In February there is no better offshore race in the world than the RORC Caribbean 600. Racing 600 miles non-stop around 11 tropical islands is a challenge, especially for the largely corinthian teams racing in IRC Two and IRC Three.
For the 12th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, 21 teams - racing yachts of 50ft (15.24m) or over - have already signed up for the 600-mile blast around 11 Caribbean Islands. The competition in all the classes will be as fierce as ever.
A highly competitive multihull fleet is expected for the 12th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 in Antigua and to date includes three 70ft carbon flyers © RORC/Tim Wright/Photoaction.com
Multihulls have competed in every edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 and for the first time in the history of the race, the 2020 edition is set to feature three equally matched 70ft carbon flyers. Argo, Maserati and PowerPlay have all confirmed their intention to be on the start line in Antigua for the 12th edition of the Royal Ocean Racing Club's RORC Caribbean 600.
The 600-mile course around 11 islands twists and turns with virtually no down time on any leg. Factor in the Caribbean conditions, ocean swell, tropical temperatures, and stunning vistas, and the RORC Caribbean 600 is hard to resist - it's the Monaco for offshore racing multihulls.
Last year, the multihull battle made headline news even before the race. Forty eight hours before the start, MOD70 Argo capsized in training. Argo miraculously made the start line and 30 hours of explosive action followed. Multi70 Maserati took line honours just 7 minutes ahead of Argo and set a new race record of 30 hours and 49 minutes. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati, Peter Cunningham's PowerPlay and Jason Carroll's Argo are set for a showdown in the 2020 RORC Caribbean 600 starting on Monday 24th February.
The Notice of Race for the 2020 Caribbean 600 has been released and is now available to download from the Race Information section of the website.
David and Peter Askew's American Volvo 70 Wizard has won the 2019 RORC Caribbean 600 Trophy, scoring the best corrected time under IRC. Wizard put in a near faultless performance to complete the 600 mile non-stop race in 43 hours 38 minutes and 44 seconds.
“That's awesome,” commented David Askew on receiving the news. “This is the first time we have done this race and to win it overall is beyond our wildest possible dreams. It's a race we have followed and we have always wanted to be in Antigua, but we wanted to have the right boat to do the really prestigious ocean races; the races we dreamed about when we were younger. We really didn't have any expectations, but we prepared ourselves to perform as best as we could. I am in shock, I really can't believe it.”
