In association with the International Maxi Association (IMA) and the Yacht Club de France, the Royal Ocean Racing Club expects a record turnout for the 2022 RORC Transatlantic Race starting on the 8th of January 2022.
Doyle powered entries this year include Line Honours favourite, Comanche (CAY), the 100 ft (33m) canting keel Supermaxi, skippered by Australian Mitch Booth. Comanche currently holds the Monohull West-East Transatlantic sailing record (from Ambrose Light to Lizard Point in 5d 14h 21m 25s). In recent years, it has taken Monohull Line Honours in the Rolex Fastnet Race, the RORC Caribbean 600, the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Transpac, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
The 3,000 nautical-mile race across the Atlantic to Camper & Nicholson’s Port Louis Marina, Grenada, has two significant prizes for the monohulls. After IRC time correction, the overall winner will win the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy. The IMA Transatlantic Trophy will be awarded for Monohull Line Honours.
“We are looking forward to it; this is what Comanche is made for, and a great training run for the RORC Caribbean 600, which is on the programme as well,” commented Mitch Booth.
“The RORC Transatlantic is a perfect race for Comanche – a perfect length with a reaching course. It is an iconic race, and setting a new race record is one of the challenges we aim to beat. Setting a race record doesn’t allow you to choose the right weather window, and the current race record is fast – but it’s beatable“.
Several Doyle powered Grand Prix yachts are entered for the 2022 edition, poised for what we anticipate will be an intense battle for overall victory.
Ocean racing legends Bouwe Bekking and Jens Dolmer are onboard Volvo 70 L4 Trifork alongside Doyle Sails’ Grand Prix designer Stefano Nava. Trifork, owned by Jørn Larsen, will start the Transatlantic race fresh from a successful 2021 European summer season, where Trifork and her crew set the new record for the ‘La Larga’ – the new offshore race that forms part of the Palma Vela regatta. The team completed the race in 21 hours and 45 minutes.
Maximilian Klink’s Botin 52 Caro (GER) has recently launched and is new to this race. The state of the art Botin 52 only arrived in Europe a matter of weeks before her debut, the Rolex Middle Sea Race. For many, the fast turnaround would have been too tight. However, the experience and excellent preparation of the crew ensured that the yacht was ready, and the first test offshore was successful. Max and his team secured a third in the race.
The highly anticipated first appearance of Arto Linnervuo’s Infiniti 52 Tulikettu (FIN) will provide some excitement around the world. The one-piece patented DSS (“Dynamic Stability System”) foil that slides through the boat’s hull from side to side results in lifting the hull, reduced heel, and, most importantly, increased righting moment.
For Stefan Jentzsch and his team racing onboard Black Pearl (GER), the RORC Transatlantic Race is unfinished business. Last year saw the brand-new IRC 56 retire with a broken bowsprit. The crew are not leaving anything to chance, with an intense training schedule in Lanzarote now completed.
For Stefan, the importance of friendship, mutual respect and comradery are echoed through his carefully curated and loyal crew. With the guidance of Stefan’s expert leadership, the Black Pearl crew balance their quest for Grand Prix success perfectly while ensuring they never forget to enjoy the journey along the way.
Stefan Jentzsch is no stranger to the Grand Prix sailing circuit, and although he was a latecomer to competitive sailing, for the last ten years he has raced his series of Black Pearl yachts around the world to a very high standard. The most recent project, a custom-designed and built Botin 56 is set to push high-performance boundaries to the limit and is on track to exceed expectations in the upcoming RORC Transatlantic Race.
All Doyle powered entries are taking full advantage of the exclusive Structured Luff technology. Ultimately delivering lighter, faster, stronger sails to the fleet. With significantly less luff sag and reduced loads, more driving force is created from greater luff projection.
Mitch Booth comments, “One of the unique things with Doyle Sails is that they pioneered this Structured Luff technology, and this really is a big game-changer in performance. I would say it’s the biggest gain that has been made in recent times in sail development”.
For more information about the race or to track the fleet, click here.
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