Atlantic Anniversary Regatta – the RORC Transatlantic Race

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After the first night at sea in the RORC Transatlantic Race, the vast majority of the international fleet were north of the Canary Islands, negotiating the wind shadow of Gran Canaria and Tenerife created by the unusual southerly wind.
Ludde Ingvall’s Australian Maxi CQS leads the fleet on the water and having now raced over 200 miles and left Tenerife to port, as required by the Sailing Instructions, the next mark of the course is 3,000 miles away. CQS now looks to be taking a different tactical option by leaving La Palma to starboard and going south in a divergence route to the rest of the fleet. 
Two yachts have broken away from the chasing pack and look to be heading for the low pressure system north of the rhumb line. The centre of the low is 500 miles away, but they are already feeling the effect as the wind direction and speed becomes unstable, with torrential rain very likely. Jens Kellinghusen’s German Ker 56 Varuna leads the charge, nine miles ahead of Eric de Turckheim’s French Nivelt -Muratet 54 Teasing Machine. Of the Maxi yachts, Roman Guerra’s Volvo 70 Monster Project is by far the most northerly yacht, whilst Jochen Bovenkamp’s Marten 72 Aragon is going well, pulling ahead of Canadian Southern Wind 96 Sorceress, skippered by Daniel
Stump.
THE RORC
TRANSATLANTIC RACE
The westbound leg of the celebratory Atlantic Anniversary Regatta incorporates the 4th edition of the RORC Transatlantic Race, an annual race organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in association with the International Maxi Association (IMA). 
The fleet departed from Marina Lanzarote on Saturday, November 25, 2017 and the 2,995 nautical mile race runs through the Canary Islands before crossing the Atlantic to arrive at Camper and Nicholsons Port Louis Marina in Grenada.
Established in 1925, The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) became famous for the biennial Fastnet Race and the international team event, the Admiral’s Cup. It organises an annual series of domestic offshore races from its base in Cowes as well as inshore regattas including the RORC Easter Challenge and IRC National Championship in the Solent.
The club is based in St. James’ Place, London, but after a merger with The Royal Corinthian Yacht Club in Cowes, now boasts a superb clubhouse facility at the entrance to Cowes Harbour and a membership of over 4, 000.
THE ATLANTIC ANNIVERSARY REGATTA
The AAR is a celebration of the jubilees of two of the most highly regarded sailing clubs in the world – the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) from Hamburg (150th anniversary) and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) from Sardinia (50th  anniversary).
It is an extraordinary series of events spanning a nine-month period between November 2017 and July 2018, connecting Grenada and Bermuda with the vibrant maritime metropolis of Hamburg.
Starts: Westbound (Lanzarote – Grenada) – Saturday, November 25, 2017, Eastbound (Bermuda – Hamburg) – Saturday, July 7, 2018.
It is the first regatta series to cross the Atlantic Ocean twice, in both directions
The regatta is supported by: The Royal Ocean Racing Club; Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, International Maxi Class Association, Segler-Vereinigung Cuxhaven.
 

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