_{Start of the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race from Calero Marinas, Lanzarote to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada © Lanzarote Photo Sport}

The 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race was organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and the Yacht Club de France.

The 8th edition of the 3,000nm race attracted a record entry of 30 boats racing under the IRC and MOCRA Racing Rules. The 100ft Maxi Comanche set a new Monohull Race Record and was the overall winner. The top three boats after IRC time correction were Comanche, Scarlet Oyster and Tala who all won their respective classes outside of IRC overall. In the MOCRA Class, three 70ft trimarans had a thrilling finish. After seven days of high-speed boat-on-boat racing, Multi70 Maserati took the line with a magical move, right at the last.

Prior to the start on January 8, teams were based at two Calero Marinas - Puerto Calero and Marina Lanzarote. After finishing the race, Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina welcomed the teams to Grenada with cold beers. The Grenada Tourism Authority presented gift baskets of Grenadian produce to the teams. The start date for the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race was moved to January and one of the reasons was that the north easterly trade winds are typically more established. However, this was not the case this year, due to several low-pressure systems disrupting the ‘norm’.

The RORC Transatlantic Race Welcome Reception was held 48 hours before the start. Royal Ocean Racing Club’s CEO, Jeremy Wilton greeted all competitors to the race. “This is a big race for the Royal Ocean Racing Club; we have a record entry with past winners and sailors from 27 nations, and these events do not happen without our partners here in Lanzarote and in Grenada. Both the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France have played a significant role in helping to secure a record entry for this year’s race.”

The 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race started on time in glorious conditions outside Marina Lanzarote. José Juan Calero, Managing Director of Calero Marinas commented: “It is fantastic to see the race start in perfect conditions. I speak for all of the team at Calero Marinas and all of the supporters of this race to say we are so proud of how this race has developed. It is an amazing experience for all of the sailors. This is the eighth year we have hosted the start and I thank the RORC for putting their trust in Lanzarote to deliver.”

_{Dutch RORC member Carlo Vroon’s Hinckley Sou'wester 52 Diana finished the RORC Transatlantic Race on 27 January at 04:04:14 UTC © Arthur Daniel/RORC}

Long-standing Dutch RORC member Carlo Vroon’s Hinckley Sou'wester 52 Diana finished the RORC Transatlantic Race on 27 January at 04:04:14 UTC. Having purchased the beautiful cruising boat just before the start of the RORC Transatlantic Race, he was determined to get to the start in time to skipper his own boat, for the first time, all the way across the Atlantic. The years of racing the highly competitive and successful series of Tonnerre yachts, with his father, the great Dutch sailor, Piet Vroon, certainly paid off, as he explains on arrival in Grenada:

“The race was absolutely fantastic. It was a big learning curve for the younger ones in our crew but we still tried to keep the boat going. It’s not a race boat so we are learning to work with her and were seeing how she was set up. It’s fantastic to do it in such a way. I did one transatlantic race with Ross Applebey on Scarlet Oyster about seven years ago, but this is my first as skipper. The boat is very comfortable. It’s a wonderful solid yacht and for this purpose it was fantastic. It’s not really for racing and obviously we didn’t have time to prepare it. We blew up the one and only kite on the first night and of course we only needed it the last three or four days, but  we had a very light one that worked well though. It was very good fun.

We will now take a month to get up to Florida and do some cruising. We will go to Carriacou at the weekend and will enjoy Grenada. We loved the RORC race. I would do it again given the opportunity. Of course, you have to create your opportunities first. I am not sure how long we are going to keep this boat. It was an ‘on the spur of the moment thing’ and it’s ideal for cruising. It’s beautiful and very comfortable, but for the longer term, I’m not sure that’s what we want. We will see. It’s fun and as it was my first time as skipper, I am pleased with myself having had years of upbringing in seamanship, I think it’s paid off! I had an excellent crew though and I wouldn’t have done it without them.”

_{Richard Palmer and Jeremy Waitt raced across the 3,000nm race two-handed, surpassing their previous record and winning class. "It was full on, really intense, but great fun," exclaimed Palmer, owner of the JPK 1010 Jangada (GBR) © Arthur Daniel/RORC}

DAY 18 - 25 JAN

The final class and trophy winners were decided on the 18th day of the RORC Transatlantic Race. Richard Palmer’s JPK 10.10 Jangada (GBR) has won IRC Two-Handed, racing with Jeremy Waitt. Martin Westcott’s S&S Swan 57 Equinoccio (CHI) has won the RORC Transatlantic Race IRC Classic Division. Christopher Daniel’s J/122e Juno (GBR) has safely finished the race, and four teams are still racing towards Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada.

Jangada finished the race in an elapsed time of 16 days 5 hrs 43 mins 12 secs, winning IRC Two-Handed and placing third for IRC One. Jangada’s IRC corrected time is a new race record for Two-Handed teams, bettering their 2019 triumph, and also establishing the IRCRecords™ corrected time for the course of 16 days 13 hrs 58 mins 34 secs.

“That was an absolutely mental race, racing from start to finish with no let up at all,” commented Richard Palmer. “It was like 16 coastal races back-to-back, downwind racing day after day in sloppy seas. It was full on, really intense, but great fun. If the race had stopped after 1,000 miles we would have won it overall. However, we could not break through a pressure ridge and watched the bigger boats in front of us get into a lead that we would never catch up.”

_{High Five - Comanche blasted across the Atlantic from Lanzarote to Grenada in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race to set not only a new race record, but to claim overall victory, line honours, class win and the Yacht Club de France Trophy © James Mitchell/RORC}

The 30.48m (100ft) VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi Comanche (CAY), skippered by Mitch Booth has achieved the quintuple for the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race. While three boats are still racing under IRC, none of them can beat Comanche’s corrected time for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. Comanche is also the winner of the IMA Trophy for Monohull Line Honours, IRC Super Zero and Yacht Club de France Trophy. Comanche has also set a new Monohull Race Record for the RORC Transatlantic Race of 7 days 22 hours 1 minute 4 seconds. Comanche has also set a new Monohull Race Record for the RORC Transatlantic Race of 7 days 22 hours 1 minute 4 seconds and with it established the Fully Crewed IRCRecords™ corrected time record of 16 days 0 hours 12 minutes 57seconds.

The 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race was a complex challenge with several low-pressure systems disrupting the trade winds. However, three teams, all from different IRC classes produced a thrilling battle for overall victory. Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) was second overall by just over an hour. David Collins’ Botin 52 Tala (GBR) was third, less than two minutes behind Scarlet Oyster after IRC time correction. Comanche’s skipper Mitch Booth was delighted to receive confirmation of their overall win for the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race:

“For any offshore race the aim for Comanche is to take Monohull Line Honours and break race records, which we achieved when we crossed the finish line,” commented Mitch Booth. “Comanche is not optimised for IRC, we just go for speed. So, to win this race overall just ticks every box, which for the owners is just fantastic. They are busy guys with big businesses, but they have followed us every step of the way. Winning the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy shows just how strong and hard the crew have pushed the boat; we never let up. All credit to Scarlet Oyster and Tala who must have pushed just as hard.”