The Antigua Bermuda Race is organised by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in association with Antigua Sailing Week. The oceanic race will start from Fort Charlotte Antigua, just after Antigua Sailing Week on Wednesday 8th May. The 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race will be the third edition of the 935 nautical mile race through the Atlantic Ocean to Bermuda.
Twenty yachts from seven different countries have already expressed their intention to compete and form a diverse fleet. A number of yachts are offering charters, including single berths for sailors who want a memorable experience. The Antigua Bermuda Race is supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Goslings Rum which guarantees a rousing send-off in Antigua and a warm welcome at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
Tim Gollin's stunning Lombard designed 67-foot sloop Arará is new to the race. Tim is a member of the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, Martha's Vineyard, USA and recently purchased the carbon flyer.
“Arará is coming out of the yard in France around mid-Feb with a new look before we sail her to the Caribbean,” commented Tim Gollin. “The crew is likely to include American, French and Italian sailors. Arará was built by Black Pepper Yachts, a boutique French yard. She has an IMOCA 60 style hull with a square top main, water ballast and has a very light displacement at under 13 metric tons. So she is fast off the wind and fun in an Atlantic swell. Until now I only know about the swell off the Spanish and Portuguese coasts! I am really looking forward to sailing her in the Caribbean.”
French Canadian Gilles Barbot will be racing his Volvo 60 Esprit de Corps IV, returning after their dramatic rescue of the Monterey crew in the first edition of the race. Esprit de Corps IV is run by Atlas Ocean Racing which is a non-profit organization based in Montreal giving access for passionate sailors to the thrill of ocean racing.
Hamilton, Bermuda: October 23, 2018: The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club announces that the third edition of the Antigua Bermuda Race will start on the May 8, 2019 and will be part of the 2019 Atlantic Ocean Racing Series (AORS).
The 2019 Atlantic Ocean Racing Series will consist of five races: RORC Caribbean 600, Antigua Bermuda Race, Transatlantic Race 2019, Rolex Fastnet Race, and Rolex Middle Sea Race. Three races, including the Transatlantic Race (weighted 1.5) will be required to qualify.
“The TR 2019 committee unanimously thinks adding the Antigua Bermuda Race to the AORS is a splendid idea and should benefit all the races included. We are very excited about the enhancement to the series.” commented Co-chair Patti Young.
The 935-mile Antigua Bermuda Race is organized in association with Antigua Sailing Week and is supported by the Bermuda Tourism Authority. Yachts of 40ft and over will be racing under the IRC Rating Rule, MOCRA and the CSA Racing Rule, with the latter amended to permit boats to use their engines, subject to a time penalty. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, with many years experience hosting the Newport Bermuda Race, will guarantee a fantastic welcome and a great party.
“We are delighted to be part of Atlantic Ocean Racing Series, alongside such prestigious races,” commented Antigua Bermuda Race Chair, Les Crane. “As part of the AORS we hope to attract many of the competitors for the series to race with us to Bermuda. At the end of the Caribbean Season, Bermuda is en route for yachts heading to North America, and for those crossing the Atlantic. The Antigua Bermuda Race is the perfect way to give purpose and safety to many yachts that will be plying the route. This is exactly the result we planned for when we started the race in 2017.”
The 2019 Antigua Bermuda Race will start on May 8, 2019, five days after the 52nd edition of Antigua Sailing Week. There will be a crew party for all participants the day before departure and a Prize Giving at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club on May 16, 2019. Some exciting full boat race charters and head charters are available via the web site.
Jens Kellinghusen's German Ker 56 Varuna VI is the overall winner of 2018 Antigua Bermuda Race. Scoring the best corrected time under IRC, Varuna VI was presented with a sketch of the newly commissioned bronze sculpture, The Warrior Perpetual Trophy.
Varuna VI crew: Jens Kellinghusen, Guenter Alajmo, Guillermo Altadill, Jaime Arbones, Roberto Bermudez de Castro, Tim Daase, Jan Hilbert, Peter Knight, Holger Lehning, Filip Pietrzak, Lindsay Stead, Fynn Terveer, Michel Voss.
The American turbo-charged Volvo 70 Warrior, sailed by Stephen Murray Jr. took Line Honours, was the winner of the CSA Class and was second in IRC. Warrior set a new record for the 935 nautical mile race of 2 days, 18 hours 32 minutes and 48 seconds. In CSA, Jeremi Jablonski's American Hanse 43 Avanti was runner-up for the second year in a row, with Michael Orgzey's German Swan 48 Dantes in third. In IRC Arnt Bruhns' German Class40 Iskareen was third.
As the sunset in Hamilton Harbour, the 2018 Antigua Bermuda Race came to a conclusion with a Prize Giving held on the terrace of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. Commodore Jonathan Corless was introduced to competitors and honoured guests by Chair of the Antigua Bermuda Race, Les Crane. A sumptuous finger buffet was complimented by a cocktail bar provided by Goslings Rum. Every team in the Antigua Bermuda Race received personalised commemorative plates commissioned by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
On the fifth day of the 2018 Antigua Bermuda Race, the vast majority of the international fleet had safely arrived in Bermuda. After passing St.David's Lighthouse, the yachts make their way through The Cut to St. George's Harbor, clear customs at Ordnance Island and go on to the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton, where a warm welcome was well received by the competing yachts that have finished the race.
Arnt Bruhns German Class40 Iskareen finished the race, on Monday 13th May, after over five days at sea. The crew of four will be racing in the Atlantic Anniversary Regatta (AAR) from Bermuda to Hamburg this July: “We covered over 260 miles in the first 24 hours and averaged over 10 knots for the first 48 hours, so really good, fast running conditions,” said Bruhns. “With a team of four we could push the boat quite hard and it was also a lot of fun on board. When the wind went light and to the south we did have a few hours with just the main sail up, going very slowly, but when the wind picked up we managed to time our gybe just right and managed to slip in. Iskareen is pretty much custom-built for ocean racing off the wind, so she is fast and comfortable. It is a family tradition to participate in the Atlantic races to Hamburg - this has been a great race and perfect preparation for the AAR.”
Louis Goor's Irish Oyster 575 Irene III finished the race on Monday morning after just under five days at sea. The team are mostly from Wicklow, Ireland. “This is a great race for the boat. Irene III is made for reaching in the ocean and we have had a marvellous time on board,” smiled Goor. “Whilst some of the teams racing have been eating astronaut food, we have had enjoyed superb food as two of the crew are excellent chefs, and the Bordeaux on board was superb! This is a wonderful way to sail to Bermuda. My father will be taking her back across the Atlantic to our home port of Majorca and for us this is a two-year cycle. We would love to compete again in 2020.
On the water there are duels aplenty, and a warm welcome is awaiting the fleet at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
After enjoying three days of exhilarating fast reaching conditions in the Atlantic Ocean, high pressure enveloped Bermuda and the surrounding seas, producing light downwind conditions for the international fleet. Whilst the fleet has slowed, the intensity of the competition has not diminished, with a strong battle developing for the podium for IRC and CSA and with fresh breeze expected to lift the fleet to the finish.
Position Report at 0800 AST 14 May, 2018.
IRC Division
Vying for the podium in IRC is Jeremi Jablonski's American Hanse 43 Avanti. The team was runner up in 2017. Avanti is 121 miles from the finish and in Sunday's blog (13 May) Jeremi commented: “A tough day on the water it was - not much wind would be an understatement! After sunset we are seeing more stable wind from the E-ESE. Code - 0 with a staysail works quite well. Getting tired, but all good.”
Avanti is estimated to be under two hours ahead of Giles Redpath's British Lombard 46 Pata Negra skippered by Oliver Heer which is 98 miles from Bermuda.
Arnt Bruhns' German Class40 Iskareen is expected to finish the race around sunset in Bermuda on Monday 14 May. The team of four crew will be the third to finish in IRC and challenging for the podium.
Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine has made the reluctant decision to retire from the race. The crew and yacht arrived safely in Bermuda in the early hours of Monday 13 May: “One of our crew member needs to get back to Europe within the shortest delay for personal reasons,” explained Teasing Machine's Laurent Pages. “The weather conditions are not allowing us to reach Bermuda in racing mode. We are all disappointed not to be able to finish the race, but as a team we agreed this is the best solution. The entire team would like to thank the organisers and all the passionate volunteers that have contributed and helped with the running of this Antigua Bermuda Race.”
Louis Goor's Irish Oyster 625 Irene III is expected to finish the race around midday local time on Monday 14 May. As permitted in the race, yachts may use their engine in the CSA Division. Irene III has logged its engine hours for propulsion with the race management team, and upon arrival a big welcome will be waiting for them at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.
Less than 24 hours from the finish, five teams are vying for the podium in CSA. Pata Negra is the closest to Bermuda, five miles ahead of Morgen Watson's Canadian Pogo 12.50 Hermes. Juan Grunwaldt's Uruguayan Bavaria 56 Caliope is estimated to be third in CSA with 126 miles to go. Chris Stanmore-Major's Canadian Volvo 60 Challenger is also in the mix.
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