St. John’s, Antigua: The 4th annual Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Caribbean 600 commences this morning at 11 am, and as usual, the best place to witness some of the world’s fastest vessels take to the warm Caribbean seas is Shirley Heights, according to a report in the Antigua Observer.
Since the competition began in 2009 the event’s stature, overall fleet size, and number of boats over 100ft have grown. On Saturday evening, Antigua Yacht Club welcomed the more than 500 racers during the official opening ceremony.
The Observer said that Tourism Minister, John Maginley, had encouraging words for the crewmembers of the thirty-nine competing yachts, “Welcome to our wonderful island and thank you so much for coming here. I remember that the crowd was much smaller in 2009. This race has grown significantly and the RORC Caribbean 600 is now very important to Antigua. We will listen to your needs and improve your enjoyment during your stay and I hope you will return with your family and friends and chose Antigua for a holiday.”
The Minister noted that the Government has responded to the concerns of the yachting community and Antigua is now the first Caribbean country to offer pre-clearance of both Customs and Immigration. He added that sailing opportunities abound for the country’s youth.
The weather forecast for the start of the race which covers more than 11 islands predicts consistent trade winds from the east, with a warm breeze of 15 knots providing near perfect sailing conditions with a moderate sea state. By mid-week, the racers could experience well over 20 knots of wind providing fast surfing conditions in the 4th RORC Caribbean 600.
The Observer reported that the largest yacht racing this year, the 215ft Baltic Custom Hetairos with a crew of 36, is expected to be the fastest around the circuit. It is the biggest carbon fibre sailboat in the world; its sails spread out can cover a football field.
However, not to be outdone is George David’s Reichel Pugh 90, Rambler, which currently holds the 40-hour course record, and Niklas Zennström’s JV72, Rán, which is fresh from a multitude of victories in a regatta in the Florida Keys.
According to Caribbean 600 Press Officer Louay Habib, “The Rambler won’t give up without a fight. She is more manoeuvrable than the Hetairos; so their fight is more of a cat and mouse rather than tortoise and hare.”
The 2010 Antigua Sailing Week overall champion, Rán, another first-timer, is the current RORC Yacht of the Year. It has a complement of 21 America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean Race sailors onboard.
For any of these hot shots to set a new course record, the leader must return to port by 3 am on Wednesday morning.
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