The RORC Transatlantic Race has featured close racing right through the record fleet.
On the 16th day of the 3,000-mile race, Ross Applebey’s Oyster 48 Scarlet Oyster (GBR) came in sight of Grenada – peeling to a reaching kite in a dash for the line and in with a chance of snatching overall victory from the 100ft Maxi Comanche.
Scarlet Oyster was just short of winning the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy but virtually assured of winning IRC One.
By 0900 UTC on January 24th, 21 teams had finished the race, including Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II (GBR), Jack Pelletier’s Milon 41 L’Ange de Milon (FRA), Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) and Scarlet Oyster (GBR).
Scarlet Oyster finished the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 15 days 7 hrs 30 mins 44 secs and after IRC time correction is second to Comanche by just over an hour. Scarlet Oyster is a minuscule 115 seconds ahead of David Collins’ Botin 52 Tala. Scarlet Oyster finished the RORC Transatlantic Race in an elapsed time of 15 days 7 hrs 30 mins 44 secs and after IRC time correction is second to Comanche by just over an hour. Scarlet Oyster is a minuscule 115 seconds ahead of David Collins’ Botin 52 Tala.
Mark Emerson’s A13 Phosphorus II (GBR) finished the race in an elapsed time of 14 days 15 hrs 18 mins 47 secs, with a new boat speed record of 26 knots, but it was a complex race as Mark Emerson explains: “Phosphorus is going well, I can’t say we are doing anything different, sometimes you just get the breaks. The crew sailed very well together and as the skipper and owner, with every passing race I have learnt a lot. Racing this boat across the Atlantic is a physical challenge as well as a mental one, we had 400,000 calories on board! There is always someone 24-7 grinding at the back of the boat; I even did my share! From a mental aspect, it was a complicated race and after day 3 we didn’t receive any weather forecast. I think we did pretty well with the first low-pressure system, but it didn’t go as well in the final days as we got into light winds. This has been a weird race, although you can’t see any of the competition you know that everyone was experiencing different conditions that were changing all the time.”
Andrew Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) finished the race in an elapsed time of 15 days 2 hrs 2 mins 8 secs. Pata Negra is ranked third in IRC One but likely to be displaced by Jangada later today.
Due to Covid restrictions in France, L’Ange de Milon proceeded onto Martinique after finishing the race. Jacques Pelletier thanked RORC Race Officer Steve Cole for a great race as the team crossed the finish line. Eight teams are still racing in the Atlantic Ocean.
