Caro and Tala duke it out
On the twelfth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race a thrilling finish is shaping up for Caro and Tala in IRC Zero, with the potential for both teams to take the overall lead under IRC for the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy.
Volvo 70 I Love Poland is the latest team to finish the race and the third Maxi to do so. The Austrian Ocean Race Project’s VO65 Sisi is expected to finish today (Wednesday). Twenty one boats are still racing with news in this report from Tonnerre de Glen, Challenge Ocean, Juno and Jangada.
IRC Super Zero
Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL) finished the RORC Transatlantic Race on 18th of January in an elapsed time of 10 days 11 hrs 12 mins and 50 secs. Skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, the team is composed of young talented sailors who are all from Poland, with several hoping to take part in The Ocean Race next year.
The Austrian Ocean Race Project’s VO65 Sisi (AUT) is another young team with ambitions for The Ocean Race. Skippered by Gerwin Jansen, Sisi is 219 miles from the finish and expected to arrive in Grenada before sunset on the 19th of January.
Volvo 60 Challenge Ocean (FRA) is skippered by Valdo Dhoyer, who sets the scene by satellite link 850 miles from the finish
IRC Zero
The full-on battle between Caro and Tala is due to be decided tonight. Max Klink’s Botin 52 Caro (CH) and David Collins’ Botin 52 Tala (GBR) have been in a monumental tussle for 12 days. The downwind sleigh ride is exhausting for both crews, burning out grinders, day after day, night after night. Caro and Tala are both capable of eclipsing Comanche’s corrected time under IRC and topping the overall leaderboard for the RORC Transatlantic Race. Caro and Tala are passing Barbados with about 150 miles to go.
IRC One
Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) is the top ranked boat in class after IRC time correction, but four boats are very much in the running for class victory. On the water, Jacques Pelletier’s Milon 41 L’Ange de Milon (FRA) is just in front of Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR). Both teams have about 800 miles to go, doing 10 knots of boat speed pointing straight at Grenada. Two hundred miles behind, Richard Palmer’s JPK 1010 Jangada (GBR), racing Two-Handed with Jeremy Waitt, is having a stellar race and is ranked second in IRC One and first in IRC Two-Handed.
