Transatlantic expressway
The 2023 RORC transatlantic race is about to kick off. Sam Jefferson takes a look at the runners and riders
The RORC Transatlantic Race is now in its ninth iteration and continues to flourish. Since its inception, the race has offered an ideal manner to traverse the pond at full pelt enroute to the Caribbean race season that kicks off in earnest in January. The event also contributes to overall points totals in the IRC Championships. The racecourse is an alluring one; nearly 3,000 nautical miles of open ocean served by the powerful NE trade winds and the only obstacles between the Canaries and the Caribbean being the fearsome acceleration zones that run between the Canary Islands as the competitors make their way out into the open ocean.
After that, it’s downhill all the way; a thrilling sleigh ride with downwind sails dominating and surfing techniques very much to the fore.
Racing under IRC and MOCRA Racing Rules, the RORC Transatlantic Race is open to Monohulls, MOCRA Multihulls and Classic yachts ranging in size from 30ft (9.15m) LOA. Two-Handed entries are also eligible. The race is also part of the RORC Caribbean Series where the IRC rated boat with the best combined score in both the 2023 Transatlantic Race and 2023 RORC Caribbean
600 claims the series trophy. Last year saw the biggest fleet yet, with 30 entrants battling it out across a range of classes. The 2022 event also enjoyed one of the most exciting finishes on record (see box out).
The entrants
At the time of going to press, the full line up was not confirmed, but here are a few standouts already signed up:
The biggest:
The largest yacht currently entered in the 2023 edition is the magnificent French Wally 107 Spirit Of Malouen X, sailed by Stephane
Neve, probably best known for campaigning the TP52 Paprec.
The fastest?
Giovanni Soldini’s mighty Multi 70 trimaran Maserati may have picked up line honours last year but there is still a feeling that there is unfinished business for this turbocharged tri. The race record still eludes Soldini’s team. Indeed, that record dates back to 2015 when Phaedo III picked up line honours with a scintillating run across. It is therefore safe to say that there will be no loss of focus or complacency as this mighty tri heads back into battle. Maserati will be kept on her toes by Snowflake (ex Phaedo III – holder of the multihull and overall course record). This boat has been thoroughly revamped and boasts a bigger rig and new lifting T-Foils, which should considerably boost her already impressive speed.
Legends return
Those with very long memories may be able to recall that the 58ft monohull L'Esprit d'Équipe holds a special place in sailing history. This Philippe Briand design took part in the 1981-2, 85-86 89-90 Whitbread Round the World Races. In the 8586 editons, the boat was the overall winner on corrected time, while in the 1989-90 under the name Esprit de Liberté and skippered by Patrick Tabarly, the vessel was a fierce rival to
the all female team of Maiden, led by Tracy Edwards. The pair enjoyed many ding dong battles, with
Maiden generally proving the faster in downwind legs. L’Esprit is now fully restored to her racing glory and will be skippered for the crossing by Lionel Regnier, veteran of 13 previous transatlantic campaigns.
Speaking of Tabarly – and the Whitbread – another welcome return is the famous 73ft ketch.
Pen Duick VI was built for Eric Tabarly’s 1973 Whitbread Round the World Race campaign and has been lovingly restored. For the
RORC Transatlantic Race, Marie Tabarly will skipper the boat.
Tulikettu: Back from
Davey Jones’ locker
In the 50ft class there are a number of interesting entrants and there promises to be an intriguing match up between Teasing Machine, Black Pearl, Tulikettu and Rafale, all yachts that could take the win on IRC corrected time. Each yacht has it’s own story – Erik de Turkheim’s Teasing Machine took the win in this race in 2017, for example. Yet perhaps the most fascinating story is that of the Finnish owned Infiniti 52 Tulikettu. This radical yacht, which was newly launched this year, boasts DSS foils and a very light displacement. The yacht was abandoned and presumed lost in April 2022 while on delivery between Portugal and the UK.
The boat sprang an uncontrollable leak and the decision was taken to trigger the EPRB and abandon. 10 hours of fighting the leak later, temporary repairs had been effected but, with an oil tanker at hand prepared to take the crew off, the decision was taken to abandon. A search for the derelict was also abandoned on 30 April. However, on 23 May, the boat was sighted by a passing yacht and a salvage operation was launched. Six and a half weeks after ‘losing’ his yacht, Arto Linnervuo, skipper and owner of Tulikettu Racing Team was reunited with his boat and his quest for line honours continues.
Scarlet Oyster – A wily campaigner
One yacht that always seems to be there or thereabouts on the Transatlantic racecourse is Ross
Appleby’s Scarlet Oyster IV. This Oyster Lightwave 48 is neither the most modern – she was built in 1987 – nor most extreme boat on the circuit, yet her record is beyond reproach. Much of that has to go down to the shrewdness of skipper Appleby, a wily old fox who knows every trick in the book when it comes to racing the Atlantic, and who is unafraid to push his boat to breaking point in order to eke out a couple of miles to his advantage. Appleby won IRC Class One and only missed out on overall victory on corrected time by an agonising 115 seconds from the Botin 52
Tala. Appleby will be hoping to go one better this time around and will be using all of his nous to keep himself at the head of the pack.