The 8th RORC Transat Race 2022 starts on 8 January: British-German Transat Trio: double birthday at sea

The starting signal for the 8th RORC Transat Race is given on Saturday. An illustrious fleet of powerful boats has gathered in Puerto Calero and Marina Lanzarote. The diverse field of 30 registered starters ranges from the mighty record chaser "Comanche" to speedy MOD70 trimarans and The Ocean Race yachts such as "Sisi" and "Sailing Poland" to seaworthy production boats and the small JPK 1010 "Jaganda". A British-German trio will also be taking part: "Rosalba" owner Richard Tolkien and his two colleagues Neal Brewer and Frank Sturm from the Cöpenicker Segler-Verein will start the transatlantic race with the only Imoca. The small crew is embarking on the 3000 nautical mile sailing marathon with a few special features: after all, their aged Imoca is 20 years old. "But Richard Tolkien has just done a great refit," assures Frank Sturm, who met Tolkien a year ago.

The experienced British skipper and the German are now good friends; they had already arranged a transatlantic start in 2021. At that time, however, Richard Tolkien and Neal Brewer were unable to travel due to Covid restrictions. Frank Sturm finally moved the "Rosalba" to La Palma on his own. From there, he and Tolkien brought the boat to the British harbour of Hamble in May. The five of them competed in the Rolex Fastnet Race in the summer. "That was a tough start in winds of up to 35 knots," recalls Frank Sturm of his Imoca baptism of fire. On Saturday, the three of them will start the transatlantic test with the "Rosalba". "That's a good crew size on an Imoca designed for soloists," explains Frank Sturm, who will celebrate his 59th birthday at sea on 10 January. The day before, owner Tolkien will celebrate his 63rd birthday shortly after the start. "We're going to have a good time," says Frank Sturm and smiles. Just like his surname, which is so appropriate for a sailor. "So naturally I'm not afraid of Sturm," he explains with a wink, "but I do have respect."

According to initial weather forecasts, the British-German trio are assuming that they will not take the barefoot route to the Caribbean. "We'll probably head up north first. That's the shorter route, but it might be a bit more challenging," says Sturm, who originally comes from Kornwestheim near Stuttgart, but has lived in East Berlin since 1993. The J-22 sailor and chairman is only now fully living out his passion for sailing for personal and professional reasons and is looking forward to the challenge of the upcoming race. The three Imoca tamers have not set themselves a precise finishing target. "We want to come across relaxed and fast without any pressure," says interior designer Sturm, who has sailed "several thousand nautical miles a year" for several years. He has already experienced top speeds of 20 knots with the "Rosalba". The older but sprightly Imoca lady can reach speeds of up to around 25 knots.

The starting signal for the 8th RORC Transat Race will be given on 8 January at 12 noon German time (11 a.m. UTC). The live stream can be followed via Facebook. The live broadcast starts at 11.30 a.m. German time here (please click!). The participants are expecting the skies over Lanzarote to remain overcast on the start day, but with slightly less wind than on previous days. Click here for all information about the race and the participants (please click!). The forecasts hold out the prospect of new race records.