_{Celebrations on board Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon after winning the IMA Trophy and Monohull Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race - Finishing in an elapsed time of 9 days, 18 hours, 53 mins and 40 secs © Ed Gifford/RORC}

Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon crossed the finish line of the 7^th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 04:53 UTC in an elapsed time of 9 days, 18 hours, 53 mins and 40 secs. Green Dragon wins the IMA Trophy and takes Monohull Line Honours for the RORC Transatlantic Race. Olivier Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3 was less than five hours behind completing the 2735-mile race in a phenomenal elapsed time of 10 days, 1 hour, 43 mins and 18 secs. For the moment, Palanad 3 have scored the best corrected time under IRC for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.

Green Dragon becomes the seventh boat to win the International Maxi Association’s IMA Trophy. Whilst this year’s race is a different route, Green Dragon is the first monohull to complete the RORC Transatlantic Race in under 10 days. The Secretary General of the IMA, Andrew McIrvine commented: “Congratulations and best wishes from the IMA to Johannes and the Green Dragon team. We are sorry not to able to greet you, as we would have in more usual times, but we hope you enjoyed the race.”

_{Crossing the finish line in Antigua at full speed - Multihull Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race for Oren Nataf’s Multi50 Trimaran Rayon Vert, skippered by Alex Pella © Ed Gifford/RORC}

Oren Nataf’s Multi50 Trimaran Rayon Vert, skippered by Alex Pella crossed the finish line of the 7^th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 13:33 UTC in an elapsed time of 9 days, 3 hours, 33 mins and 19 secs.

Racing Two-Handed across the Atlantic in under 10 days is a remarkable achievement. Rayon Vert crossed the finish line at full speed, surfing in the Caribbean swell. Helen Spooner, who has organised the volunteers for every edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, greeted the pair with the assistance of the Antigua & Barbuda Coastguard. Oren and Alex were all smiles, receiving ice cold beers after finishing the 2,735-mile race from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, Canary Islands.

_{Luke Berry on Olivier Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3 reports in from the RORC Transatlantic Race and the perils of Sargassum seaweed @luke_berry_sailing/@palanad3_sailingteam - RORC YouTube - https://youtu.be/cmIsrUeq1Bo}

The RORC Transatlantic Race reaches an exciting stage on the ninth day with the leading boats closing in on the finish line in Antigua. Oren Nataf’s Multi50 Trimaran Rayon Vert, skippered by Alex Pella was under 400 miles from the finish and expected to take Multihull Line Honours on Monday 18th January. Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon is leading the race for Monohull Line Honours and was approximately 500 miles from Antigua.

Olivier Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3 was just 60 miles behind Green Dragon and is expected to finish the 2,735 nautical mile race in just over 10 days - lightning-quick for a 40-footer. “The boat is going fast!” commented Palanad 3’s Luke Berry. “The only problem we have is the seaweed. We clean the rudder after a gybe, but have also resorted to taking the kite down and trying to sail backwards. All is good, so we mustn’t complain!”

On the seventh day of the RORC Transatlantic Race the leading boats were approximately 1,000 miles from the finish in Antigua. All of the boats have encountered thrilling downwind conditions in solid ENE trade winds, creating superb oceanic racing conditions.

The Mid-Atlantic battle is led by Oren Nataf’s Multi50 Trimaran Rayon Vert, skippered by Alex Pella, which is 1,038 miles from the finish. Olivier Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3 is the leading monohull with 1,097 miles to go. However, Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon is closing the gap and is now just 10n miles behind Palanad 3. Antoine Carpentier’s Class40 Redman is also closing in on the monohull leader and the most southerly boat of the fleet.

_{Oren Nataf’s Multi50 Trimaran Rayon Vert, skippered by Alex Pella is halfway and leading the fleet in the RORC Transatlantic Race © James Mitchell/RORC}

On the fifth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race all of the competing yachts are fully offshore in the Atlantic Ocean. Life on board will have found a rhythm to the corkscrew motion of surfing downwind for days on end. Oren Nataf’s Multi50 Trimaran Rayon Vert, skippered by Alex Pella is leading the fleet and they will be celebrating having crossed the halfway mark in the 2,735-mile race from Lanzarote to the Caribbean. Rayon Vert’s skipper Pella is very much at home in the Atlantic. The Spaniard has won both the Route du Rhum and the Transat Jacques Vabre.

_{Black Pearl IRC56 © James Mitchell/RORC}

Day Two Report - 10 January 2021

The IRC56 Black Pearl, sailed by Stefan Jentzsch, contacted the RORC Race Management Team at 11:30 UTC on 10th January to report that Black Pearl is retiring from the race and heading back to Lanzarote. All are well on board. Black Pearl was approximately 20 miles west of the island of El Hierro, some 250 miles from Lanzarote. The RORC Race Team and Marina Puerto Calero will be standing by should Black Pearl require any assistance.

_{Start of the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote .The fleet, including Class40 Palanad 3, Black Pearl IRC56 and Rayon Vert will race 2,735 nm to the Caribbean in the 7th edition of the race © James Mitchell/RORC}

The 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race started in glorious conditions outside Marina Puerto Calero on Saturday 9th January.

With the RORC Racing Management Team operating remotely, the race start was officiated by Manuel Torres, Sporting Director, Real Club Náutico de Arrecife. 

With a highly experienced team from the Royal Yacht Club, the RORC fleet got away to a spectacular reaching start for the 7th edition of the race.

Forty eight hours before the 7th RORC Transatlantic Race starts on Saturday January 9th from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, Marc Lagesse, the navigator for the IRC56 Black Pearl, spoke about the new water-ballasted sloop from the drawing board of Botin Partners. Just three days before the start, Black Pearl with Stefan Jentzsch on the helm, went out for a training session in 35 knots of wind. Watch the video interview with stunning footage of the brand new ocean-going speed-machine!

The 7th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race in association with the International Maxi Association is set to start on January 9th from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote. The fascination of racing across the Atlantic Ocean is shared by a variety of offshore sailors, from professional teams racing the latest designs, to passionate amateurs fulfilling their dreams.

The 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race will feature two virtually identical Class40s from the drawing board of the highly acclaimed designer Sam Manuard. Both Redman and Palanad 3 were launched in 2020 and are very capable of taking line honours for the race. With a scow bow, massive sail plan and the latest in high tech systems, both are capable of completing the 2,735-mile race in just 10 days.

The seventh edition of the RORC Tragnsatlantic Race will start from Calero Marinas Puerto Calero, Lanzarote, Canary Islands on Saturday 9th January 2021 © James Mitchell

The 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race - in association with the International Maxi Association - is scheduled to start from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote on January 9th, 2021. Ten teams have sailed from European destinations to take part in the 2,735-mile race across the Atlantic Ocean. Due to travel restrictions from the UK, the Royal Ocean Racing Club is operating remotely, relying on the expert abilities of the Calero Marinas’ team and the race officers of Real Club Náutico de Arrecife in Lanzarote.