For the 2023 RORC Caribbean 600, around 70 teams from 16 different countries are anticipated, and the inaugural RORC Nelson's Cup Series is projected to feature at least 12 boats.
On February 14—Valentine's Day—the new season's racing excitement gets underway.
The 14th running of the RORC Caribbean 600, which gets underway on Monday, February 20, will be the concluding race of the four-race series.
Multihull - 70-foot racing trimarans prepare for a showdown
Two 70-foot racing trimarans are getting ready for a multihull competition; Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi70 (ITA) is back after narrowly losing the Multihull Line Honors in 2022 to Jason Carroll's Argo by two minutes. Argo is in the Pacific and won't compete this year, but Erik Maris' MOD70 Zoulou (FRA) will give the Italian stallion fierce competition. Six multihulls are anticipated to participate, including Christian Guyader's ORC 50 Guyader Saveol (FRA), captained by Gwen Chapalain, and the Gunboat 60 Tosca (USA), co-skippered by Ken Howery & Alex Thomson.
Close finish - Multi70 Maserati and Argo in the 2022 RORC Caribbean 600 Photo: Arthur Daniel/RORC
IRC Super Zero - Canting keelboats will show their stuff
Roy P. Disney's Volvo 70 Pyewacket (USA) Photo: Pyewacket
Four Volvo 70s will compete in the IRC Super-Zero, a thrilling six-gun shootout between round-the-world canting-keel race boats, including the American skipper Roy P. Disney's Pyewacket (USA), I Love Poland (POL), HYPR Ocean Racing (AUT) under Seamus Fitzpatrick, and a RORC team sailing Green Dragon (AUT) under Johannes Schwarz. IRC Super Zero will also feature two VO65s: the Austrian entry aboard Sisi (AUT), skippered by Gerwin Jansen, and the Lithuanian team on Ambersail (LTU).
A RORC team will be racing on Volvo 70 Green Dragon (AUT) Photo: James Mitchell/RORC
IRC Zero – Biggest fleet
Frederic Puzin’s Ker 46 Daguet 3 - Corum (FRA) Photo: Tim Wright
IRC Zero, which has 13 participants, is the most competitive class for the RORC Caribbean 600. Seven carbon fibre 50-footers in the class, including Eric de Turckheim's NMD 54 Teasing Machine (FRA), Stefan Jentsch's Botin 56 Black Pearl (GER), Niklas Zennstrom's CF520 Rán (SWE), Henry de Bokay's Elliott 52 Rafale (GER), Kate & Jim Murray Pac52 Callisto (USA), Arto Linnervuo's Infiniti 52 Tulikettu (FIN), and Louis Balce Smaller boats like the HH42 Ino XXX (GBR), sailed by RORC Commodore James Neville, and Frederic Puzin's Ker 46 Daguet 3 - Corum can outperform their size (FRA). Todd Stuart's Swan 82 White Rhino (USA) and Marie-Louise (Canada) are the largest boats anticipated to compete in IRC Zero.
Henry de Bokay’s Elliott 52 Rafale (GER) Photo: James Mitchell
Class40 – Multinational competition
The RORC Caribbean 600 will include a dozen or more Class40s, including three of the newest models sailed by Italian participants. Racing the Guelfi-designed Alla Grande - Pirelli will be Ambrogio Beccaria, who finished second in the Route du Rhum and first in the Normandy Channel Race in 2022. (ITA). Alberto Bona will race the Mach 40.5 IBSA (ITA), one of Sam Manuard's most recent creations. The VPLP-designed Influence will be raced by fellow Italian skipper Andrea Fornaro, who won his class in the 2022 Round Ireland Race (ITA). The Verdier-designed Class40 BHB (FRA), which won the RORC Caribbean 600 in 2020, is back under the command of Paul Brandel. Olivier Delrieu, with his Mach40 Vicitan, is back in third place in 2022. (FRA).
Greg Leonard’s Kite (USA) Photo: Rick Tomlinson
Two Mach40.3s from the US will compete in the RORC Caribbean 600 for the first time, including Greg Leonard's Kite (USA), which finished second in the 2022 Sevenstar Round Britain & Ireland Race. Last year, Martin Roesch raced on the Mills 68 Prospector; however, this will be his first competition on the Mach40.3 Velocity (USA).
Alla Grande – Pirelli (ITA) Photo: Martina Orsini/Ambrogio Beccaria
IRC One – Broad range of boats
Bernie Evan-Wong’s RP37 Taz (ANT) Photo: Paul Wyeth
The RP37 Taz, driven by Bernie Evan-Wong, will compete in IRC One (ANT). Bernie will compete as skipper for the 14th time and has never missed a RORC Caribbean 600. J/121 Whistler (BAR), skippered by Peter Lewis, is another Caribbean entry that Taz will have stiff competition from. Experienced British entries in IRC One include Andy Middleton's First 47.7 EH01 (GBR) and Andrew & Sam Hall's Lombard 46 Pata Negra (GBR).
J/121 Whistler (BAR) Photo: Tim Wright
First 53 Yagiza (FRA), skippered by seasoned competitor Philippe Falle, will compete in its first race. L'Esprit d'Equipe (FRA), a 58-foot Briand sloop owned by Lionel Regnier, 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.
Corinthian Power and Pride
Katy Campbell’s Solaris 45 Panacea X (CAN) Photo: Tim Wright
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.
Classic Swan 441 Charisma (GER) Photo: James Mitchell
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.”
