Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Antigua Yacht Club, the 18th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 will start in Antigua on Monday 22 February 2027.
Online Entry & Notice of Race Link
For sailors looking at a northern hemisphere winter, Antigua in February is not a difficult sell. Warm seas, reliable trade winds and one of the world’s great sailing arenas provide the backdrop for the RORC Caribbean 600, with a racecourse that threads its way around 11 Caribbean islands and delivers everything from high-speed reaching to tactical wind shadows and demanding night-time racing.
The fleet for the 18th edition is already beginning to take shape. There are serious contenders, familiar campaigns returning with new identities and machinery, and some compelling stories developing across both IRC and MOCRA.
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Volvo 70 Tschuss 2 © Tim Wright/RORC
At the sharp end, Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace brings outstanding pedigree. The boat previously raced as Tschüss 2 and, before that, Wizard. Under those former names the platform has already won the RORC Caribbean 600 under IRC overall, while Pace arrives on the back of victory in the 2026 RORC Round Britain and Ireland Race, taking Monohull Line Honours and IRC Overall.
Pyewacket 70 © Tim Wright/RORC
Another potent campaign expected in Antigua is Gweilo 70, currently an expression of interest rather than a confirmed entry. The Volvo 70 was formerly Pyewacket 70 and also carries Caribbean 600-winning pedigree. Skippered by Chris Townsend and Matthew Donald, the campaign has a strong Australian flavour, with its Cruising Yacht Club of Australia connections adding another international dimension.
More Volvo 70s are expected to be in the Caribbean for the race, although they have yet to appear on the entry list. That could create an enticing mix of highly professional programmes and charter crews, giving ambitious sailors the opportunity to line up against some of the best offshore teams in the business.
There is serious competition beyond the Volvo 70s. James Neville’s Botin 65 Artemis Bleu, formerly Caro, is unquestionably one of the headline entries, with the speed and pedigree to challenge at the front of the fleet and for the major honours around the 600-mile course.
Daguet 5 © Tim Wright/RORC
Also firmly in that conversation is Frédéric Puzin’s Daguet 5. Lightning quick and already proven around the Caribbean 600 course, the boat has come close to the big prize before and returns as another campaign capable of mounting a serious overall challenge.
Balthasar © Tim Wright/RORC
Louis Balcaen’s Maxi 72 Balthasar is entered for the RORC Nelson’s Cup Series and is expected to continue on to the RORC Caribbean 600. The team has unfinished business in Antigua after being deep in the fight for IRC overall honours in the previous race before rig damage ended an outstanding performance only a few miles from the finish.
Albator © James Tomlinson/RORC
The theme of familiar boats returning under new identities continues in IRC. John Treanor’s Cristina, representing the Royal Irish Yacht Club, is the NMD 43 formerly known as Albator and already has class-winning Caribbean 600 pedigree.
Ed Bell’s Kerr 46 Puff will make her Caribbean 600 debut, but Bell and skipper Mark Spearman know the race well. Their previous JPK 1180 campaign Dawn Treader produced memorable Caribbean battles, so this is a new boat rather than a rookie team. Katy Campbell’s Canadian Salona 45 Panacea X also brings previous experience of the course and adds further depth to the developing IRC fleet.
Allegra © Tim Wright/RORC
The multihulls race separately under MOCRA and one of the headline additions to the 2027 fleet is Adrian Keller’s Irens 84 Allegra. A multiple MOCRA winner in the RORC Caribbean 600, Allegra is one of the most formidable performance cruising multihulls on the international circuit and her return immediately raises the level of the corrected-time contest.
Lining up against her is Sophia, Marcos Sirota’s Nigel Irens-designed trimaran formerly known as Paradox. Skippered by Adam Davis, the boat has a long history with the RORC Caribbean 600 and is one of the most recognisable multihull platforms associated with the race. The contrast between Allegra and Sophia sets up a fascinating MOCRA match-up on corrected time.
Calamity © Tim Wright/RORC
Timo Tavio’s Ocean Fifty Calamity also returns with serious experience in both the Caribbean 600 and RORC transatlantic racing. The Finnish campaign has shown resilience as well as pace, including returning to competition after boom damage interrupted a previous RORC Transatlantic campaign.
Another fascinating prospect is the foiling DNA F4 Falcon, currently an expression of interest. The radical 46-footer brings high-performance foiling technology together with a strong Antiguan connection through America’s Cup winner Shannon Falcone, one of the island’s best-known international sailors.
Blueprint © Tim Wright/RORC
The early fleet also contains stories that go way beyond the results sheet. American sailor Luke Spink returns with Blueprint for his second RORC Caribbean 600 after making his debut in 2026. Paralysed in a car accident, Spink returned to competitive sailing and went on to race successfully at the highest level of US para sailing. His campaign is inspirational, but it is also categorically competitive.
Class40 Racing to End Parkinson’s combines offshore ambition with a bigger purpose. Irish sailor Karl Smith launched the project following his father Peter’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, using the campaign to raise awareness and funding while pursuing an ambitious offshore programme.
IMA Maxi Race Day at the RORC Nelson's Cup Series © Arthur Daniel/RORC
Before the offshore fleet heads out on the 600-mile classic, Antigua will also host the standalone RORC Nelson’s Cup Series from 16–19 February 2027. A superb collection of Maxis is expected to provide a spectacular sight off English Harbour, with Balthasar, Cristina and Artemis Bleu already among the entries. The series is open to IRC-rated yachts and multihulls racing under MOCRA, while the Antigua 360 round-the-island race also welcomes CSA entries. RORC would particularly like to see more local Caribbean boats joining the racing.
Antigua Yacht Club © Arthur Daniel/RORC
And this is only the early picture. For those already planning to be in Antigua in February, now is the time to put a name on the entry list. For those still thinking about it, trade winds, warm seas and an increasingly impressive fleet provide plenty of reasons not to miss out.
Asha Otto & Itchy Feet performing live © Arthur Daniel/RORC
Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the Antigua Yacht Club, the 18th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 will start in Antigua on Monday 22 February 2027.
Visit the official RORC Caribbean 600 website to explore the race, discover its history and follow the developing 2027 fleet. Online entry is open now.
