Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

RORC Caribbean 600 race kicks off tomorrow

by studio-imagina.it on 19 Feb 2017
High-tech offshore trimaran, Maserati Multi70 Tiziano Canu
Giovanni Soldini and his international crew aboard the high-tech offshore trimaran, Maserati Multi70, are facing uncharacteristically light wind conditions in Antigua for the start of the RORC Caribbean 600 Race on Monday February 20.

Soldini’s men have been monitoring the weather situation closely after the formation of a low-pressure storm system far to the north of Antigua disrupted the normal strong trade wind conditions. Forecasts have been calling for 48 hours of dead calm on the 600-mile race. The light air forecast is not good news for the Italian ocean racing trimaran which is designed for much stronger winds.

'What we are developing with Maserati Multi70 is a flying boat', Soldini explained. 'The boat’s performance is dependent on the wind strength. In over 14 knots of breeze our custom foil system begins to work and we can be competitive. But in light winds the foils – particularly the large horizontal one on the central daggerboard – cause drag in the water and slow us down'. 'We chose this race because there are normally strong winds in this area, but now the weather conditions we are going to face are frustrating'.

Soldini will be flanked by a close-knit international crew for the RORC Caribbean 600: boat captain Guido Broggi, pitman and data collector François Robert, bowmen Oliver Herrera and Carlos Hernandez, helmsman and trimmer John Elkann and media man Francesco Malingri.

The newest member of the team is Italian Olympic sailor, Vittorio Bissaro, who joins the crew as tactician fresh from a fifth place in the Nacra 17 catamaran class at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Soldini’s crew is at the very forefront of offshore multihull racing and aims to be the first team to master the art of offshore foiling. Currently, the boat is configured asymmetrically with one conventional MOD 70 daggerboard and one L-shaped development foil. The crew plan to have the boat fully foiling in time for the Transpacific Yacht Race.



Despite the frustration of a light airs race forecast, the Maserati Multi70 crew has made the most of its time in Caribbean in the build-up to the race. During one testing session, the Italian boat hit a breath-taking peak speed of 40-knots and the sailors have made a series of important incremental modifications to make the boat faster both in non-foiling and in foiling but-not-flying modes.

The RORC Caribbean 600 Race is one of two classic ocean races that Maserati Multi70 is scheduled to compete in this year. After the Caribbean race the 70-foot multihull will be moved via the Panama Canal to the west coast of the USA for the Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

The multihull start for the RORC Caribbean 600 is scheduled for 1140 local time in Antigua on Monday morning (1640 in Europe).

The challenge is supported by Maserati which, as main sponsor, gives the boat her name, while UnipolSai Assicurazioni is sponsor.

The official suppliers to the challenge are Ermenegildo Zegna for clothing and Boero Bartolomeo S.p.A. for hull enamels and paints.



Rolly Tasker Sails 2023 FOOTERMaritimo M75Henri-Lloyd Dynamic Range

Related Articles

Middle Sea Race set to attract exceptional fleet
Royal Malta YC has 118 entries already At midnight on Friday, 19 September the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race had amassed a fleet of 118 yachts. The entrants represent 30 countries and territories: from Australia and New Zealand to Finland and Norway, and from the United States to Romania.
Posted on 23 Sep
52 Super Series 2025 Porto Cervo day 1
Solid Sled earn early lead in Sardinia Takashi Okura's Sled lead the 52 SUPER SERIES - Porto Cervo - Range Rover regatta after the first two windward leeward races.
Posted on 23 Sep
Melges 24 Worlds 2025 at Trieste, Italy Day 1
No racing possible on the first day Good things are worth waiting for, and that was the adage at the opening day of the Melges 24 Worlds, which ended without any races in the scoreline. The weather in Trieste proved too unstable, with storms in the morning followed by a lack of wind.
Posted on 23 Sep
Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena preview
9th Sardinia Grand Slam is the first major step towards Los Angeles 2028 Next September 28th to October 5th, the Poetto beach will host the event that crowns the new World Champions. Among the top contenders: Maeder, Vodišek, and Pianosi in the men's fleet; Nolot, Aldridge, and Kampman among women
Posted on 23 Sep
SailGP, TOR Europe, Women's Match Racing Worlds
Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity Good things often happen when preparation meets opportunity. Such was the case for the Germany SailGP Team presented by Deutsche Bank squad when they notched their first-ever SailGP event win at last weekend's Rolex Switzerland Sail Grand Prix.
Posted on 23 Sep
Melges 15 Fittings Guide
A breakdown of the fittings based on a complete Allen Brothers fit-out If you are looking to upgrade or replace the hardware on your Melges 15, it helps to know exactly which fittings you need and what their role is on the boat.
Posted on 23 Sep
Fortaleza World Sailing Championships announced
Test event in January 2026, and the real thing in January 2027 World Sailing has confirmed the dates for Fortaleza 2027 World Sailing Championships as 22-30 January 2027, with a Test Event being held one year prior.
Posted on 23 Sep
All set in Trieste for the Melges 24 Worlds
Racing set to begin at Yacht Club Adriaco The countdown is nearly over. In just a few hours, the Yacht Club Adriaco will oversee the start of one of the most eagerly awaited international sailing events of the season.
Posted on 23 Sep
2025 Six Metre World Championship Day 1
Wind gods fail to deliver in Oyster Bay, NY Sadly day one of the 2025 Six Metre World Championships at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club (SCYC) proved to be a non-starter as the wind failed to make an appearance.
Posted on 23 Sep
52 Super Series Porto Cervo practice race
The loss of the last 'dress rehearsal' is something of a disappointment Although there was just enough breeze to execute a couple of meaningful practice starts, the breeze dropped away and thereafter proved insufficient to allow the planned two short official practice races to be sailed today off Porto Cervo.
Posted on 22 Sep