Palanad 3 win the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy

on . Posted in 2021 Race Updates


Overall winner of the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race - Olivier Magre's French Class40 Palanad 3  © Ed Gifford/RORC

Overall winner of the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race - Olivier Magre's French Class40 Palanad 3 © Ed Gifford/RORC

Congratulations to Olivier Magre and his crew on French Class40 Palanad 3 as the overall winner of the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race. Palanad 3 has posted the best elapsed time under IRC to win the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. Palanad 3 is the seventh winner of the antique sterling silver trophy and the first Class40 to do so. Antoine Carpentier’s Class40 Redman, also a Mach 40.4, was second overall under IRC.

Listen to Luke Berry talking about using the RORC Transat as a training race before the start Here: https://youtu.be/Z5s9JInlC2U

“I am so happy to have won overall; it is a magnificent trophy!” smiled Olivier Magre. “This is a perfect race for Class40 because it is relatively shorter than other transatlantic races and the timing is perfect to join other events such as the RORC Caribbean 600. I am sure that in the future if we have a number of Class40s it would be a beautiful race and we have the added attraction of challenging bigger boats as well. I think mixing Class40s with other boats under IRC is a good thing because it increases the challenge and the performance required.”

Kai finishes 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race

on . Posted in 2021 Race Updates

Tim & Mayumi Knight at the finish of the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race in Antigua

Tim & Mayumi Knight celebrate in Antigua after finishing the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race © Helen Spooner/RORC

Tim and Mayumi Knight, racing Pogo 12.50 Kai, crossed the Antigua finish line of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 13:50 UTC (30 January) in an elapsed time of 21 days, 2 hours, 50 mins and 07 secs. With all boats accounted for, the 2021 RORC Transatlantic Race has come to an end. As Kai crossed the finish line outside Nelson’s Dockyard, Benedikt Clauberg’s Kali came out to greet them and guide them to their berth.

“680 mile into the race we had a problem with the rig so we have been nursing the boat for 2,000 miles,” commented Tim Knight. “However, compared to the horrible time people have been having with the pandemic, we were in paradise. It was wonderful to see Kali when we finished and we had an amazing welcome in Falmouth Marina. Thank you so much to the RORC; Mayumi and I are very grateful, especially having Tim (Thubron) being so helpful throughout the race."

Moshimoshi finish RORC Transatlantic Race

on . Posted in 2021 Race Updates

Enjoying a cold beer in Antigua after finishing the RORC Transatlantic Race: Sebastien Saulnier (R) and Christophe Affolter (L) racing Sun Fast 3300 Moshimoshi  © Helen Spooner/RORC

Enjoying a cold beer in Antigua after finishing the RORC Transatlantic Race: Sebastien Saulnier (R) and Christophe Affolter (L) racing Sun Fast 3300 Moshimoshi © Helen Spooner/RORC

Sebastien Saulnier’s Sun Fast 3300 Moshimoshi crossed the finish line of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 20:12 UTC in an elapsed time of 15 days, 9 hours, 12 mins and 20 secs. Racing with Christophe Affolter, Moshimoshi is the first team to finish the race in IRC Two-Handed. Two years ago, Sebastien and Christophe started to put together the project to race double handed across the Atlantic. The pair were elated to finish the 2,735-mile race from Puerto Calero, Lanzarote to Antigua, West Indies.

Carpentier reflects on RORC Transatlantic Race

on . Posted in 2021 Race Updates

 Antoine Carpentier and team on Class40 Redman finished the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 10 days, 18 hours, 24 mins and 13 secs.  Redman Crew: L-R: Pierre Lacaze, Arnaud Aubry, Pablo Santurde, Antoine Carpentier © Helen Spooner/RORC

Antoine Carpentier and team on Class40 Redman finished the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 10 days, 18 hours, 24 mins and 13 secs. Redman Crew: L-R: Pierre Lacaze, Arnaud Aubry, Pablo Santurde, Antoine Carpentier © Helen Spooner/RORC

Antoine Carpentier’s Class40 Redman crossed the finish line of the 7th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 04:24 UTC in an elapsed time of 10 days, 18 hours, 24 mins and 13 secs. Despite finishing after Olivier Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3, Redman’s time was still exceptional. Make no mistake, this was a heavyweight contest between two of the world’s best Class40 sailors, both racing fourth generation Mach 40s. Antoine Carpentier has been racing Class40s for 14 years, winning the 2017 Transat Jacques Vabre and class in the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race.

“This is an amazing race for a Class40,” commented Antoine Carpentier. “It is a great course for me to prepare for the Route du Rhum because the race is almost the same from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean. Interestingly, in this race we had a big problem with seaweed on the rudders, so we are thinking about how to deal with that.

Green Dragon and Palanad 3 scorch into Antigua

on . Posted in 2021 Race Updates

 Celebrations on board Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon after winning the IMA Trophy and Monohull Line Honours in the  RORC Transatlantic Race - Finishing in an elapsed time of 9 days, 18 hours, 53 mins and 40 secs © Ed Gifford/RORC

Celebrations on board Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon after winning the IMA Trophy and Monohull Line Honours in the RORC Transatlantic Race - Finishing in an elapsed time of 9 days, 18 hours, 53 mins and 40 secs © Ed Gifford/RORC

Johannes Schwarz’s Volvo 70 Green Dragon crossed the finish line of the 7th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race at 04:53 UTC in an elapsed time of 9 days, 18 hours, 53 mins and 40 secs. Green Dragon wins the IMA Trophy and takes Monohull Line Honours for the RORC Transatlantic Race. Olivier Magre’s Class40 Palanad 3 was less than five hours behind completing the 2735-mile race in a phenomenal elapsed time of 10 days, 1 hour, 43 mins and 18 secs. For the moment, Palanad 3 have scored the best corrected time under IRC for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.

Green Dragon becomes the seventh boat to win the International Maxi Association’s IMA Trophy. Whilst this year’s race is a different route, Green Dragon is the first monohull to complete the RORC Transatlantic Race in under 10 days. The Secretary General of the IMA, Andrew McIrvine commented: “Congratulations and best wishes from the IMA to Johannes and the Green Dragon team. We are sorry not to able to greet you, as we would have in more usual times, but we hope you enjoyed the race.”