Tuesday 21 February, Antigua
ROYAL OCEAN RACING CLUB
20 ST JAMES'S PLACE, LONDON SW1A 1NN
PM Race Report - GAME ON - RORC CARIBBEAN 600
Race Report: Louay Habib, Antigua
At 1500 local time, the 214ft supermaxi, Hetairos claimed poll position in the RORC
Caribbean 600. Passing to leeward of George David's 90ft maxi Rambler off the east
coast of Montserrat. Hetairos let loose on a broad reach, blasting through the Caribbean
surf at a speed in excess of 22 knots. Hetairos has twice the water line length
and more than double the sail area of Rambler but the American maxi with RORC Chief
Executive, Eddie Warden Owen on board, is not giving up without a fight. Rambler
has put up every sail they can to "send it" and Hetairos are finding it difficult
to shake them off.
Hetairos and Rambler will probably make the northwest corner of Guadeloupe well
before dark and they are expected to finish the race tomorrow morning. However they
are both unlikely to finish the race by Wednesday 0340 to break the course record
set by Rambler 100 last year.
Rambler's navigator, Peter Isler blogged this from the boat:
"Hi from the weather rail of Rambler. We've been watching a sail on the horizon
creep up on us over the past 5 hours - we are on the race's longest (145 mile) leg
and it's a fast jib reach. The boat coming up from behind is of course Hetairos,
the giant ketch. This is a leg perfectly suited to her strength; straight line
reaching speed. It's only a matter of a few hours and she'll be past us unless things
get tricky, which appears unlikely until our next turning mark Guadeloupe, one of
the trickiest parts of this race track, as we sail below (downwind) of the biggest
and tallest island on the course. Last year on Rambler100 we drifted for a few hours
in Guadeloupe's wind shadow and that sort of tricky sailing might give us a chance
to make some gains on Hetairos... time will tell."
Isler continues: "Beautiful sailing on deck, T-shirt, shorts and everyone but the
helmsman grinders and trimmers hiking out. Lots of flying fish going aerial to get
away from our bow wave. It's plenty hot down below though; as most hatches are shut
to keep spray from coming in. We just enjoyed our first freeze-dried meal, beef
stew that was popular amongst the crew. The watch system is being strictly adhered
to now; no sail changes in the last few hours so hopefully everyone will be charged
up for the battle under Guadeloupe and the rest of the race. We've seen much shiftier
and lighter winds than last year when the Rambler100 set the monohull course record
that record is definitely secure until 2013 at the earliest."
Niklas Zenstrom's JV72, Rán is the new handicap leader after time correction. However,
Rán is likely to arrive on the northwest corner of Guadeloupe after dark and experience
a significant wind shadow. Second overall is Amanda Hartley's Swan 56, Clem, which
was rounding St.Martin at the top of the course at 1500 local time. Third overall
is Scarlet Oyster, which is in good breeze south of St.Martin. The weather forecast
for the next 48 hours shows a significant increase in wind strength, freshening
to over 20 knots. This may well favour Scarlet Oyster and Clem but both yachts are
heavy displacement and are unlikely to plain. Jaime Torres' First 40.7, Smile and
Wave is lying fourth overall and lining up for a wild sleigh ride tomorrow. As the
Puerto Rican team come off the breeze and turn south for what promises to be a ballistic
150-mile surf to Guadeloupe.
Jonty and Jack Layfield are racing two-handed on J/39, Sleeper. The father and son
team were approaching the Anguilla Strait at the top of the course at 1600 local
time today. No doubt Jonty and Jack will be looking forward to a long reaching
leg and possibly the first real rest they will have had since starting the race
nearly a day and half ago. Perhaps Sleeper will be a very apt description of what
the Layfields will be looking forward to the most.
The RORC Caribbean 600 has two magnificent schooners racing: Greg Perkins, skipper
of Adela and Windrose of Amsterdam, skippered by Alex Howard have barely been apart
since the start of the race. Hugh Agnew, Adela's navigator called in by satellite
phone as the two Spirit of Tradition yachts rounded Tintamarre. Adela was on a tight
reach, all 300 tons of her doing 13 knots:
"I don't think there has been more than two miles between us since we began. It
has been a fascinating encounter and one that is all about boat on boat tactics,"
said Hugh. "We had an heroic tacking duel through the Anguilla Strait. The leg down
to Guadeloupe looks like a tight reach in building breeze, classic conditions for
these awesome yachts. We have just cracked off after rounding Tintamarre. We have
an enormous amount of sail up and we have opened up a ¾ mile lead but no doubt Windrose
will catch us up and we will have another bout of energy sapping sail manoeuvres
on the south side of Guadeloupe in the early hours, I have to say this is a truly
epic race."
Ends/...
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