RORC Transatlantic Race

6 days, 22 hours: Raven smashes the monohull reference

Raven, 34 metres of composite and foils, devoured the 3,000 miles between Lanzarote and Antigua in 6 days, 22 hours and 27 minutes. Under the symbolic seven-day barrier — unprecedented for a monohull in the RORC Transatlantic Race. Meanwhile, a 15-metre Mach 50 with a far less spectacular profile swept the IRC overall victory. Two visions of offshore racing, one single edition — the twelfth — to consecrate them both.

21 boats, 19 nations, a golden trade wind corridor

Start given on Sunday 11 January 2026 from Marina Lanzarote. Twenty-one teams, nineteen nations, heading for Antigua — the new finish venue, replacing Grenada — for approximately 2,995 nautical miles of crossing.

The Azores High, powerful and ideally positioned, served up a stable and generous trade wind regime. No need to dive south looking for breeze: the almost direct route was the right one. A motorway.

Three records in a single edition

The MOD70 Argo, helmed by Jason Carroll and Charlie Corning, crossed the line in under five days. On the monohull side, Raven gained nearly a day on the previous record held by Lucky (Juan K 88, 7d 19h 19m in 2025). A spectacular leap in just twelve months.

Raw speed vs rating intelligence

The 2026 edition illustrates the dichotomy between Line Honours and IRC classification like seldom before. Raven, the fastest boat in real time, finishes only 5th on corrected time — her foils and 111 feet earn her a punishing rating.

The IRC victory goes to Palanad 4, the Mach 50 of Olivier and Arthur Magre. This Sam Manuard design with scow bow and canting keel completed the crossing in just over eight days in real time, but her favourable rating gives her nearly 21 hours' advantage over second-placed Ino Noir.

Top 5 IRC — corrected time

The 2nd place of the Carkeek 45 Ino Noir and the IRC Two victory of the J/125 Jackknife remind us of a persistent truth: you don't need the most radical boat to shine. Meticulous preparation and sharp navigation compensate for a lot of missing feet.

Kornog 2, a Pogo 12.50 sailed by Gonzalo Colubi, won the Two-Handed category with a corrected time of 15d 20h 16m 20s — a remarkable performance shorthanded.

Routing: when the great circle becomes the best option

Unlike editions requiring a detour via Cape Verde, the positioning of the high pressure allowed navigators to stay close to the direct route. The main tactical challenge: avoiding a ridge of high pressure just to the north.

Each class adapted its approach:

• Raven and the maxis: managing the sea state to protect equipment while maintaining averages of 25-27 knots. Navigator Will Oxley used weather models incorporating artificial intelligence to optimise the comfort/speed compromise.
• Argo and the multihulls: searching for zones with 18-20 knots and flat seas to maximise time foiling.
• Ino Noir and the IRC fleet: fine positioning relative to wind shifts and squalls, alternating between pure VMG downwind and reaching phases to exploit cloud systems.

Foils versus scows: two philosophies, two victories

Raven — foil-assist in service of the superyacht

This Baltic 111 of 55 tonnes doesn't truly fly. Her T-shaped foil boards generate massive righting moment that reduces heel to less than 10 degrees even at high speed. Less wetted surface, more stability, insane averages over 3,000 miles. Proof that comfort and extreme performance are no longer mutually exclusive.

Palanad 4 — the anti-rating weapon

The scow bow, popularised in Mini 6.50 then in Class40, proves itself at the highest IRC level. No foils — a canting keel suffices. This deliberate choice preserves a favourable rating while offering formidable power downwind. Sam Manuard confirms his status as an architect who changes the rules of the game.

A tragedy that reminds us of ocean reality

The Nissen 56 Walross 4 had to abandon the race following the tragic death of a crew member. Even under trade winds reputed to be benign, the Atlantic remains merciless. This event underscores the absolute importance of safety protocols: mandatory harness wear at night and in formed seas, regular man-overboard drills, advanced medical training on board.

For shorthanded crews like that of Kornog 2, sleep management and system reliability — autopilot, hydrogenerators, solar panels — become performance factors as critical as pure speed.

Antigua, new hub of the Caribbean season

Moving the finish to Antigua creates a formidable logistical sequence:

• RORC Transatlantic finish: mid-January
• Nelson's Cup Series: 17-20 January (Antigua)
• RORC Caribbean 600: start 23 February (Antigua)

Three major events, a single transatlantic delivery. Teams reduce their costs, simplify their logistics, and the Caribbean 600 fleet is mechanically strengthened as a result. Find the complete season calendar on spencer.club.

The acceleration is only beginning

Analysis of recent editions shows a clear trend: times are dropping, technologies are becoming more radical, but well-prepared "classic" boats remain in the hunt.

In one year, the monohull record has dropped by nearly a day. The IRC winner has shifted from an ocean racing VO70 to a 50-footer with scow bow. The lines are moving fast. Provided architects and navigators continue to push the boundaries with equal audacity, the next edition could reshuffle the cards once again.

Compare the entered boats and follow the news of major ocean races on Spencer.