Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina played host to the multihull prize giving for the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 was the winner of the Multihull Line Honours Trophy. Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay was presented with a RORC decanter as winner of the MOCRA Class after time correction. The two crews had enjoyed a full-on match race across the Atlantic. However, both Maserati and PowerPlay showed mutual respect and friendship, right down to Soldini and Cunningham swapping shirts at the ceremony.

After an intense 3,000 mile battle across the Atlantic from Marina Lanzarote to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi 70 has taken Multihull Line Honours in the 2018 RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 6 days, 18 hours, 54 minutes and 34 seconds. The team completed the 5th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 06:54:34 UTC on Saturday 1st December.

Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield was less than 46 minutes behind Maserati, finishing at 07:40:12 UTC after seven days of a fascinating duel and taking first place in the MOCRA Class. Whilst no quarter was given on the race course, the two crews celebrated together on the dock; such is the strong accord between the two rivals after a memorable experience.

Maserati Multi 70 and Giovanni Soldini are first to cross the finish line of the 5th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race

The Italian crew crossed the finish line with an elapsed time of 6 days, 18 hours, 54 minutes and 34 seconds.  PowerPlay crossed the line second with an elapsed time of 6 days, 19 hours, 40 minutes and 12 seconds.

DAY 7 1600 UTC Report

Maserati and PowerPlay have been neck and neck since the race began © RORC/Joaquín Vera

It's game on in the thrilling race for Multihull Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 and Peter Cunningham's MOD70 PowerPlay are expected to arrive at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in the early hours of Saturday morning, local time in Grenada (-4 UTC). With 400 miles to go, it is impossible to predict the winner.

The Italian trimaran, Maserati Multi 70 has reported surfing at 30 knots of boat speed. “The swell is gentle and long and we’re able to skim over the waves. PowerPlay has been chasing us for days without giving an inch, it’s going to be like this until the finish line!” commented Giovanni Soldini.

International Maxi Association member Pier Luigi Loro Piana, racing Supermaxi My Song, is also locked in a battle with a 'virtual rival'. With 1300 miles to the finish, My Song is estimated to be just seven hours behind the monohull race record set by Jean-Paul Riviere's French Finot-Conq 100, Nomad IV in 2015. My Song is at full speed, the 130ft Baltic yacht's largest spinnaker is 1100 sq.metre and she can fly a total of 2000 sq.metres of sail area from her 59 metre rig.