Runaway podium in IRC Zero and Shamanna wins Superyacht Class

Thomas Corkett Sr's American Andrews 70, Runaway finished the RORC Caribbean 600 in an elapsed time of 3 days 2 hours 17 minutes and 5 seconds to claim third place in IRC Zero. Anders Nordquist's Swan 115, Shamanna has won the Superyacht Class and is top Swan, as we go to press for the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600, finishing the race in an elapsed time of 3 days 1hr 44 mins and 2 secs.

“We were happy with our race but had very difficult conditions with very little wind,” said Shamanna's Anders Nordquist on arrival back in Antigua. “On the way down to Guadeloupe we had almost 20 knots, so we were really happy to experience the conditions that the boat was built for. The crew have been racing together since 2012 and they are a fantastic team. We know each other very well; the communication is good and the atmosphere is great. It was an excellent race.”

“This is the first RORC Caribbean 600 race with this boat,” explains Daniel Calascione, Skipper of Swan 115, Shamanna. “As far as training for this race, we did one event in November and that glued the crew together, plus two days training before the race and everyone was back into the rhythm. Being a superyacht with all the luxury amenities, we have quite a bit of extra weight and we struggle against the race boats below 8 or 10 knots, and we had quite a lot of that! We needed a lot of patience at frustrating times waiting for the wind to fill in, but it makes it a bit more exciting and adds a little more of a tactical dimension to the race, which I think we enjoyed. On the way down to Nevis we had beautiful sailing and saw about six whales blowing waterspouts into the air. At times we had dolphins around the boat and the scenery is just fantastic.”

Danneskjold, Dixon 100, sailed by Simon Hill - Photo RORC/ELWJ Photography

Danneskjold, sailed by Simon Hill, finished the race in 3 days 3 hours 33 mins and 4 secs. The Dixon 100 was close on the water with Shamanna and Runaway and is one of 14 Maxi and Supermaxi yachts taking part in the 2017 RORC Caribbean 600.