RORC Caribbean 600
Yachting World’s consulting editor Pip Hare jumps on board one of the smallest in the fleet, the 37ft Reichel Pugh Taz
The Caribbean 600 yacht race will start on Monday at 11 am local time under a beating Caribbean sun for 600 miles of intense and full-on racing passing 11 Caribbean Islands. I will be reporting from the rail of one of the smallest boats in the fleet Taz, a Reichel Pugh 37, skippered by Bernard Evan- Wong. Bernie has competed in every RORC Caribbean 600 race since it started in 2009 and is back this year with his RP37.
This race was started in 2009 and is now well established and attracting some big hitters from the sailing world to try their luck against the naturally challenging course which will include beautiful robust trade winds, outlying reefs and rocks, wind shadows caused by volcanoes and dodging boats coming in the other direction on the tighter corners of the course.
A record 68 boats will cross the start line tomorrow. The race will start from Antigua and head North towards the bottom corner of Barbuda and round a turning mark then across to leave Nevis, St Kitts and Saba to Starboard.
Round the top of Saba the course turns to the North East and boats will sail zig zag over to St Barth’s which must be left to Port (including all of its many off lying islands and rocks which will produce tricky navigation in the dark) then switching direction to round Saint Martin to Starboard.
Once St Martin is clear the fleet will have a chance to ramp up a gear and enjoy a solid reaching trade wind over a 170-mile leg cutting between the Islands close to Monserrat and finally arriving the West of Guadeloupe.
Here the fleet will enter stealth mode on the …read more
