Caribbean 600: ab jetzt jährlich
600 Meilen durch die Karibik: RORC Caribbean 600
Video vom Start der RORC Caribbean 600.
(c) by acquafilms.com
Caribbean 600: ab jetzt jährlich
London/English Harbour (SP) RORC members John Burnie and Stan Pearson are two well known characters in the yachting community in the Caribbean. They have often talked about an offshore yacht race, something that the Caribbean has never had, there plans devised over a few beers have now become a reality. The RORC Caribbean 600, in association with the Antigua Yacht Club, is now firmly established as annual event.
Mike Slade's 100ft Maxi ICAP Leopard came to Antigua with a clear target; to set a monohull record for a new offshore race, that task is completed. ICAP Leopard needed 44 hours 5 minutes 14 seconds to complete the race course for the first ever RORC Caribbean 600. 13 minutes less than they took to complete the 2007 Rolex Fastnet, a race of roughly the same length but of totally different conditions, this was a breezy race but t-shirts and shorts were the order of the day for competitors.
"A fantastic yacht race" commented ICAP Leopard's boatcaptain Chris Sherlock. "High speed sailing in warm conditions. We might have gone round a bit quicker if we hadn't snagged a fish-trap but if the breeze had been up a bit more then I reckon we could have taken a few hours off the time, let us hope we get some more wind next year."
John Burnie's ORMA 60 Trimaran, Region Guadeloupe has set the time to beat for the multihulls winning the multihull class in an elapsed time of 40 hours 11 minutes 5 seconds. Burnie was also one of the founders of the race: "We knew it would be a challenge and we certainly got one, hurtling around the Caribbean at night in over 20 knots with nothing to hang onto is not for the faint-hearted."
Adrian Lee's Irish Cookson 50, Lee Overlay Partners, set a cracking pace around the track, beating ICAP Leopard by over an hour on corrected time and in doing so winning IRC Class Super Zero, Canting Keel and the prize of Overall winner of the RORC Caribbean 600 under IRC.
"We wanted to set a course which showcased the Caribbean, giving the competitors some stunning scenery but also we wanted it to be a challenge and the feedback we are getting says that we have achieved both of those things" commented Stan Pearson, who was one of the committee who devised the course. "Few people have a great knowledge of all of the race area, I have been sailing in the Caribbean for over 20 years but it has been 18 years since I last went to Saba. The course is also extremely tactical, a lot of the time the conditions are influenced by land, being able to read those signs and taking action makes a big difference in performance."
The success of any yachting event should be measured by the satisfaction of the competitors and Swan 45 President, Vittorio Codecas knows all about high profile regattas, he was competing on Danilo Salsi's Swan 90, DSK Pioneer, winner of IRC Class Super Zero and first Swan at the RORC Caribbean 600.
"There is only one word to describe this regatta - fantastico! The course, weather, route through the Caribbean islands including the active volcano on Montserrat, reefs like Redonda, the sunshine, ideal temperature, constant 20 knot breeze, organisation and logistics. It's bound to become one of the most aspirational regattas, among the classics such as the Rolex Fastnet, Rolex Sydney-Hobart and Rolex Middle Sea Race" commented Codecasa.