The Royal Ocean Racing Club is delighted to announce fantastic opportunities for sailors wanting to race double handed in 2023 for aspiring rookies to top offshore racers. The RORC’s Griffin Fund and its generous supporter, the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour, have exciting projects in place, supporting teams in world class events across the spectrum of double handed racing in France and Italy.
2023 Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour – Figaro3 RORC Wildcard
The RORC invite applications from individuals or pairs for five exciting events racing in the one-design Beneteau Figaro3. Riccardo Simoneschi, Chairman of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour has confirmed an entry for the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The Figaro3 is provided to the RORC as a free charter and regatta entry. It is highly likely that a RORC Squad will be formed for the Tour, which spans five world-class events from April – November 2023.
“RORC is a benchmark in offshore sailing, delivering top sailing, promotion, and culture,” commented Riccardo Simoneschi leader of SSI Events, the organizer of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour. “The MMNRT share the vision of active promotion of offshore sailing in any way possible and we support the idea to bring it within Olympic sailing. Both the MMNRT and the RORC want to promote double-handed offshore sailing, a format that is now widely recognized, is constantly growing, and worthy of attention. The MMNRT have seized the opportunity to develop the discipline for the last four years, adding to the current panorama of international offshore sailing that offers many high-calibre events, where skills such as seamanship, navigation and endurance should prevail. This agreement with RORC stems precisely from the awareness that it is necessary to find common values and innovation.”
20th April – 1st May 2023 Female Offshore Mediterranean Two-Handed Championship
Female Offshore Mediterranean Two-Handed Championship by RAN 630 organised by Yacht Club Livorno. The 630nm race starts and finishes in Livorno Tuscany with marks off the Italian islands of Sardinia and Capri. Sailors can apply as an individual or pair and because of the short timescale a RORC selection panel will assess applications.
29 May – 06 June 2023 Mixed Double European Championships
The Mixed Double European Championships, organised as part of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour, will be raced in the one-design Figaro3. The Mixed Double European Championships will be held in conjunction with the IRC European Championships hosted by the Yacht Club de Cannes, France. Sailors can apply as an individual or pair and because of the short timescale a RORC selection panel will assess applications.
30 June – 28 July 2023 Giro dell’Italia a Vela
The Giro dell’Italia a Vela has eight stages around Italy over a 28 day period. Starting in Genoa and ending in Venice, the Figaro3 class will race offshore from race village to race village. The Giro Tour gives young sailors the opportunity to compete in one of more 200nm legs around Italy’s beautiful coastline. The RORC envisage different crews doing different stages and applications are open to sailors who were 30 or under on 1st January 2023.
07-13 October 2023 - Double Mixed Offshore World Championship
Organised by the ASD Nastro Rosa in collaboration with LNI Taranto. A maximum of ten Figaro3 boats will contest the World Championship ratified by World Sailing. The third edition of the World Championship will feature a non-stop race of approximately 330-340nm will start and finish in Taranto, the coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy.
November 2023 Round Italy Race – Nastro Rosa Veloce (5th Nov – 19th Nov)
From Venice to Genoa, the non-stop 1500-mile Round Italy Race is the longest and arguably most challenging race in the Mediterranean. The record to be beaten is 8 days, 8 hours 27 minutes and 23 sec. Part of the Marina Militare Nastro Rosa Tour, the RORC will be offering a place in The Veloce to the U30 sailors who perform best in the Giro Tour.
RORC Rear Commodore Deb Fish is the lead on the Griffin Initiative. Deb has won the RORC IRC Two-Handed season three times in the past five years, racing on Rob Craigie’s Sun Fast 3600 Bellino.
“RORC’s partnership with Marina Militaire Nastro Rosa offers a fantastic opportunity to RORC members and non-members to race double handed in high performance Figaro3 boats against international competition in stunning surroundings,” commented Deb Fish. “The series supports so many of RORC’s aims; offering high quality international racing, developing the next generation of young sailors, and increasing diversity by broadening the pool of female sailors able to compete on equal terms in short-handed racing.”
For enquiries about applying as a sailor for any event or supporting the Griffin Fund. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Appropriately, given the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race will be the 50th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s premier event, a significant number of classic yachts are entered, competing for the Dorade Cup.
The Royal Ocean Racing Club is delighted to update on the latest news from the Griffin Fund. Confirming fantastic opportunities for under 30 sailors in 2023 for aspiring rookies and Griffin Graduates.
Antigua, West Indies – Results are now in for the first-ever Royal Ocean Racing Club Nelson’s Cup Series. Niklas Zennstrom’s CF520 Rán was the overall winner and OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno was the winner of IRC Two.
The six-race regatta, including the RORC Caribbean 600 offshore race is the first to be run by the RORC with the support of the Antigua Yacht Club. Teams from all over the world took part including: Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Great Britain, France, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States.
Two days of windward leeward racing in moderate trade winds was followed by a lay day before the teams were back in action for a high-velocity Antigua 360 Race (about 50-miles around Antigua). After a two-day break, the sixth and final race of the Nelson’s Cup Series was the RORC Caribbean 600. Daily informal prize givings at the Antigua Yacht Club gave the teams the opportunity to rub shoulders with the competition.
The top three overall were racing in IRC One. Niklas Zennstrom’s CF520 Rán (SWE) was the overall winner of the RORC Nelson’s Cup by a single point from Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 Corum (FRA). Third overall was RORC Vice Commodore Eric de Turckheim’s NMD54 Teasing Machine (FRA).
In IRC Two, the winner was decided by the narrowest of margins. OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno (ANT), skippered by David Hanks won on countback from Marie Tabarly’s 1973 ketch Pen Duick VI (FRA). Szymon Kuczynski’s Figaro Hultaj (POL) was third.
“Our first Nelson’s Cup Series has been a great success,” commented RORC CEO Jeremy Wilton. “We have learnt a lot and we have had really good constructive feedback that we were looking for from owners, crew and our stakeholders. Many of the teams that competed this year have said it’s a no brainer if you want to do well in the RORC Caribbean 600, you have to do the Nelson’s Cup Series. The regatta prepares teams for the weather conditions and gives them experience in the actual race area for the RORC Caribbean 600.
“For teams looking to compete next year we would ask you to please get in contact with the RORC. A big thank you to the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, Antigua Yacht Club, Carib Beer, English Harbour Rum and Axxess Marine. The RORC is looking forward to staging the second edition next year and making the Nelson’s Cup Series bigger and better,” concluded Wilton.
The second edition of the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series will be held 13th-23rd February 2024. Two days of inshore racing on 13th-14th February, the Antigua 360 Race on 16th February, and the big race will be the RORC Caribbean 600 on 19th February.
2024 RORC Nelson’s Cup Series:
13 February Inshore Races
14 February Inshore Races
16 February Antigua 360 Race
19 February Start RORC Caribbean 600
23 February Final Prize Giving
For more information and full results: www.caribbean600.rorc.org
Over 70 teams from 16 different nations are expected for the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600, with a dozen or more boats racing in the inaugural RORC Nelson’s Cup Series. Racing action for the new series starts on Valentine’s Day Tuesday February 14th. The final event of the four-race series will be the 14th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, starting on Monday February 20th
Two 70ft racing trimarans are readying for a multihull showdown; Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 (ITA) returns having missed out in 2022 to Jason Carroll’s Argo for Multihull Line Honours by just two minutes. Argo is in the Pacific and not taking part this year, but MOD70 Zoulou (FRA) with Erik Maris at the helm will provide formidable opposition to the Italian stallion. Six Multihulls are expected to be in action, including Gunboat 60 Tosca (USA) co-skippered by Ken Howery & Alex Thomson, as well as Christian Guyader’s ORC 50 Guyader Saveol (FRA) skippered by Gwen Chapalain.
IRC Super-Zero promises to be a thrilling six-gun shoot-out for round the world canting-keel raceboats, including four Volvo 70s: American skipper Roy P. Disney racing Pyewacket (USA), The Polish National Foundation’s I Love Poland (POL), HYPR Ocean Racing skippered by Seamus Fitz Patrick (AUT), and a RORC team racing Green Dragon (AUT) skippered by Johannes Schwarz. Two VO65s will also be in the IRC Super Zero mix: The Lithuanian team on Ambersail (LTU) and an Austrian entry on Sisi (AUT) skippered by Gerwin Jansen.
The largest class for the RORC Caribbean 600 is IRC Zero with 13 entries. Fireworks are expected from seven carbon-fibre 50-footers in the class: Eric de Turckheim’s NMD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA), Botin 56 Black Pearl (GER) sailed by Stefan Jentsch, Niklas Zennstrom’s CF520 Rán (SWE), Henry de Bokay’s Elliott 52 Rafale (GER), Kate & Jim Murray Pac52 Callisto (USA), Infiniti 52 Tulikettu (FIN) skippered by Arto Linnervuo and ClubSwan 50 Balthasar (BEL) sailed by Louis Balcean. Smaller yachts, capable of punching well above their weight include the HH42 Ino XXX (GBR) skippered by RORC Commodore James Neville, and Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 – Corum (FRA). The largest boats expected to be racing in IRC Zero are Todd Stuart’s Swan 82 White Rhino (USA), Marie Tabarly’s 73ft ketch Penduick VI (FRA) and the OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno (ANT) skippered by David Hanks.
A dozen or more Class40s will be racing in the RORC Caribbean 600, including three of the latest designs skippered by Italian entries. Ambrogio Beccaria, winner of the 2022 Normandy Channel Race and second in the Route du Rhum, will be racing the Guelfi designed Alla Grande – Pirelli (ITA). One of the latest designs from the drawing board of Sam Manuard, the Mach 40.5 IBSA (ITA), will be raced by Alberto Bona. Fellow Italian skipper Andrea Fornaro, class winner for the 2022 Round Ireland Race, will be racing the VPLP designed Influence (ITA). The Verdier-designed Class40 BHB (FRA) won the RORC Caribbean 600 in 2020 and the boat returns now under skipper Paul Brandel. Third in 2022, Olivier Delrieu returns with his Mach40 Vicitan (FRA). Another returning winning boat is the Botin-designed Tales II which won the RORC Caribbean 600 in 2016. Tales II (FRA) returns under the skipper Jean-Baptiste Daramy. Axel Trehin, winner of the 2021 Normandy Channel Race will be racing his Raison-designed Project Rescue Ocean (FRA).
From the United States, two Mach40.3’s will be making their RORC Caribbean 600 debuts, including Greg Leonard’s Kite (USA), second in the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race. Martin Roesch competed on the Mills 68 Prospector last year, but this will be his first race with his Mach40.3 Velocity (USA).
Racing in IRC One will be Bernie Evan-Wong’s RP37 Taz (ANT). Bernie has never missed a RORC Caribbean 600 and will be competing as skipper for the 14th occasion. Taz will have strong competition from fellow Caribbean entry; J/121 Whistler (BAR) skippered by Peter Lewis. Experienced British entries in IRC One include Andrew & Sam Hall’s Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR) and Global Yacht Racing’s First 47.7 EH01 (GBR), skippered by Andy Middleton. Laurent Courbin’s First 53 Yagiza (FRA) will be taking part in its debut race with race-veteran Philippe Falle as skipper. Lionel Regnier’s 58ft Briand sloop L’Esprit d’Equipe (FRA) is also entered. Winner of the 1985 Whitbread Round the World Race, the winning skipper Lionel Pean will be on board for the RORC Caribbean 600.
Six boats from four different countries are entered in IRC Two & IRC Three. The largest is Katy Campbell’s Solaris 45 Panacea X (CAN). The oldest is the classic Swan 441 Charisma (GER) skippered by Constantin Claviez. Kate Cope’s Sun Fast 3200 Purple Mist is one of the smallest boat in the RORC Caribbean 600. Purple Mist will be racing Two-Handed with Claire Dresser, following on from their success in the RORC Transatlantic Race. A total of six teams will be racing in IRC Two-Handed, the smallest is Szymon Kuczynski Figaro One Hultaj (POL) at just 9 meters in length. However, Hultaj is a large boat compared to the boat in which Szymon set a new world record in 2018. He circumnavigated singlehanded and unaided in 270 days on board the 6.3 meter sloop Atlantic Puffin.
RORC Nelson’s Cup Series - High Aspirations
While the RORC Caribbean 600 offshore race is now well established as the ‘must do’ offshore race for the Caribbean, the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series is a new initiative by the Royal Ocean Racing Club. The four-race series which includes the RORC Caribbean 600 has attracted over a dozen entries. The RORC Nelson’s Cup Series will pitch classic yachts such as Pen Duick VI against one of the latest hi-tech offshore racers - Rán, and just about everything in between. The series is also open to yachts that are not entered for the 600-mile offshore event. Tom Rich’s GP42 Settler (USA) has taken up that opportunity. The RORC Nelson’s Cup Series is raced under the IRC Rule and every boat has an equal chance of winning races.
“The RORC Caribbean 600 race is one of the best offshore races in the world, but it is usually won by a big boat,” commented RORC Vice-Commodore Eric de Turckheim. “The Series will give smaller boats a better chance of winning due to the variety of races. The Royal Ocean Racing Club have a long-term plan for the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series; making it one of the world’s most significant regattas.”
For more information about the RORC Caribbean 600 and RORC Nelson’s Cup Series visit: www.caribbean600.rorc.org
Twenty teams from 12 different nations competed in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 3000-mile race across the Atlantic Ocean. Starting from Marina Lanzarote on the 8th of January 2023, the 9th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race had near perfect trade wind conditions. Two new race records were set and 75% of the racing yachts took 15 days or less to reach Grenada.
The Polish National Foundation’s Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Tuesday 17th January 2023. Taking Monohull Line Honours in under nine days, the all-Polish team lifted the IMA Transatlantic Trophy.
Three teams are in the shoot-out for Monohull Line Honours and the IMA Transatlantic Trophy. The exquisite 19th century sterling silver trophy will be presented in Grenada by the International Maxi Association Secretary General, Andrew McIrvine.
Contenders for Monohull Line Honours are: Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz Baranowski, IMOCA Canada Ocean Racing (CAN), raced Two-Handed by Scott Shawyer and Alan Roberts, and the Swan 115 Jasi (SWE), skippered by Toby Clark.
I love Poland is firmly in pole position for Monohull Line Honours and predicted to complete the race around midday (UTC) on Tuesday 17th January. At their current speed, I Love Poland is over a day faster than their elapsed time in last year’s race. In 2022, I Love Poland was second over the line to the 100ft Supermaxi Comanche. I Love Poland currently has a 144nm lead, but the all-Polish team is taking nothing from granted, as Navigator Konrad Lipski commented by satellite from on board on day seven.
“Today we were recording average speeds of 18-20 knots. However, the forecast is showing a decline in wind speed, but we're doing our best. The crew is staying motivated to reach the finish line as quickly as possible. There is a lot of sargassum weeds around and we hope that the wind will hold. We are also keeping our fingers crossed not to break our spinnaker as we have torn two so far. We'll do our best.”
IMOCA Canada Ocean Racing (CAN) has kept the same speed as I Love Poland over the last 24 hours. This is an impressive performance as Canada Ocean Racing is competing Two-Handed with Scott Shawyer and Alan Roberts.
Swan 115 Jasi (SWE), skippered by Toby Clark is positioned close to the rhumb line and has been making significant gains on their final approach to Grenada. Jasi is 156 miles behind I Love Poland and unlikely to take Monohull Line Honours, but a battle with Canada Ocean Racing is playing out in the final stretch to the finish outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina. Jasi is taking a direct route to Grenada with a better wind angle than I Love Poland and Canada Ocean Racing.
“On day five we gybed away from the high pressure system, as was our strategy before the start,” commented Jasi’s navigator Tom Robinson via satellite from on board. “We’re watching closely to see how this plays out with the rest of the fleet that are dead downwind of Grenada. So far, we’ve been able to point straight at Grenada down the rhumb line at best speed. Conditions are good, 16 knots of wind and smooth seas. Every day is getting warmer.
Marina Manager Zara Tremlett and the Port Louis Marina team are preparing to welcome all of the teams with cold beers upon arrival. For full coverage of the RORC Transatlantic Race, including race updates and stories from the teams, follow the Royal Ocean Racing Club on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. For regular updates including satellite tracking go to: www.rorctransatlantic.rorc.org
The RORC was founded in 1925 to encourage long distance yacht racing and the design, building and navigation of sailing vessels in which speed and seaworthiness are combined. Today the club encourages ocean, long distance and other forms of yacht racing and yachting activity.
OnDeck’s Farr 65 Spirit of Juno (ANT) was the winner of IRC Two in the RORC Nelson's Cup Series © Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
2nd overall Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 Corum (FRA) © Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
2nd in IRC Two - Marie Tabarly’s 1973 ketch Pen Duick VI (FRA) © Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
Close finish for Multi70 Maserati and Argo in the 2022 RORC Caribbean 600 © Arthur Daniel/RORC
Roy P. Disney's Volvo 70 Pyewacket (USA) © Pyewacket
Henry de Bokay’s Elliott 52 Rafale (GER) © James Mitchell
Alla Grande – Pirelli (ITA) © Martina Orsini/Ambrogio Beccaria
Greg Leonard’s Kite (USA) © Rick Tomlinson
Bernie Evan-Wong’s RP37 Taz (ANT) © Paul Wyeth/pwpictures.com
Katy Campbell’s Solaris 45 Panacea X (CAN) © Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
