And Uphill Battle In The Alboran Sea

Opening day challenges


The Alboran Sea in the Mediterranean is throwing up harsh winter conditions as the fleets push towards Gibraltar...




The opening 24 hours has been challenging, but not unexpected. After running into a quiet spell overnight, during which both fleets concertinaed the forecast has played out its threat with strong winds and big seas sweeping across the Alboran Sea.

In the IMOCA fleet, after an impressively dominant...

Viva Mexico suspends racing with damaged mainsail




7 January 2023, VO65 training session in Alicante: Viva Mexico Sailing Energy / The Ocean Race


All crew are safe as the Mexican VO65 team turns towards Almeria to assess options



The Viva Mexico team contacted Race Control on Monday morning to say they were suspending racing. Skipper Erik Brockmann wrote:

"We are suspending racing due to a ripped main...

The opening hours and the first night at sea on Leg 1 from Alicante to Cabo Verde have been tough. After a spectacular start in an offshore breeze that had the IMOCAs hitting 34knots at times as they headed out to sea, the entire fleet sailed into light winds.

For most, the action concertinaed and the race started again. And then the big breeze arrived.




Amory Ross reports from on board 11th Hour Racing Team on a difficult opening phase of the race but...

IMOCAs set off around the world in perfect racing conditions

With the weak weather front having passed through the start area earlier in the afternoon, the wind conditions had started to settle at WNW 12-14 knots for the start of the five IMOCAs.

Nevertheless, as the race got under way two hours after the start of the VO65s, it was clear from the aerial view that there were still some shifts and puffs to be had.


On the water...

SIZZLING COMPETITION IN THE RORC TRANSATLANTIC RACE



At 0800 UTC on the eighth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, 17 boats are still racing in the Atlantic, with the first finishers in the monohull fleet expected on the 17th and 18th of January. The battle for the overall win under IRC and the RORC Transatlantic Race Trophy is beginning to sizzle. There is a clear leader on the water, vying for the IMA Transatlantic Trophy; Volvo 70 I Love Poland (POL), skippered by Grzegorz...

"It's record!
We crossed the finish line of the RORC Transatlantic Race winning Line Honours
and setting a new record, of 5 Days, 5 Hours, 46 minutes, 26 seconds."

Giovanni Soldini



Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 crossed the finish line outside Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada on Friday 13th January 2023 at 19:46:26UTC. Maserati Multi70 elapsed time sets a new Multihull Race Record for the RORC Transatlantic...

The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild is heading for Brest




Friday the 13th, lucky day? The Maxi Edmond de Rothschild left its Lorient base to reach Brest and the waters of the city of Ponant shortly after noon. The objective for Charles Caudrelier, Franck Cammas and their four crew is to get closer to Ouessant and the start line of the Jules Verne Trophy, which Gitana Team is once again aiming at. Indeed, weather opportunities seem to be opening up in the coming days but...

12th January, Race Update: Day Five: At 0800 UTC on the fifth day of the RORC Transatlantic Race, three 70ft trimarans are under 1,000 miles from the finish at Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina Grenada. Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 (ITA) is 782nm from the finish, leading the multihull class.


MOD70 Zoulou (FRA) with Erik Maris at the helm is second, with 906nm to go and Frank Slootman’s MOD70 Snowflake (USA), skippered by Gavin Brady is third, 913nm...

Ahead of the start of the first offshore leg of The Ocean Race this weekend, the dockside at Alicante is busy with IMOCA technical teams making last minute adjustments and improvements to what are highly complex machines.




This race could well be decided as much by the sailing teams as by their shoreside counterparts, in a class where it normally takes up to a year of sailing, testing and refining to bring a new IMOCA up to speed and to be race-hardened or race-ready....

At the Grand Street Boat Ramp, there lays a bewildering situation, an Balboa 26' on its side without visible support or the nurturing bed of a trailer. The social media post by Jorge Lavorerio indicates that the owner said that " The keel didn't retract" when he loaded it on the trailer... How it then got to where it now rests is a bit of a mystery, and how it will get onto a trailer now is befuddling



...