#transatlanticrace – As predicted on Afloat.ie on Monday July 13th, the Reichel/Pugh 63 Lucky has been confirmed as the overall winner of the Transatlantic Race 2015. Formerly owned in Australia by Stephen Ainsworth, the 2009-built Lucky – originally known as Loki – was skippered by Gordon Maguire – originally of Howth – to several years of success in the challenging Australian offshore and ocean racing scene, her wins including the overall victory and class wins in the Sydney-Hobart Race
Now owned by Bryon Ehrhart of Chicago with the re-name of Lucky (which was more or less what Loki meant in ancient Norse), the potent 63 footer recruited internationally-renowned navigator/tactician Ian Moore (originally of Carrickfergus) to call the strategic shots in what developed as a bruisingly tough heavy weather crossing. But it has been well worth it - Lucky is now confirmed as the winner of the Transatlantic Race 2015 by the event's four organizers: the Royal Yacht Squadron, the New York Yacht Club, the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Storm Trysail Club.
Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze-Clark's 100' maxi Comanche recorded the fastest monohull crossing in 7 days 11 hours and 35 minutes (outside of the course record of 6 days 22 hours 8 minutes and 2 seconds set by George David's Rambler 100 in 2011), and Lloyd Thornburg's MOD70 trimaran Phaedo.
Winning the unofficial double-handed sub-division of the Class 40 was Michael Hennessy's Owen Clarke-designed Dragon, which arrived in 11 days 20 hours and 12 minutes, 1 day and 13 hours after the Class 40 winner Stella Nova.
While the German boat was being sailed by a crew of four, Dragon, along with the other two American Class 40s competing, was racing doublehanded.
Jack Madden's Swan 60 Lady B was the only boat to arrive in Cowes yesterday where the fleets are gathering for the Bicentenary of the Royal Yacht Squadron, claiming second place in the Cruising Class, behind Earl St. Aldwyn's Shipman 50 Zephyr.
Podium Positions on Corrected Time:
IRC Overall:
1. Lucky, 13d 11h 7m 41s
2. Outsider, 13d 16h 51m 51s
3. Mariette of 1915, 14d 8h 39m 48s
IRC Class 1:
1. Rambler 88, 14d 11h 38m 10s
2. Comanche, 14d 18h 40m 59s
IRC Class 2:
1. Lucky, 13d 11h 7m 41s
2. Outsider, 13d 16h 51m 51s
3. Grey Power, 15d 17h 6m 29s
IRC Class 3:
1. Snow Lion, 14d 21h 44m 0s
2. Maximizer, 15d 12h 59m 30s
3. Prospector, 15d 16h 39m 4s
IRC Class 4:
1. Mariette of 1915, 14d 8h 39m 48s
2. Dorade, 14d 22h 12m 53s
3. Scarlet Oyster, 15d 2h 34m 18s
Class 40:
1. Stella Nova, 10d 7h 11m 44s
2. Visit Brussels, 11d 3h 9m 0s
3. Dragon, 11d 20h 12m 7s
Cruising:
1. Zephyr, 17d 10h 35m 51s
2. Lady B, 17d 16h 11m 35s
3. Charisma, (still to finish)
Classics:
1. Mariette of 1915, 14d 8h 39m 48s
2. Dorade, 14d 22h 12m 53s
Fastest multihull (elapsed time): Phaedo3 7d 2h 4m 5s
Fastest monohull (elapsed time): Comanche 7d 11h 35m 11s