Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina © RORC/Arthur Daniel

Benedikt Clauberg's Swiss First 47.7 Kali finished the RORC Transatlantic Race on 11 December, completing the 3,000nm race in 18 days 08 hours 28 mins and 18 secs. Kali was competing for the second year in a row and beat their finish time for 2018 by nearly 18 hours.

Richard Palmer and Jeremy Waitt celebrate dockside at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina © RORC/Arthur Daniel

Jangada, Richard Palmer's JPK 1010 racing two-handed with Jeremy Waitt, crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Tuesday 10th December, 2019 at 21:11:06 UTC. Their elapsed time was 17 days 10 hours 11 mins 06 secs.

All smiles in Grenada - Andy Lis and the young crew racing on Giles Redpath's Lombard 46 Pata Negra completed the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 15 days 22 hrs 58 mins 13 secs © RORC/Arthur Daniel

Giles Redpath's British Lombard 46 Pata Negra, skippered by Andy Lis, finished the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race on Monday 09 December in an elapsed time of 15 days 22 hrs 58 mins 13 secs. The team on Pata Negra received a warm welcome on the dock this morning at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina from RORC CEO, Eddie Warden Owen, Marina Manager, Charlotte Bonin - who provided ice cold beers, and Nikoyan Roberts from the Grenada Tourism Authority who presented the young crew with a basket of local goodies.

Dark Shadow approaching the finish line at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada - Photo © RORC / Arthur Daniel

French Wally 100 Dark Shadow finished the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race on Friday 6th December in an elapsed time of 13 days 9 hours 11 mins and 3 secs. Dark Shadow was sailed by Andre Auberton-Herve (FRA), and skippered by Yerin Hobson (AUS).

Wally 100 Dark Shadow celebrate their arrival at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada - Photo © RORC / Arthur Daniel

NEWSFLASH - Dark Shadow, the Wally 100 skippered by Yerin Hobson (AUS), crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Friday 6th December, 2019 at 20:11:03 UTC. Their elapsed time was 13 days 09 hours 11 mins 03 secs.

Childhood 1 crew: Bouwe Bekking, Antonio Cuervas Mons, Ysbrand Endt, Pablo Garcia Mujica, Julius Hallstrom, Edmond Hilhorst, Steven Melkman, Pelle Norberg, Simbad Quiroga, Aage Reerslev, Pieter Tack, Jelmer van Beek, Jorden van Rooijen, Laura van Veen - Photo © RORC / Arthur Daniel

Swedish VO65 Childhood 1, skippered by Bouwe Bekking, has taken Line Honours in the 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race. Childhood 1 crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada in an elapsed time of 11 days 11 hours 34 mins 49 secs. The International Maxi Association Secretary General, Andrew McIrvine, presented Bouwe Bekking and the team with the IMA Trophy for Monohull Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race.

A warm spice island welcome is waiting for the RORC Transatlantic Race fleet and Childhood 1's line honours arrival © Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada

Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada is all set to welcome the early finishers in the RORC Transatlantic Race. VO65 Childhood 1 is expected to finish on Wednesday 4th December and will win the IMA Trophy for Monohull Line Honours. French Wally 100 Dark Shadow, skippered by Yerin Hobson is 400 miles behind Childhood 1. The fleet is reporting superb conditions surfing at high speeds in tropical heat.

Swedish VO65 Childhood 1 has been fully lit up for the blast to the finish, registering a 24-hour run of over 400nm. Skipper Bouwe Bekking contacted the media team via satellite: “We’ve had a max. breeze for a short period of 25 knots, but in general the wind is hovering between 18-22 knots. We’ve made good progress. The guests are starting to get used to the feeling of living in the deep south, with air and water temperatures of around 30ºC. Childhood 1 is also moving up in the overall standings, but it is still very hard to compare apples with pears. The smallest boat in the fleet is sailing in a completely different weather pattern and can take about double the amount of time to sail the same distance. They have been sailing close to the great circle route, so not many extra miles need to be covered. Remember they are racing double handed, so hats off for these two blokes, but if we beat them in the end, that would be a nice bonus,” said Bekking.

Looking good for line honours in Grenada - Bouwe Bekking's VO65 Childhood I © Joaquin Vera/RORC/Calero Marinas 

Whilst all of the competing yachts are south of the rhumb line in the RORC Transatlantic Race, there is over 900nm of latitudinal separation in the fleet. Jangada is furthest north and Childhood 1 furthest south. Childhood's deep dive south has paid dividends to take the lead for line honours, Jangada leads the race overall after IRC time correction and Pata Negra have come from behind to overtake Kali. After nine days at sea the RORC Transatlantic Race fleet are now well offshore in the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean - the next sighting of land will be the Caribbean.

Strategic decisions facing the double-handed team on Jangada, the smallest yacht in the race © RORC/Joaquim Vera/Calero Marinas

After five days into the RORC Transatlantic Race the international fleet is experiencing shifty conditions with a light to moderate wind oscillating between nor' east and east. All of the teams are south of the rhumb line but different strategies are producing a range of tactics in the 3,000nm race to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada.

Richard Palmer, competing Two Handed with Jeremy Waitt on his British JPK 10.10 Jangada, are currently provisional overall leader after IRC time correction. French Wally 100 Dark Shadow is 2,285nm from the finish and leading the fleet for line honours. Swedish VO65 Childhood 1 has sailed the most miles (945nm) and is the furthest south. Pata Negra is back in the race having made a pit-stop in El Hierro.

A 240 nautical mile run in the first 24 hours of the RORC Transatlantic Race for Wally 100 Dark Shadow © Joaquin Vera/Calero Marinas/RORC

The 2019 RORC Transatlantic Race is now into the second day with the entire fleet anticipated to leave the Canary Islands and head into the remote Atlantic Ocean on Sunday 24 November. As expected, Swedish VO65 Childhood 1, skippered by Bouwe Bekking, is firmly in front having raced 251nm in the first 24 hours. The fleet are currently experiencing downwind conditions, however the nor’easterly gradient wind is far from stable as frequent rain squalls, combined with land effects, have dramatically changed both the wind speed and direction.