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Offshore Racing

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Challenger’s RORC Caribbean 600 2019

The 11th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 2019 attracted 76 teams from 21 countries and crews from six continents. The highly diverse fleet were challenged by the tough conditions and captivated by the beauty of a stunning race course. The non-stop 600 mile race around 11 Caribbean islands is unique and very much on the bucket list of any offshore sailor.

Caribbean 600 Volvo 60 Challenger
Caribbean 600 Volvo 60 Challenger

Challenger’s Caribbean 600 crew

We believe that a hands-on experience, is the best experience out at sea. When you sail with us, you become an active member of our crew- not a passenger. You will assist with helming, sail trimming and all the normal duties of a crew member, while also having the opportunity to learn about weather routing, navigation, race tactics & short handed sailing techniques from a highly experienced skipper and mate.

Team Challenger Caribbean 600 2019
Team Challenger Caribbean 600 2019

First training day

The first day’s training was all about safety. The goal is always to make the event as safe as possible. ‘Safe’ has a few meanings. Number one, of course, we wanted to keep everybody safe from bodily harm whilst with us on the boat- this involves revealing all the hazards present on the boat- those that are simple to perceive and those that are somewhat less obvious. This included such simple things as correctly navigating the way up and down the companionway, right through to understanding how to launch and enter a liferaft.

Secondly ‘Safe’ means emotionally safe- that means everybody understands what is happening around him/her and people are not getting nervous or uncomfortable with the situation at any point. We wanted everybody to be part of what is happening on board the boat and that required a high level of information about everything that is happening around them. To make this happen we covered a lot of ground on Day 1.

  • Training onboard Challenger
    Training onboard Challenger
  • First training day Challenger
    First training day Challenger
  • First training day Challenger
    First training day Challenger

Second training day

Day two was about learning how to sail the boat. During training, we assumed nobody knew anything at all about sailing and started from there.
Challenger- although 15 years old- still represents the edge of what is possible in open ocean racing.

  • Second training day Challenger
    Second training day Challenger
  • Second training day Challenger
    Second training day Challenger
  • Second training day Challenger
    Second training day Challenger

Start Caribbean 600

Chris: “It was very busy and expensive around us at the start and I had to pirouette out of there – it was the best in the world fighting for inches and there we are perfectly positioned but without the skills to control the boat through what was about to happen next – I ducked down and around the majority of the multi-million dollar boats bucket list and we started deep in the second row approaching the line but in a big open space and with a happy crew 😍they were really buzzed by being right in the thick of it like that!!”

The 2019 RORC Caribbean 600 kicked off in spectacular conditions off the south coast of Antigua with the magnificent fleet starting the 600 mile non-stop offshore race in bright sunshine, full-on gusting tradewinds and two-metre high waves.

Life below deck

Life below decks is always an adventure. Thanks to Melodie Schaffer for the turning the picture on the right to make it right. It was definitely a high winds race.

  • Gearing up is tricky when you keep sliding back and forth on the navigator seat
    Gearing up is tricky when you keep sliding back and forth on the navigator seat
  • Get some sleep
    Get some sleep
  • Below deck adventure Caribbean 600
    Below deck adventure Have a look at the water bottles

Passing Guadaloupe

Chris: “Short seas and strong winds on the south side of Guadaloupe have left challenger’s crew a little tired and sore but the end is in sight with the Western point of the island now in sight and the promise of a reach downwind to the rounding mark off Barbuda this afternoon.  
Many of you will have seen our cut and run to the west side of Monserrat and wondered if I had lost my mind – I can only say the proof of the pudding is in the eating and we ended up gaining three places and about 8Nm. For now the standing order is ‘hold on!’ whilst Challenger hammers down yet another wall of warm Caribbean water but the faces are all still smiling despite the conditions so I will conclude that All’s Well on Challenger.”

Action shots during the race

  • Just after the start
    Just after the start
  • Foredeck work
    Foredeck work
  • Grinding work
    Grinding work
  • Challenger Caribbean 600
    Challenger Caribbean 600
  • Enjoying the ride
    Jasper is enjoying the ride
  • Elaine and Aidan
    Elaine and Aidan grinding together

Everybody gets the chance to helm

  • Sierra helming Caribbean 600
    Sierra
  • Neil helming Caribbean 600
    Neil
  • helming Caribbean 600
    Jasper

Heading to the finish

  • Chris helming Challenger to the finish
    Chris helming Challenger to the finish
  • Happy crew on Challenger
    Happy crew on Challenger
  • Challenger's crew finished the Caribbean 600
    Challenger’s crew finished the Caribbean 600

Fastest time for Challenger in the 600!

It took, 2 days, 22 hours and 42 minutes. We were in the division with all the professional crewed boats, so we can’t compare in results when we have just come together.

  • RORC Caribbean 600 (2019)/Arthur Daniel
  • Prizegiving RORC Caribbean 600 2019 Challenger
    RORC Caribbean 600 (2019)/Arthur Daniel

Wrap up RORC Caribbean 600 2019

RORC Caribbean 600 2020

Save the date – 12th RORC Caribbean 600 starts from Antigua on February 24, 2020.

sign up

Regatta’s Volvo 60 Challenger

RORC Caribbean 600 St Maarten Heineken Regatta

Les Voiles de Saint Barth Antigua Sailing Week Antigua Bermuda Race Rolex Fastnet Race

Atlantic Rally for Cruisers Transat Quebec Saint-Malo Newport Bermuda Race

Would you like to have some more information?

Yes Please!

info@sailracecrew.com

+31 85 301 56 36

Website Volvo 60 Challenger

Website RORC Caribbean 600

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By Sail Race Crew

Last spot Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018

Last spot Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 onboard Monster Project

Amendment:

Volvo 70 Monster Project which was chartered by Yacht Club Sopot could not start in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.

We regret to inform you that due to exceptional circumstances beyond the control of Yacht Club Sopot, related to the fact that the owner of the yacht Kosatka Monster Project acted culpably, such as failure to comply with the formalities related to the yacht on which the Yacht Club Sopot crew was supposed to take part in the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 regatta, this yacht was not allowed to take part in the regatta.

Therefore, Yacht Club Sopot has taken legal steps to secure its claims against the owner of the yacht. The Federal Court of Australia, at the request of Yacht Club Sopot, effectively secured the yacht against future claims. 

Despite these unexpected and unforeseen difficulties, Yacht Club Sopot members have a great willingness to take on new challenges in the near future, and the club’s plans for participation in the next regatta remain unchanged.

Sail Race Crew worked with Yacht Club Sopot to complete their team. This is a big disappointment for everybody involved. Read the Official Statement YCS dec 2018

This is your unique opportunity to compete in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 this year. We have the privilege to sell the last spot onboard Volvo 70 Monster project. Keep on reading for more information.

Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 onboard Volvo 70 Monster Project
Volvo 70 Monster Project

About Monster Project a Volvo 70

The yacht was designed and built by Humphreys Yacht Design shipyards for a Russian multimillionaire who took part in the Volvo Ocean Race 2008/2009. The yacht is an innovative unit; it is very fast and characterized by high stiffness. This advanced boat made entirely of carbon fiber, which guarantees an unforgettable experience on the water.

The boat:

  • Length – 21.48 m
  • Keel – 4.59 m
  • Yacht weight – 13,800 kg
  • Top Speed – 30+
  • Width – 5.68 m
  • Keel weight – 4,900 kg
  • Sails area – total over 500m2

In the hands of a good crew it becomes a precise winning machine.

Video Monster Project Fastnet 2017

Safety rules

Qualification races are an indispensable part of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The crew and the yacht have to meet the appropriate safety requirements to be able to compete in the regatta:

  • The yacht and crew have to undergo a minimum 24-hour ocean voyage within 6 months before the start of the regatta.
  • Crew members have to undergo the Australian Sailing Safety and Sea Survival Course or its accepted equivalent (e.g. STCW)
  • A minimum of two crew members shall have a certificate confirming the first aid training course.
  • A minimum of two crew members have to be certified as the long-range radio operator.

The Yacht Club Sopot will organize all required courses in advance, and the Australian Sailing Safety and Sea Survival Course will be compulsory for all crew members.
A 24-hour qualifying race will be carried out at the coast of Australia on training days preceding the start of the regatta.

Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018

The Program for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018

  • 17 December 2018 – Monday
    Organizational procedure on a yacht in Sydney
  • 18-24 December 2018 – Tuesday – Monday Training sessions in Sydney Bay and the ocean. 24-hour qualification race
  • 24 December 2018 – Monday Christmas Eve for the Crew
  • 25 December 2018 – Tuesday Day-off
  • 26-29/30 December 2018 – Wednesday – Saturday/Sunday Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
  • 31 December 2018 – Monday

The regatta ending ceremony – Hobart (optional, but welcome)
New Year’s Eve for the Crew – Hobart (optional, but welcome)

Services included in the price of participation:

  • Monster Project yacht charter between 17-31.12.2018 for training, qualifying and the main race
  • Start in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
  • Technical and tactical support for the yacht – seven professional sailors
  • Entry fee for the participation in the regatta
  • Mooring
  • Full board during the regatta and qualifying race
  • Lunch boxes during training
  • Australian Sailing Safety and Sea Survival Course or equivalent
  • A set of crew clothes (depending on the manufacturer’s offer. The minimum set will consist of: shorts, light storm jacket, boots, gloves, 10 technical shirts and a bag)
  • Video material for own use
  • Two team dinners including Christmas Eve dinner
  • Insurance

The crew consists of 7 professional sailors and 12 sailors in terms of pro-am formula.

The price does not include:

  • Air travel
  • Accommodation
  • Meals outside training, qualifying race and the main race
  • Ocean suits and shoes

Send an email if you are seriously interested and receive the participation fee.

Sign Up

The Crew of Monster Project

Crew Volvo 70 Monster Project
Crew Volvo 70 Monster Project

 

The Monster Project VO70 yacht will start in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018 under the flag of the Yacht Club Sopot. Its team will create an explosive mixture of sports championship and sailing passion.

Just a few of the pro’s:

Zbigniew “Gutek” Gutkowski – captain of the crew, skipper, yacht and motorboat
captain, diver, radio operator. The first Polish participant of the Velux 5 Ocean Race (II
place) and Vendee Globe solo round the world race. Watch captain on the Warta
Polpharma catamaran during The Race in 2000.

Liz Wardley – She made her name in the Hobie Cat 16 class, where she won numerous titles and went on to become a skipper in the Sydney to Hobart Race at the age of just 19 years. Now, she is the acknowledged expert on the Volvo Ocean Class, having spent thousands of hours racing the boat. She has three Volvo Ocean Races under her belt, having sailed onboard Amer Sports Too in 2001-02 and Team SCA in 2014-15, and Turn the Tide on Plastic in 2017-18.

Paweł Górski – trimmer, an experienced sailor with a number of sports successes, he competed in Admiral’Cup and was also a member of Polska 1 crew.

Rafał Sawicki – trimmer, tactician, project manager who is responsible for
organizational matters and for the safe course of the project. The winner of medals in
the World Championship, European and Polish Championships in various classes and
competitions.

Piotr Dauksza – pitman, yacht and motorboat captain. For over 10,000 sea miles he was a skipper for single and multihull yachts. Besides, he has an experience as watch officer on STS captain Borchardt and Zawisza Czarny.

Roman Guerra – co-skipper, owner of the Monster Project yacht, with which he sailed
all the oceans of the world, taking part in the most important sea events.

The Race

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is one of the most difficult and well-known sailing regattas. The participation in this competition is compared to the capture of Mount Everest. The host is the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in cooperation with the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.
The start takes place on the second day of Christmas in the Sydney Bay, and the finish line is in Hobart, Tasmania. The crew has to cover 630 sea miles, and the most difficult part is the famous Bass Strait, famous for its strong winds.
In the last 72 years, the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has become an icon of Australian and world yachting. No regular annual sailing event in the world attracts such great media interest as Sydney Harbor during the start of the race.

Official Race website

Sign Up

Join the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018

Yes, I show my interest or make a booking!

info@sailracecrew.com

+ 31 85 301 56 36

Yacht Racing in Australia

Sydney Hobart onboard Ocean Gem 2019

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By Sail Race Crew

Rolex Giraglia Cup 2018: 17th ORC A TP52 Anafesto

Rolex Giraglia Cup 2018: 17th ORC A TP52 Anafesto

The 66th Giraglia Rolex Cup in 2018 was exciting due to the weather, no wind or 20 knots of wind.

It was TP52 Anafesto’s second race of the season. They had a great team of amateurs and professionals who glue together during the two training days and the races.

Rolex Giraglia Cup 2018 onboard TP52 Anafesto

Racing onboard TP52 Anafesto

June 13, 2018, St.Tropez – Giraglia – Genoa race

The main event at the 2018 Rolex Giraglia commenced shortly after midday with an international fleet of 212 yachts embarking on the 241-nm offshore race from Saint-Tropez, France to Genoa, Italy. The chase for line honours is expected to be wide open with three Wallycentos, six Maxi 72s and the 100-ft Maxi Leopard 3 all in contention to finish first. Conditions are expected to be light with a new race record unlikely. Following a spectacular race start in the bay of Saint-Tropez, the fleet has begun the long leg to the race’s emblematic landmark and virtual halfway point, the Giraglia rock, located off the northern tip of Corsica. The Rolex Giraglia, celebrating its 66th edition, is organised by the Yacht Club Italiano in collaboration with the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez.

 

Video Rolex Giraglia 2018 – On route to the Giraglia rock

Rolex Giraglia 2018 team TP52 Anafesto

Regatta’s onboard TP52 Anafesto

Giraglia Rolex Cup  Copa del Rey Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez

Rolex Middle Sea Race

Website TP52 Anafesto

We hope to see you soon on board with Team Project 52

Yes, I show my interest or make a booking!

info@sailracecrew.com

+ 31 85 301 56 36

Disclaimer

By Sail Race Crew

Newport Bermuda Race Experience onboard TP52 Conviction 2018

Join the Newport Bermuda Race onboard TP52 Conviction

The Newport Bermuda Race start is June 15, 2018. It is not a race for novices. The 635-mile ocean course across the Gulf Stream is often swept by gale-force winds, large breaking waves, and strong currents.

Newport Bermuda Race

Do you have the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on your bucket list?
Then this is the race to prepare you for the race at the end of the year!

Newport Bermuda Race

Newport Bermuda Race Experience Team

We are looking for a team of nine or a group of individuals who like to go on an adventure with us.
Race with us onboard TP52 Conviction with a professional skipper and two professional crew.
Compete in the Onion Patch Race Series as well.

Entry deadline April 1st, 2018

Onion Patch Race Series

Onion Patch Series

The Onion Patch Series, which includes the Newport Bermuda Race, is 3-race series that includes a round-the-buoy race in Newport the week before the Newport Bermuda Race, the Newport Bermuda Race itself, and another weekend of buoy racing once boats have arrived in Bermuda.

Newport Bermuda Race Schedule 2018

  • Saturday, June 8th                                Onion Patch Series
  • Sunday, June 9th                                   NYYC Annual Regatta
  • Wednesday, 13th June                          Crew party
  • Thursday, 14th June                             Preparation for the race, Captain’s Meeting
  • Friday, 15th June                                   Start Newport Bermuda Race
  • Friday, 22nd June                                  Anniversary regatta/Onion Patch Series
  • Saturday, 23th June                              Prizegiving

Newport Bermuda Race

 

Video Conviction

Regatta’s onboard Conviction

Barbados Sailing Week RORC Caribbean 600 St Maarten Heineken Regatta

St Thomas International Regatta BVI Spring Regatta Les Voiles de Saint Barth Antigua Sailing Week

Antigua Bermuda Race

 

Would you like to have some more information?

Yes Please!

info@sailracecrew.com

Official Newport Bermuda Race Website

Official Onion Patch Series Website

Cruising Club of America

Website New York Yacht Club

Website Royal Bermuda Yacht Club

+31 85 301 56 36

Disclaimer

By Sail Race Crew

Why join the RORC Caribbean 600 on board TP52 Conviction?

TP52 Conviction

Why join the RORC Caribbean 600 on board TP52 Conviction?

To experience the challenge of distance racing against some of the best yachts & crews from all over the world. The adrenaline rush of the starting sequence will be remembered as much as the after-party will!

What makes it so special?

It’s an experience like no other – exhilarating, exciting and most importantly fun. The yachting community converge at this regatta, meeting old friends, making new ones and having the experience of a lifetime in the balmy temperatures of the Caribbean.

What can I expect of racing 600 miles offshore?

Day and night, for approximately 72 hours you’ll be working the boat as we charge around and amongst the islands: Antigua, Anguilla, Nevis, Saba, St Maarten, Guadeloupe, St Barths. With a wash of salt spray you’ll have a unique view of the stunning Caribbean from the sea as each turning point in the course is taken.

You’ll be in your own little bubble of reality: eating, and sleeping is the fuel for you. Sail changes and routing is fuel for the boat. One hot topic for discussion since the inception of the 600 is how do you deal with Guadeloupe and the way she imposes herself on the fleet, as probably the most difficult tactical and navigational challenge of the race.

Do I need to have any experience?

Experience isn’t necessary for an individual as, with a mixed crew backing you up, everyone finds a place to fit in and contribute in the safest possible environment a performance racing yacht. Forwarding thinking, meticulous organizer can provide.

If I want to have one more reason to join, what will it be?

How can you say no to playing in and amongst dolphin, flying fish and the occasional whale as you race to the finish line?

 

Caribbean 600 2017- racing on a Volvo 70, TP52 or Swan 45

TP52 Conviction – BOSS Barbados Sailing Syndicate