The RORC Transatlantic Race is an annual 2,995 nautical mile race across the Atlantic Ocean from east to west organised by The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in association with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and the Yacht Club de France. The RORC Transatlantic Race is supported by: Calero Marinas, Lanzarote Tourist Board, Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada and the Grenada Tourism Authority.
The RORC Transatlantic Race
Held since 2014 in its present form, the RORC Transatlantic Race is a non-stop, unassisted sailing race of 2995 nautical miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Starting from near Marina Lanzarote in The Canary Islands and finishing near Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada in The Caribbean.
Sailors and boats from all over the world compete including high performance multihulls and monohulls, classic yachts, performance cruisers, Two-Handed teams, and one-designs boats. The RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy is the overall prize for the best yacht after IRC time correction.
The IMA Transatlantic Trophy is awarded to the first Maxi Yacht to complete the race. The first Multihull is awarded the RORC Transatlantic Multihull Trophy. Class Prizes are also awarded including IRC Classes, Best Superyacht, and Best Classic Yacht.
The RORC Transatlantic Race fleet is highly diverse. Dependent on weather conditions, the fastest multihulls are expected to take between 5 or 6 days. The majority of the fleet will arrive in 12 and 14 days, with late finishers taking 17 days or more.
The RORC Transatlantic Race also acts as a feeder race for the RORC Caribbean 600 which starts from Antigua each February. The 600nm race around 11 islands, like the RORC Transatlantic Race is on the bucket list of any offshore racer.
RORC Transatlantic Race Records
Multihull Record
05 days 05 hrs 46 mins 26 secs.
2023 - Maserati Multi70 (Giovanni Soldini)
Monohull Record
07 days 22 hrs 01 mins 04 secs.
2022 – Comanche (Mitch Booth)
IRC Record
12 days 09 hrs 17 mins 29 secs
2021 – Palanad 3 (Olivier Magre)
RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy - Overall winner in IRC:
(NB: No race in 2020 due to Covid pandemic)
2023: Teasing Machine, NMD 54, Eric de Turckheim (FRA)
2022 : Comanche, Vplp/Verdier 100 Super Maxi, Skipper Mitch Booth (MON)
2021: Palanad, Class40, Olivier Magre (FRA)
2019: Janagda, JPK 10.10, Richard Palmer (GBR) – first Two-Handed winner (with jeremy Waitt)
2018: Kuka, Cookson 50, Franco Niggeler (SUI)
2017: Teasing Machine, NMD 54, Eric de Turckheim (FRA)
2016: Aragon, Marten 72, Arco Van Nieuwland/Andries Verder (NED)
2015: Nomad IV, Jean-Paul Riviere, Finot-Conq 100 (FRA)
2014: Lupa of London, RP78, Skipper Daniel Stump (GBR)
IMA Transatlantic Trophy - Line honours monohull winner:
2023: I Love Poland, Volvo 70, Skipper Grzegorz Baranowski (POL)
2022 : Comanche, Vplp/Verdier 100 Super Maxi, Skipper Mitch Booth (MON)
2021: Green Dragon , Volvo 70, Johannes Schwarz (NED)
2019: Childhood 1, VO65, Skipper Bouwe Bekking (SWE)
2018: My Song, Baltic 130 Super Maxi, Pier Luigi Loro Piana (ITA)
2017: Maxi CQS, Ludde Ingvall (AUS)
2016: Leopard 3, Farr 100, Mike Slade (GBR)
2015: Nomad IV, Finot-Conq 100, Jean-Paul Riviere (FRA)
2014: Lupa of London, RP78, Skipper Daniel Stump (GBR)
The Royal Ocean Racing Club
Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) is best known for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral's Cup. RORC organises an annual series of offshore races from its base in Cowes as well as inshore regattas in the Solent.
The RORC works with other yacht clubs to promote their offshore races and provides marketing and organisational support. With the first race in 2009, the RORC Caribbean 600, based in Antigua and the first offshore race in the Caribbean, has been an instant success. The RORC extended its organisational expertise by creating the RORC Transatlantic Race from Lanzarote to Grenada, the first of which was in November 2014. The Roschier Baltic Sea Race was established in 2022, starting and finishing in Helsinki, Finland.
The RORC has 4,000 members and a clubhouse based in St James' Place, London. After a merger with The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes it now boasts a superb clubhouse facility at the entrance to Cowes Harbour
RORC website: www.rorc.org
IRC Rating
The RORC has also been a leader in yacht rating systems and in co-operation with the French offshore racing club, UNCL, YCF Race Pole created the International Rating Certificate - IRC. IRC is a World Sailing recognised rating system and the principal yacht measurement system for the rating of racing yachts worldwide.
The IRC rating rule is administered jointly by the RORC Rating Office in Lymington, UK and UNCL, YCF Race Pole in Paris, France. The RORC Rating Office is the technical hub of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and recognised globally as a centre of excellence for measurement.
For IRC rating information in the UK : www.rorcrating.com
For IRC rating globally www.ircrating.org
