from its base in Cowes as well as inshore regattas such as the RORC Easter Challenge and IRC National Championships in the Solent
The RORC works with other yacht clubs to promote their offshore races and provides marketing and organisational support. The RORC Caribbean 600 based in Antigua and the first offshore race in the Caribbean was an instant success, and in 2014 RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the new RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada in November
The club is based in St James' Place, London and Cowes, Isle of Wight
In co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, RORC is responsible for IRC, the principal international handicap system for yacht racing worldwide.The Spinlock IRC rating rule is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL Centre de Calcul in Paris, France
The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement. For Spinlock IRC rating information in the UK please see: www.rorcrating.com
www.rorc.org
http://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter: #rorcrtr #rorcracing
INTERNATIONAL MAXI ASSOCIATION (IMA):
The racing activities for the Maxi as a separate class started in Porto Cervo in 1980 with the first Maxi Yacht Cup. Immediately afterwards an association of the Maxi owners was founded under the name "International Class A Yacht Association" (ICAYA) with Baron E. de Rothschild elected the first President of the Class. The legal office was created in Geneva, Switzerland. "Class A" was the definition of a Maxi boat in the IOR rating system in force at that time. The following year Gianfranco Alberini was appointed first Secretary General of the Association. ICAYA organized the Maxi Yacht World Championship for many years in Porto Cervo as its European base, as well in other venues in USA - Honolulu, Newport R.I., Miami, St. Thomas, San Francisco. In Europe Puerto Portales, Antibes and Saint Tropez were selected as championship locations
When the definition "Class A" disappeared with the change from IOR it was decided to rename the Class as "International Maxi Association" (IMA). The Class is now registered in Geneva (Switzerland), has a base in Porto Cervo and an office in the USA, for rating and technical matters. The Class is now expanding its activities, and in 2010 the first Mini Maxi World Championship took place in September in Porto Cervo, Italy, In 2011 the new Rolex Volcano Race opened the Mediterranean sailing season
Andrew McIrvine took over as Secretary General in 2013. In 2014 the pure racer Mini Maxis were reformed into the Maxi 72 Class. The IMA has organised previous Maxi Transatlantic races but this is the first in association with RORC. IMA has presented a vintage trophy for line honours for this new race
IMA is a recognized member of the IRC Congress. Since November 2010 ISAF has recognised the Maxis as an international class. This means that the International Maxi Association is now the sole authority with the right to hold World and Continental Maxi Championships
http://www.internationalmaxiassociation.com/
CALERO MARINAS:
Calero Marinas has developed and manages three marinas in the Canary Islands, having accrued over 35 years' experience in the sector. The Canaries' warm climate and regular supply of breeze has lead Lanzarote to become a favourite training ground for offshore race teams, whilst the combination of good flight connections and easily available services has created a popular and reliable base for international sailors
Marina Lanzarote is the newest addition to the group with secure berthing for vessels of up to 60m LOA, a wide range of services and the advantage of having the city and maritime quarter within a few minutes' walk
The shipyard is equipped to hoist superyachts and the inclusion of deep keel pits in the yard's design was considered especially to meet the needs of transoceanic racing yachts
www.caleromarinas.com
Enquiries: msymes@caleromarinas.com
14.12.2016 - Aragon wins the 2016 RORC Transatlantic Race
12.12.2016 - Two Handed Campagne de France win Class40 Division
10.12.2016 - Maverick Blasts into Grenada
09.12.2016 - Aragon watches the clock
07.12.2016 - Day 12: Mike Slade's Maxi, Leopard 3 arrives in Grenada
06.12.2016 - Leopard 3 set to take monohull line honours:
03.12.2016 - Phaedo3 victorious in Grenada
01.12.2016 - Joy and Pain
30.11.2016 - Phaedo3 in the driving seat
29.11.2016 - Settling down into the rhythm of the ocean
28.11.2016 - 670 miles of separation
27.11.2016 - Day 2 Race Report: MOD70 Disagreement
26.11.2016 - Ideal conditions for start
25.11.2016 - How to follow the third RORC Transatlantic Race:
24.11.2016 - Atlantic conundrum: North or south?
23.11.2016 - Outstanding yachtswomen in RORC Transatlantic Race
08.11.2016 - Lanzarote prepares for third edition
17.10.2016 - Trailblazers of the RORC Transatlantic Race
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