The Trade Winds Take a Caribbean Vacation in the RORC 600
When you go to race in the Caribbean there is one thing you can count on — the trade winds. Except when you can’t. This was one of those rare years. The RORC Caribbean 600 took off from English Harbour this past Monday in the normal, breezy trade-wind conditions, though an unusual weather system brought very light air from the north, south, east and west.
It is the 15th edition of the RORC Caribbean 600, which started in glorious conditions off Fort Charlotte, English Harbour, Antigua. Sixty-four boats with over 500 sailors from all over the world took to the start for the nonstop 600-mile race around 11 Caribbean islands.
Not long after the start, the breezes shifted, leaving many boats to battle rare, fluky conditions. It helped to have a big boat with a long waterline, a mast that reaches upper-level breezes, and the ability to generate plenty of apparent wind. The 100-ft Farr Leopard 3 kept the speed on to finish in just over two days, taking line honors in monohulls and the overall win. The 2023 RORC 600 was won by Roy Disney’s Pyewacket, with Ben Mitchell skippering, finishing in one day and 18 hours.
The MOD70s were also able to blast around the 600-mile course. Jason Carroll’s Argo, with former Bay Area resident Charlie Ogletree aboard, took line honors. They finished in one day and eight hours.
Smaller boats weren’t so lucky. Bay Area sailor Nathalie Criou is currently running second in IRC doublehanded aboard her Figaro II Envolée. The light, rotating, nonexistent Caribbean breezes had them rounding Guadeloupe with northerly breezes, causing Guadeloupe to cast a wind shadow to the south. There wasn’t much breeze to even block. As we go to press Envolée has less than 160 miles to go, and the trade winds appear to be reestablishing themselves to help them around the last two marks of Barbuda and Redonda, before heading to the finish at English Harbour.
Despite breezes that ignored the script, it’s still sailing in the Caribbean. The finish off English Harbour did not come easily for many of the finishers, and a number of boats are still battling to get there. We assume the trade winds will get their act together for the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta coming up next week, and the Antigua Classic and Antigua Race Week following in April.
You can follow the rest of the RORC 600 action here.
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