The 3rd edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race will start outside Arrecife’s Marina Lanzarote this Saturday 26th November. The international fleet have a few precious days left to prepare for the 2,865 mile transatlantic race to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada. Each entry is busy going through their inventory and check-lists, leaving no stone unturned in their quest for speed and above all safety, assisted by the RORC Race Team.
Mike Slade's Farr 100 Leopard is no stranger to preparations for the Atlantic as the powerful Maxi has crossed 12 times before. Leopard Boat Captain, Chris Sherlock will be making his 30th crossing: "For the race we have 12 professional race crew and eight guests. Right now they are all concentrating on final work lists in their own particular areas. The chef is at the villa cooking and packing all the food, the rig team are checking every part of the mast and deck gear and all the sails are being checked by that team. My preparation includes making sure that all of the communication systems and navigational software is all working perfectly.
"For the RORC Transatlantic Race, Leopard's navigator will be Libby Greenhalgh who is extremely familiar with Lanzarote from her time here training with Team SCA for the last Volvo Ocean Race. The rest of the race crew are the same as we have had all season, and all our guests are fitting nicely into their positions on board," continues Sherlock.
James Heald's Swan 45, Nemesis has made great use of the impressive Calero Marinas facilities at Marina Lanzarote. Nemesis is one of the Two Handed entries for the RORC Transatlantic Race. "We have been here for sometime and the marina is ideal for our preparations. Today we lifted the boat out using the travel lift to work on the hull, checking all the appendages and giving Nemesis a good power-wash before the start of the race."
All yachts in the RORC Transatlantic Race are inspected prior to the start by the highly experienced husband and wife team, Stephen and Anthea Weekes. They will talk to every skipper and check every yacht against the RORC Offshore Special Regulations Check List.
"Safety is of the utmost importance to the Royal Ocean Racing Club," commented RORC Racing Manager, Nick Elliott. "Scrutinizing the race boats means that we can help boats meet the requirements of the regulations. It is also a great opportunity to share experience and knowledge making the racing as safe as possible, as well as uncovering some great solutions that sometimes filter into the regulations of the future."
Whilst preparing the yachts and crew for the thousands of miles of racing to come, the gathering of over one hundred offshore sailors in Lanzarote is an opportunity to meet and greet like-minded yachtsmen and women. A welcome party hosted by José Juan Calero, Managing Director of Calero Marinas was held at Marina Lanzarote on Monday evening, giving competitors the opportunity to meet up in a relaxed atmosphere before the start of the race.
