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In the end Lloyd Thornburg’s fully tweaked MOD 70 Phaedo held off the foil-assisted Maserati of solo round-the-world race-winner Giovanni Soldini to finish an unusually complex Caribbean 600 some 12 minutes in front. But Soldini’s boat only had one foil working due to damage and when the right foil was in the right place Maserati was flying… power-reaching she looked the faster of the two boats
A game of two halves
The 2017 edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 which started on Monday 20 February was a fascinating study of weather and persistence. In the lead-up to the race the focus was on how the weather would affect the passage of the boats around the 11 islands that mark the racecourse; the usual easterly trade winds were obliterated by the passing of a cold front system that moved the wind clockwise around the compass for the first two days of the race, turning the sailing on its head with beats becoming runs and fast reaches becoming beats. Wind predictions were all for light airs, with many boats considering reducing crew numbers. The expected light southeasterly did not materialise on the opening day so it was the usual upwind start in 10-12kt of wind off the Pillars of Hercules that sent the 80 boats (another new record number of entries for the race) on their way. In Class Zero Bella Mente and Proteus began their 600nm match race on the warning signal and were stuck together like glue crossing the line at full speed only a length apart, with Bella Menteshouting for water as the cliffs quickly approached. It was fascinating to watch as Proteuscovered Bellatack for tack on the beat to Green Island.
It was the same for the two MOD 70s Phaedoand Maserati who were continuing their long-running battle which started in the Rolex Middle Sea race and continued in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Maserati, with one foil only on starboard tack, was still an unknown quantity but a very real threat to the dominance of Phaedo and these two duly became the stars of the early part of the race as the wind grew. This turned into another full-on match race pushing crews and boats to the limit. Phaedotook the gun at 21.20 on Tuesday night with Maserationly 12 minutes behind. ‘There were a few scary moments,’ said Phaedo’s owner Lloyd Thornburg. ‘It was very gusty at times, very different from what we expected, and we had to push the boat hard to keep our lead.’ Maserati, in fact, had the legs on Phaedowhen she could foil properly, but with ever-changing conditions she was never able to stretch her legs and show her full potential. Giovanni admits that he is still learning, but Phaedo’s well-rehearsed crew, including skipper Brian Thompson and tactician Michel Desjoyeaux, are tough opponents.
The other battle royal was between the two Maxi72s, Hap
Fauth’s Bella Mente working hard to stop George Sakellaris’s Proteusfrom taking the race for a third year in a row. They also had the 100-footer Leopard and Lionel Péan’s VO70 SFS as company, while Rambler 88forged her lone course out in front on the way to collecting line honours.
As we go to press on day three the wind has shifted to the north and for the bulk of the fleet the normally tough 150nm fetch from St Marten to Guadeloupe has become a very pleasant VMG run, while the always challenging lee of Guadeloupe has shifted around to the south side of the island! The fast reach from Désirade to Barbuda has just become a pleasant beat and any thoughts of a small boat winning the ninth edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 now hang on the trade winds re-establishing very, very quickly… Waiting patiently in English Harbour!
Back to work
On Monday 15 May Alex Thompson will talk to RORC members about his experience in the latest Vendée Globe. The venue will be near to our club in London and will depend upon numbers; book early.
I have had so many comments about the widely shared heli- copter footage shot in the middle of the Southern Ocean when Armel le Cléac’h and Thomson were within sight of each other; few had believed that the boats would be pushing so hard, day and night. But this is how hard you now have to sail 24/7 if you want to win – or even come second – in the Vendée Globe; for Alex to break the 24-hour solo record within a few days of the finish shows how much he was pushing right to the end. The Vendée Globe is hugely demanding on the individual sailor – just to finish is a feat in itself. But it also requires big resources, technological superiority in designing a fast boat and 100 per cent reliability in every area. Did Alex’s starboard foil fail or was there a collision is a question not even Alex is sure about but it did influence his race – which is why he is going out to do it again.
In Hugo Boss he has a remarkably supportive sponsor who we hope will continue to provide Alex with a potential race-winning platform. Mark 15 May in your diary. Eddie Warden-Owen, CEO
q SEAHORSE 59
RACHEL FALLON-LANGDON
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