Undoubtedly, a bucket-list offshore event, the Caribbean 600 will start off Fort Charlotte, Antigua on Monday 21st February. Monohull Line Honours is likely to be decided by the three Maxi Yachts: The Verdier/VPLP 100 Comanche, and Farr 100 Leopard, both powered by Doyle Sails and ClubSwan 125 Skorpios.
With Comanche’s recent successes in both the RORC Transatlantic and Rolex Middle Sea fresh in the crew’s minds, it will be a hard-fought battle at the front of the fleet as Skorpios will no doubt be focused entirely on finishing ahead of the other two maxi yachts.
Comanche skipper, Australian Mitch Booth, commented at the end of the RORC Transatlantic Race “Comanche is an absolute weapon in the open ocean, the benchmark in non-foiling offshore monohulls. The team are just so privileged to have the opportunity to race this boat with the full support and trust of the owners. It’s just a real thrill to be on board.”
“The Comanche crew is a mix of very experienced offshore sailors, Grand Prix inshore sailors and a few newcomers. We are not in set roles; everyone is trimming and on the helm. We are mixing it up, having a great time. It’s been really fun sailing together. Setting Atlantic records is iconic and very special. Comanche now holds records for both easterly and westerly routes.”
“We know Skorpios is very fast in some conditions, but we believe the RORC Caribbean 600 suits us, as it is windy and has plenty of reaching. We are really looking forward to the next battle,” continued Mitch Booth.
Alongside the trio of Maxi yachts, the IRC Zero and IRC One fleets will be equally as competitive, with the likes of Pac52s Warrior Won and Callisto in a tight duel.
The overall winner for the RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy is decided by IRC time correction. While the Line Honours contenders will be in the hunt for the double, teams racing in IRC Zero and IRC One have an equal chance of winning the race after time correction.
The racecourse rounds 11 Caribbean islands, testing the mettle of both crew and craft. The Royal Ocean Racing Club’s classic 600-miler delivers superb winter racing in the Caribbean, with fast angles, ocean swell and tropical temperatures.
The RORC Caribbean 600 has a huge variety of wind speeds and directions, ever-changing by the effects of rounding islands. The overall winner is likely to be the boat that enjoys favourable conditions, raced by a team that produces the best performance – a true sporting challenge.
Follow the race here.
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