_{Ultim Emotion 2 was the fourth multihull to cross the finish line in Grenada © RORC/Arthur Daniel}

DAY TEN - 17 JAN (0900 UTC)

On the tenth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, 21 teams are still racing in the Atlantic for the overall win and claim the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. Racing under the IRC Rating Rule, Comanche’s record run has now set the bar for the monohulls to beat. Out in the Atlantic, battles for class honours and private duels are raging, and the race for the overall win is far from over.

In the MOCRA class, the latest multihull to finish is Antoine Rabaste’s Maxi Multihull Ultim Emotion 2 (FRA), which crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada just before sunset on 16 January. The 80ft trimaran screamed into Grenada at a speed of over 26 knots!

_{Comanche crew celebrate setting a new race record in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race after completing the race to Grenada in record time: 7d 22hrs 1min 4secs ©️ Arthur Daniel/RORC}

The 30.48m (100ft) VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth, has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, winning the magnificent IMA Trophy. Comanche has set a new race record for the 3,000nm race from Lanzarote to Grenada of 7 days 22 hours 1 minute 4 seconds. Comanche’s new Monohull Race Record has beaten the previous race record by over two days. With the double achieved Comanche must wait to see if any of the remaining 21 teams racing under IRC can eclipse their corrected time to win the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.

Andrew McIrvine, Secretary General of the International Maxi Association (IMA), witnessed Comanche crossing the line and later presented the IMA Trophy at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada. Comanche’s record result in the RORC Transatlantic Race is the latest accolade to a phenomenal list of achievements, including the Monohull West-East Transatlantic record and race records and line honours for the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Caribbean 600, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Transpac and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

_{Comanche has crossed the finish line of the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, setting a new monohull record © RORC/James Mitchell}

Comanche (CAY) – the 30.48m (100ft) VPLP Design/Verdier Maxi, skippered by Mitch Booth (AUS), has taken Monohull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race - winning the magnificent IMA Trophy and setting a new race record - crossing the Grenada finish line off Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina at: 09:11:04 UTC on Sunday 16 January.

Full race report/press release with images and interviews to follow.

_{Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati (ITA) has taken Multihull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race Congratulations to the team: Skipper: Giovanni Soldini, Vittorio Bissaro, Oliver Herrera Perez, Thomas Joffrin, Francesco Pedol and Matteo Soldini © Arthur Daniel/RORC}

Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati (ITA) has taken Multihull Line Honours in the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race, crossing the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada at 05:51:41 UTC on Saturday 15 January (Corrected: 6d 18h 51m 41s). After eight days of extraordinary racing, Maserati finished ahead of Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, followed by Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo.

Maserati’s margin of victory was less than 20 miles over PowerPlay and Argo, expressed as a fraction, that is one third of a percentage point. Giovanni Soldini has enjoyed many great successes in his glittering career, and this was one of the finest.

The camaraderie and sportsmanship between the three boats was exemplified by Soldini’s Maserati crew waiting for PowerPlay to finish, cheering them through the line. As well as Argo’s shore team fixing up a dockside barbeque at 4am, all washed down with ice cold beers provided by Port Louis Marina!

_{Giovanni Soldini's Multi70 Maserati crosses the finish line in Grenada first! © James Mitchell/RORC}

After an intense Atlantic battle, Giovanni Soldini's Multi70 (ITA) Maserati has crossed the finish line first in the 8th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race, finishing at:05:51:41 UTC in Grenada on Saturday 15 January to take Multihull Line Honours.

Next to cross the finish line off Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada was Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay at: 06 46 42 UTC.

_{0900 UTC - Coming in hot - PowerPlay and Argo are in sight of each other - 500 miles from the finish of the RORC Transat © James Mitchell/RORC}

DAY SEVEN - 14 JAN (0900 UTC)

On the morning of the seventh day of the RORC Transatlantic Race news in from PowerPlay and Argo confirms they are in sight of each other, 500 miles from the finish. At dawn in Grenada on Saturday 15 January, a grandstand multihull finish is expected at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. The wounded beast Maserati is in third. Comanche is under 900 miles from Grenada and odds on for a new monohull race record. L4 Trifork, Phosphorus II and Jangada are estimated to be leading their IRC classes and news in from the Volvo 60 Challenge Ocean, pushing as hard as anyone.

_{A thrilling finish is shaping up for multihull line honours between PowerPlay, Argo and Maserati © James Mitchell/RORC}

DAY SIX - 13 JAN (0900 UTC)

On the sixth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race a thrilling finish is shaping up for multihull line honours between PowerPlay, Argo and Maserati. The 100ft Maxi Comanche (CAY), skippered by Mitch Booth is estimated to be over two days ahead of the monohull race record and win for the IMA Trophy for monohull line honours. All the crew are well on Black Pearl but there was sad news from the team mid-Atlantic. Plus, updates from Jangada and even poetry from Tonnerre de Glen.

In the light airs of day 5, the crew on Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay (CAY) is getting ready for the return of the trade winds for the final push to the finish at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada. Paul Larsen sets the scene (12 January 2200 UTC), as the threat of losing the lead intensifies from astern.

_{Riding on a better pressure from the northwest, Volvo 70 L4 Trifork (DEN), helmed by Joern Larsen, is reeling in the 100ft Maxi Comanche on day five of the RORC Transatlantic Race © Soren Wiegand/Aksel Magdhal/L4 Trifork}

DAY FIVE - 12 JAN (1200 UTC)

The RORC Transatlantic Race enters the fifth day with the potential for a real twist of fate at the front of the RORC fleet. Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay (CAY) still leads the multihulls, but as the first boat into an area of light winds, the ‘hunters’ are catching up with their prey. Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) and Giovanni Soldini’s Multi70 Maserati (ITA) are homing in on PowerPlay. The 100ft Maxi Comanche (CAY), skippered by Mitch Booth is over 100 miles ahead with one hand on the IMA Trophy. However, Volvo 70 L4 Trifork (DEN), helmed by Joern Larsen, is reeling in Comanche. L4 Trifork is riding on better pressure from the northwest. News from the fleet includes the latest from Gunboat 68 Tosca (USA), co-skippered by Ken Howery & Alex Thomson.

Comanche’s navigator Will Oxley reported at 2100 UTC on 11 January:

“1680nm to go. It has been a very messy Atlantic weather pattern and that looks set to continue into the finish. So far so good. We are happy with our more southerly approach in comparison to L4 Trifork. For the moment they are sailing very fast in close proximity to the low. It looks quite difficult though to extricate oneself from the north; one of the reasons we rejected this option. We watch with interest to see how it plays out. The low does seem to be playing havoc with the fleet. We are sailing in 10-15 knot northerlies with the low still disrupting the trade winds. We think we can join the dots into the finish OK but we will have to be careful to avoid some very light air on the 13th. ETA still 16th January.”

_{1,900 nm from Grenada -at 0900 UTC on day four of the RORC Transatlantic Race Comanche was doing 24 knots of boat speed! Drone shot credit: Shannon Falcone @racingSF}

DAY FOUR - 11 JAN (0900 UTC)

Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 PowerPlay (CAY) is over halfway and just two hours outside multihull race record pace. The 100ft Maxi Comanche (CAY), skippered by Mitch Booth, is 1900 miles from Grenada and well inside monohull race record pace. The majority of the RORC fleet are north of the rhumb line. To the south an area of light winds stretches about 1000 miles across the direct route. Four days into the RORC Transatlantic Race and the sight of land is now just a distant memory for the 29 teams racing to Grenada. The crews have settled into life at sea, rolling in the deep, their boat speed the metric for success.

Comanche’s navigator Will Oxley (0900 UTC 10 JAN) reported:

“All going well on Comanche. Our goals are a safe boat and crew, line honours and a new race record. We felt we could achieve these goals without heading far north and crossing the front in big seas and strong winds. So, we have been threading the needle between a col (transition zone) and an easterly wave (atmospheric trough), trying to find enough pressure to make our way west. We had a slow 12 hours, but we hope we are through the worst of it now. We expect to cross the front around 0300 UTC on the day four. At this time, we will have a good idea whether our plan has been successful.” (At 0900 UTC on day four Comanche was doing 24 knots of boat speed!)