_{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.”

_{Incredibly close competition as Ross Applebey's Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster finishes the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 15 days 7 hrs 30 mins 44 secs - and after IRC time correction is second to Comanche by just over an hour © Arthur Daniel/RORC}

DAY 17 - 24 JAN (0900 UTC)

The RORC Transatlantic Race has featured close racing right through the record fleet. On the 16th day of the 3,000-mile race, Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) came in sight of Grenada - peeling to a reaching kite in a dash for the line and in with a chance of snatching overall victory from the 100ft Maxi Comanche. Scarlet Oyster was just short of winning the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy but virtually assured of winning IRC One.

By 0900 UTC on January 24, 21 teams had finished the race, including Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II (GBR), Jack Pelletier’s Milon 41 L’Ange de Milon (FRA), Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) and Scarlet Oyster (GBR).

Scarlet Oyster finished the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 15 days 7 hrs 30 mins 44 secs and after IRC time correction is second to Comanche by just over an hour. Scarlet Oyster is a minuscule 115 seconds ahead of David Collins’ Botin 52 Tala. “It is quite incredible that after over 3,000 miles of racing, three totally different boats from three different classes have an IRC time correction within one hour of each other!” exclaimed Scarlet Oyster’s Ross Applebey.

_{Credit: RORC / Louay Habib / Arthur Daniel / Tonnerre de Glen}

_{Black Pearl touches dry land back in Calero Marinas - Marina Lanzarote after breaking their mast mid-race © Pilar Hernández}

On 12 January 15:32 UTC January, four days into the RORC Transatlantic Race, the Botin 56 Black Pearl (GER) with eight crew on board, contacted the RORC Race Team to retire from the race due to a broken mast – all of the crew were well. The nearest land was the Canary Islands, 800nm east of their position. About three meters of the rig was left and the highly experienced team got to work, making a jury rig and turned their bow east to motor/sail to safety.

Black Pearl’s biggest issue was fuel to run the engine for propulsion and also to produce electricity for navigation and the water maker. According to the race rules, Black Pearl had enough water on board to make landfall.

Black Pearl contacted MRCC Ponta Delgada to request assistance and the RORC Race Team was also informed. The request for assistance resulted in three nearby vessels being alerted with the m/v Happy Sky agreeing to divert towards Black Pearl. Delgada sent an email to Black Pearl to receive the position, speed and bearing, which was relayed to m/v Happy Sky.

Less than 24 hours after Delgada received the initial contact from Black Pearl, 28 x 25 litres of fuel were successfully transferred to Black Pearl by m/v Happy Sky. After Black Pearl left the area under observation by Delgada, the boat was monitored by SRR Santa Maria, with reports given every three hours.

_{Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Mylius 60 Lady First 3 (FRA) is the first team from the Yacht Club de France to finish the RORC Transatlantic Race. Lady First 3 completed the race in an elapsed time of 13 days 2 hours 23 mins 32 secs © Arthur Daniel/RORC}

DAY 15 - 22 JAN (0900 UTC)

Two weeks into the RORC Transatlantic Race, three more French teams have crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. Lady First 3 (FRA) finished under one hour ahead of Tonnerre de Glen (FRA) and in the early hours of the 22 January, the Volvo 60 Challenge Ocean (FRA), skippered by Valdo Dhoyer crossed the finish line, just over one hour ahead of Richard Tolkien’s Open 60 Rosalba (GBR). These close finishes, after many days and nights of racing, is indicative of the competition right through the RORC Transatlantic Race fleet. What is more, the overall winner has still not been decided. Several teams that are still racing in the Atlantic are capable of winning the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) is 250 miles from the finish. Currently ranked first overall after IRC time correction, Scarlet Oyster is expected to finish the race on Sunday the 23 January.

“All OK out here, only 250nm to go! We can nearly smell the rum,” commented Scarlet Oyster’s Ross Applebey. “The Comanche to beat now…We are not gaining, but importantly, not losing on our target. Finally, the wind came in three days ago, but with the cloud and instability that comes with it. We had a particularly squally night and finally found the upper wind limit of our old AP kite. With a loud bang we blew the head off it in a 30kn+ squall. Grenada is now 250 miles to the finish line and we have until 17:25 UTC tomorrow (Sunday 23 January) to get there. If the wind holds, we have a good chance, but the forecast suggests lighter winds could slow us. I am hoping that the wonderful people at RORC can supply us with some well-earned drinks!

_{Fifth Maxi to finish the RORC Transatlantic Race - The Volvo 70 HYPR (ESP) skippered by Jens Lindner included 5 professional and 11 corinthian crew, including the youngest in the race - 18-year-old Filip Henriksson © Louay Habib/RORC}

DAY 14 - 21 JAN (0900 UTC)

With over 30 knots of trade winds in the Atlantic, the 15 teams still racing in the RORC Transatlantic Race have seen a rapid rise in boat speed towards Grenada. The latest teams to finish the RORC Transatlantic Race are Volvo 70 HYPR (ESP) skippered by Jens Lindner and Halvard Mabire’s ORC50 GDD (FRA) racing Two-Handed with Miranda Merron. Lady First III (FRA) and Tonnerre de Glen (FRA) are expected today, Friday 21 of January. Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina has the beers on ice for every team’s arrival.

The modified Volvo 70 HYPR is the fifth Maxi to finish, completing the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 12 days 8 hrs 29 mins and 48 secs. The crew of 16 included the youngest competitor in the race, Filip Henriksson. The 18-year-old’s parents flew to Grenada to congratulate him. Filip’s mother was given the honour of calling the finish time by RORC Race Officer Steve Cole.

HYPR’s Jens Lindner spoke dockside:

“Our finish time is very disappointing for us because the first night we broke the tack line of our A3, so we could not use the sail anymore and this was to affect our whole race. Without the A3 we couldn’t really go up north, so we tried to wiggle through the high-pressure, but we didn’t manage to keep up the speed and we lost touch with our competition. With five professional and 11 Corinthian crew, the important goal was to get here safety, and we have done that. I think they have all had a great experience and that they will be back next year. For the RORC Caribbean 600 we will be stronger with a professional crew and we hope to be really competitive. We are very happy to be in Grenada and we have had a very nice welcome here.”

_{©️ Robert Hadjuk/I Love Poland/@ r_hajduk /RORC/Arthur Daniel}