- Legendary Spanish sailor Juan Vila is preparing for his first RORC Transatlantic Race.
- The race will start from Lanzarote on January 12th.
With just two months to go until the start of this 3,000nm race across the Atlantic, the RORC Transatlantic Race fleet continues to grow, with more entries expected in the coming weeks. The first yachts have already begun to arrive in the marina, with many more set to follow in the lead-up to the acclaimed offshore yacht race, which commences on January 12, 2025. As in all previous editions, a diverse fleet of boats and crews from around the world will compete in this epic challenge.
The competition will feature two new monohull entrants to the RORC Transatlantic Race: Bryon Ehrhart’s 88-foot (27m) Maxi Lucky and Christian Zugel’s Volvo 70 (21.5 m) Tschüss II. Both are U.S.-flagged boats and designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian. While Lucky is the favourite, Tschüss II could certainly upset the odds.
Note that the record for this race within the monohull category is held by Comanche, skippered by Mitch Booth in 2022, with a time of 7 days, 22 hours, 1 minute and 4 seconds.
Bryon Ehrhart’s Maxi Lucky has an outstanding line-up, including Charlie Enright, Joca Signorini and Peter Van Niekerk. This crew isn’t sailing without Spanish representation on board, given that Juan Vila is set to be Lucky‘s navigator, competing for the first time in the RORC Transatlantic Race. The Spaniard is one of the few sailors to have won the Jules Verne Trophy, the Volvo Ocean Race and the America’s Cup.
“This is a race I’ve always wanted to do,” commented Vila. “I’ve participated in similar races, but an Atlantic trade-winds crossing in January is very special for any sailor. It’s a fast course, and Comanche’s 2022 record, with an average speed of almost 16 knots, is very impressive.”
One crew to watch is the JV52 Haspa Hamburg (Germany), with nine of its twelve sailors under thirty. This boat, owned by the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt (HVS), is a regular at RORC regattas. For the 2025 race, Wibke Borrmann will be skipper, joined by her husband Lars and daughter Inken, one of three 19-year-olds on board.
“Our goal is to offer young people the opportunity to race offshore; a core mission of the HVS,” Wibke said. After completing the RORC Transatlantic Race, Haspa Hamburg will participate in the RORC Caribbean 600 and then the Transatlantic Race from west to east to join the Rolex Fastnet Race. “Safety is our priority,” Wibke added. “It’s my hope that I hope the crew enjoys the experience so much, they’ll want to do the return trip. Offshore racing is a unique way to live intensely, trusting and depending on each other.”
The RORC fleet will set sail on January 12 from Marina Lanzarote to sail 3,000nm across the Atlantic to Camper & Nicholsons’ Port Louis Marina in Grenada, West Indies.
The RORC Transatlantic Race is organised by the prestigious Royal Ocean Racing Club, which in 2025 will celebrate its centenary, and is supported by Calero Marinas, the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France.
This will be the eleventh edition of the regatta, which has established a strong tradition of commencing its journey from Lanzarote, leveraging the Canary Islands’ renowned sailing conditions and vibrant event culture.
The RORC Transatlantic Race is held in Lanzarote thanks to the firm commitment of public authorities such as Islas Canarias, Turismo Lanzarote, Lanzarote Sport Destination and the Ayuntamiento de Arrecife, together with the collaboration of private entities such as the Real Club Náutico de Arrecife and Cicar.