Big guns for Antigua 360º Race

by Antigua 360º Race on 9 Feb 2017 The second edition of the Antigua 360º Race will take place on February 17, 2017 providing a 52 mile anticlockwise circumnavigation of Antigua. Organized by the Superyacht Challenge committee, entry is exclusively reserved for boats entered in the ninth edition of the RORC Caribbean 600 offshore classic, which will start three days after the Antigua 360º.

“Many boats are usually out training on the Friday before the offshore race, so the Antigua 360º adds a slightly competitive edge to that training.” commented Stan Pearson, who conceived the Antigua 360º and is a co-founder of the RORC Caribbean 600. “The race around Antigua offers many of the conditions and wind angles seen on the '600 – and some of the legs are even actually part of it such as the start and the finish.”

In last year's inaugural race, Lloyd Thornburg's American trimaran Phaedo3 set the race record for the multihulls (four Hours 12 Mins 56 Secs). This year Phaedo3 is back and will be joined by Giovanni Soldini's Maserati, with two MOD70s on the race track, the relatively slow record set in 2016 is likely to be blown apart.

“I am delighted to hear that Maserati will also be competing in the Antigua 360º, it had been a lot of fun racing against them. Last year, the conditions for the race made for a slow rounding, so I am confident with normal conditions both of us will go around much faster than that. Any time that you race on the clock and there are people watching, helps the intensity on the boat, and the crew push a little harder and this year with Maserati in the Antigua 360º, those effects will be even more pronounced. We will also find things on the boat that will need adjustments, which we can solve before the '600. The Antigua 360º is an excellent training race to check out all of the gear, and also because you get to simulate four different legs of the RORC Caribbean 600; the first beat of the race, the reach to Barbuda, a similar angle of the leg from Barbuda to Redonda, and you also get a taste of the final beat to the finish.”

The monohull course record was set last year by RP90, La Bete (5 Hours 00 Mins 26 Secs) and two early entries are very capable of lowering the bar. The 182ft twin-masted schooner, Adela, and the 105ft sloop Danneskjold are expected to be on the start line for the Antigua 360º Race. During this year's Superyacht Challenge Antigua both of these magnificent yachts achieved speeds in excess of 17 knots, more than enough to secure the race record.

Line Honours for both the Monohull and Multihull Classes will be awarded with a barrel of rum, with an additional barrel for a race record. The overall winner of the race, for yachts racing under IRC, will also receive a barrel suitably filled.