By Ossian Shine
Jan 16 (Reuters) – Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo did not so much cross the Atlantic as carve it open, blasting from Lanzarote to the Caribbean in under five days to seize Multihull Line Honours and rewrite the record books at the RORC Transatlantic Race — a ferocious, trade-wind sprint that left the rest of the fleet chasing spray.
The American trimaran crossed the finish line outside English Harbour, Antigua on Friday at 1231 GMT, completing the gruelling Lanzarote-to-Antigua route in a blistering four days, 23 hours, 51 minutes and 15 seconds.
“It was a very quick race … the intensity sort of ramped up as we got into day two, with the sea state building, the breeze building a bit, so all of a sudden you’re going 30 to 32 knots in big waves, which is challenging in the daytime, but the nights were very long, 13 hour nights, very little moon, very dark, and it was just, you know, skiing down a black diamond with a blindfold on,” skipper Chad Corning said.
“You really had to feel your way around on the helm. And it was stressful. It was hard on the guys, but we managed to power through that. And I’m certainly proud of everybody.”
American Corning led a six-strong crew including Pete Cumming, Sam Goodchild, Charles Ogletree, Alister Richardson and Brian Thompson in their record-breaking Atlantic assault.
Unusually for an elite race team, all crew members took turns performing all tasks as Argo streaked across the sea. As the ordeal took its toll, the teamwork held firm.
“There were a few situations where the guy that was next up in the helm rotation said, ‘Look, fellas, I’m not up for it. Someone’s got to cover me.’
“And we got a lot of respect for that. So if you’re not feeling it, just stepping away and taking a little breather is the right thing to do. Everyone needed a break at some point. We’ve got a strong team and everyone’s going to help each other out.”
MILESTONE FOR RORC TRANSATLANTIC RACE
It was a winning policy, and the new Multihull race record represents a significant milestone for the RORC Transatlantic Race, with Argo’s performance setting a new benchmark for future competitors on the challenging oceanic course.
A race record is distinct from a course record. The latter can be done at any time using a weather window, whereas a race record requires a specific and common start time.
The race changed its finish from Grenada to Antigua this year. The only other time the race finished in Antigua was in 2021 when the first boat home was Green Dragon, a Volvo 70 monohull, which took nine days, 18 hours, 53 minutes and 40 seconds.
Giovanni Soldini’s MOD70 Maserati holds the race record from Lanzarote to Grenada of five days, five hours, 46 minutes and 26 seconds. Argo’s track was roughly 300 nautical miles longer, complicating any direct comparison of elapsed times.
Race record, course record or no record, crew member Thompson was just thrilled by the achievement.
“When you consider the thousands of boats through history that have sailed from the Canaries to the Caribbean since Columbus in 1492 … it is pretty special,” the British serial record-breaker said smiling on arrival in Antigua.
“And to get under a barrier like five days, where most people would be very happy with a 20 day crossing … to actually do the fastest race on such a common route is quite special.”
Erik Maris’ French MOD70 Zoulou finished second, but he was unbowed. “It’s fantastic. That’s why we do it, you know, some we win, some we lose. We like those guys. They’re incredible competitors.”
The RORC Transatlantic Race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in association with partners including the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France, has rapidly become one of offshore sailing’s most respected ocean races since its modern launch in 2014.
Held on a biennial schedule, recent editions have taken place in January, with the course starting from Marina Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and finishing in the Caribbean.
Covering roughly 3,000 nautical miles, the event draws a highly diverse fleet – from cutting-edge multihulls and grand-prix monohulls to powerful IRC racers and Corinthian crews.
The race is notable for bringing together elites of the sport – including Olympic medallists, America’s Cup veterans and round-the-world racers – alongside ambitious amateur sailors, all facing the challenges of sustained trade-wind sailing where preparation, weather strategy and endurance are as important as outright speed.
(Reporting by Ossian Shine; Editing by Toby Davis and Ken Ferris)
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