Multi 70 Maserati wins RORC Transatlantic Race honors after tense battle between three 70ft trimarans
The first house in the RORC Transatlantic Race 2022 was the Multi 70 maserati, skippered by Giovanni Soldini.
maserati finished this morning, Saturday January 15, at 05:51:41 UTC, to take the honors of the multihull line. The Italian modified MOD70 revised the more conventional configuration power play, who led the majority of the 3,000m race, and Argo, despite the damage to her port rudder.
The three 70ft trimarans developed an intense mid-Atlantic match race over the final 500 miles of the transatlantic, with the leading racers frequently sailing within sight of each other as they raced towards Grenada.
Giles Scott and Miles Seddon study the weather at the Navigation Station on PowerPlay. Photo Paul Larsen/Powerplay/RORC
After initially heading far north of the rhumbline in order to navigate a low pressure system followed by Nova Scotia, the three leading trimarans engaged in a contest of straight downwind speed during the final days of the race, flying towards the Caribbean at speeds exceeding 30 knots and jibing for jibe.
power play was the first to concede the lead to Argo, the pair initially clashing on a slightly more southerly line, but maserati was sailing at 25-27 knots average to overhaul them both in a well-timed race to the finish.
Like Power Play Paul Larsen reported from aboard: “We effectively have a fresh start to the race with around 500 miles to go. Everyone is pumped and power play is 100 percent. It’s already been a one-race belt. Looks like it’s going to be like this until the end. The blue bus is the hunted, but the dogs are everywhere!
Damaged port rudder on the Multi 70 Maserati. Photo: RORC Transatlantic Race
maserati is the most heavily modified of the three MOD70s, having been fitted with foils. However, Soldini reported that maserati had damaged, then lost, her port rudder, and was therefore unable to thwart the starboard gybe. Argo had also suffered damage to the rudder during the race.
Second to cross the finish line off Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada was Peter Cunningham’s MOD70 power play at 6:46 a.m. this morning.
Voice actors lead IRC 1
This eighth edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race attracted the strongest fleet to date.
Behind the three 70-foot trimarans, the 100-foot Maxi yacht Comanche is in pursuit of monohull honors and the course record and looks set to achieve both. This morning he leads both the Super Zero IRC and the Overall Handicap IRC, although the Volvo 70 Trifork L4 is difficult for IRC Super Zero victory. It won’t be a new eastbound transatlantic time record though – Comanche already depends on 5d 14h 21m 25s.
Comanche at the start of the RORC Transatlantic Race off Lanzarote. Photo: James Mitchell/RORC
The RORC Transatlantic Race will be a very different experience for the double-handed team on the 32 feet JPK 10.10 Jangada. Richard Palmer and Jeremy Waitt lead the overall IRC 1 standings but still have over 1,600 miles to go.
Richard Palmer reported on board: “Jangada working well so far, all systems working as expected. With only satellite data systems to get weather updates we always have to make sure our small craft systems are working, it took a huge amount of preparation to be ready to race. It’s getting exciting as we get closer to the top of the leaderboard and hopefully we can keep pushing for a top spot. The level of competition is immense, racing against ocean machines like Comanche and Volvo 70 makes the task difficult. »
Jeremy Waitt said: “It’s such a privilege to run in the ocean like this, the moonlight dance of the tops of the waves and the vast expanse of this ocean is beautiful. At the time of writing we are riding big waves at high speed with the spinnaker and the conditions have been rough.
“Being two-handed makes it quite difficult and sleep deprivation can make it very difficult. Besides the lack of sleep, each of us has to manage the boat for long periods of time while the other sleeps effectively alone, he there is no doubt that we sometimes have to make compromises compared to fully crewed boats with 6 to 14 people on board.
“We will soon pass where two years ago I fell off the boat and luckily picked up by Richard, it reminds us of the risks of offshore racing.”
Thomson withdraws from RORC Transatlantic
Two boats had to stop racing following damage. Alex Thomson, who was making his first outing in competition since the announcement of his retirement from the IMOCA 60, was racing with Ken Howery on Tosca, a newly launched Gunboat 68 catamaran.
Howery reported that Tosca had taken on water, which meant the team “could not operate the basic electrical systems necessary for the safety of the crew”. The gunboat diverted to the Azores and intended to depart for Grenada after making repairs.
On day 6, the Botin 56 Black Pearl reported that they had been dismasted. All crew members on board were unharmed and the boat returned to the Canaries under jury rig.
Follow the race on https://rorctransatlantic.rorc.org/
