Event
Above: Antigua is now set to be the main hub of the RORC Caribbean programme. Above: the Wally 93 Bullitt won the new Maxi Series which was added to the Nelson’s Cup this year
and runs with long power reaching legs, giving crews heaps of fun, while giving navigators plenty to think about. Acceleration zones between islands or near headlands add to the mix, as do large areas of wind shadows in the lee of Guadeloupe and other islands. ‘As I started to get more and
laid out, the fleet was fantastic, it's incredible how close the racing was. It's really been a lot of fun – I would definitely come back.’ The 52-mile Antigua 360 round
the island race then concludes the Nelson’s Cup series and takes place a couple of days before the start of the C600 itself. This gives an opportunity to get to know the first few miles of the Caribbean 600 course, as well as the last few miles, which are invariably tightly fought in the lee of the island. Crews get to enjoy Antigua’s stunning scenery, passing offshore reefs in crystal clear waters, pristine palm-fringed white sand beaches and a myriad of deeply indented bays that make excellent anchorages for the many cruising yachts that visit Antigua. The whole Nelson’s Cup series has a friendly vibe onshore, with
74 SEAHORSE
the daily prizegivings giving an opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet rival crews. Equally, amateur teams get to rub shoulders with some of the best-known names in the yacht racing world. The Caribbean 600 itself starts
from Antigua’s historic Fort Charlotte. Competitors then engage in tactical tacking battles close under the high ground of Shirley Heights, making for dramatic photographs, as well as raised adrenaline levels. The 600-mile course then weaves around a myriad of stunningly beautiful Caribbean islands, including cosmopolitan St Maarten and chic St Barths, as well as the smaller, more rugged and very sparsely populated islands of Eustatius and Saba. In typical trade wind conditions the course combines short beats
more involved in ocean racing it was clear we had to come here and the RORC Transatlantic Race was the obvious choice to get here,’ says Christian Zugel, whose American Volvo 70 Tschüss 2 was overall winner of both the RORC Transatlantic and Caribbean 600 races earlier this year. Talking after the finish of the C600, he added: ‘This was an extremely competitive race with 11 entries in IRC Super Zero, with amazing boats like Leopard, Pyewacket, Lucky, Aiolos and Balthasar, just to name a few.’ These three RORC events offer
a perfect blend of challenging offshore and inshore racing, warm Caribbean hospitality, and stunning scenery that’s set to continue attracting sailors from around the globe. At the same time, the geographical integration of the Transatlantic Race finish with the venue for the Nelson's Cup Series and Caribbean 600 opens the door to a greater number of participants, while further improving the experience for regular competitors.
www.rorc.org
❑
ARTHUR DANIEL/RORC
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150
