More than 500 participants from 32 nations are heading for the 16th RORC Caribbean 600, with the most participants coming from Great Britain (93), the USA (92), Canada (45) and France (37). They are followed by the 17 German sailors.
Caribbean 600: a strategic challenge
"As far as I'm concerned, the course is one of the best in the world. There are so many corners, it's really very strategic. And the parties at the end are great!" This is how Imocoa skipper Pip Hare describes the Caribbean 600, which she took part in for the first time in 2013. "Even back then, I thought it was a fantastic race," says the British circumnavigator, who knows all the tricks of the trade, recalling her debut.
Countrywoman and circumnavigator Dee Caffari, who is preparing for a Jules Verne record attempt with The Famous Project and a women's crew led by skipper Alexia Barrier, also raves about the Caribbean six-hundred: "In the Caribbean 600, there are so many transitions and so many different modes you can sail in. There are always opportunities to catch up." Click here to go to the homepage for the Caribbean 600, which also offers tracking at the start of the race.
Hundreds of sailors take up the tantalising challenge in Caribbean climes every year. The long-distance classic stands for beautiful sailing areas, fantastic sailing conditions and pure regatta fun. With a route of 600 nautical miles through the Caribbean islands, the Caribbean 600 offers both experienced skippers and ambitious amateur crews a demanding, varied and exciting challenge.
Eleven islands, one dream destination
Eleven Caribbean islands form the attractive course marks and at the same time provide a unique backdrop for the race. The combination of constant trade winds, warm Caribbean climate and crystal-clear water attracts sailors of all levels of experience. Although the focus is on the sporting competition, the hosts also know how to celebrate with their participants.
The 16th edition of the Caribbean 600 starts on 24 February. The starting line will be lined up with potent maxis as well as older yacht beauties, multihull bulls and Class 40 racers. At the RORC Caribbean 600, the starters will also collect points for the season championship of the organising Royal Ocean Racing Club. Other regattas within this framework are the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the RORC Transatlantic Race and the Rolex Fastnet Race.
The Farr 100 "Leopard 3" (Monaco) is back for this edition, for which eleven maxis are expected. The crew around skipper Joost Schuijff wants to defend the line honours for the monohull yachts and the overall IRC title from last year. This will be the tenth RORC Caribbean 600 for "Leopard 3" and the IRC Zero division is expected to be just as exciting as last year. Niklas Zennström's crew is preparing the Carkeek 52 "Rán" for the title defence. The boat is also on the entry list for the Admiral's Cup comeback this summer.
Young sailing talent "made in Germany"
Two German boats are also taking part in the Caribbean event: the JV52 "Haspa Hamburg" is competing in IRC Zero. The ocean-going yacht from the Hamburgischer Verein Seefahrt (HVS) is continuing its tradition of training young sailors on international regatta stages with skipper Fabian Bläsi. At the most recent RORC transatlantic regatta, the "Haspa Hamburg" (GER 6300) had nine crew members under the age of 30 on board. This emphasised the HVS's commitment to young people in offshore sailing.
Among the 52 IRC yachts is the crew of Tobias Brinkmann. Once active in the 470 and dragon, the lawyer from Hamburg has long enjoyed sailing offshore races. He prefers to do so with his father Berthold Brinkmann and long-time team-mates Sönke Boy and Martin Buck. Their stern waters have already been home to great classics such as the Rolex Fastnet Race or Gotland Runt last year. The Brinkmanns have also sailed across the Atlantic together.
Fortunate timing has now opened the door to the RORC Caribbean 600 for Tobias Brinkmann and his team. Because brother-in-law Christoph Morgen and brother Benjamin Morgen are currently still competing in the second leg of the Transquadra from Madeira to Martinique on the JPK 10.30 "Momo", the boat will arrive in Le Marin on Martinique this weekend.
Directly from the Transquadra to the Caribbean 600
From Martinique, the Brinkmann crew takes "Momo" directly to the Caribbean 600 start in Antigua. There is even enough time to bring "Momo" back to Martinique after the Caribbean race and to get the transport organised by Transquadra back to Europe - what timing!
Both the Morgen brothers and the Brinkmann crew will start with "Momo" (GER 8528) for the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. For NRV board member Tobias Brinkmann, it will be his second time in the RORC Caribbean 600. The 49-year-old skipper remembers: "Ten or twelve years ago, I already raced once with the 'Haspa'. Back then, however, the mainsail broke halfway through the race. That was more of a Caribbean 300 than a Caribbean 600. That's 'unfinished business' ...."
In this edition, the Brinkmann team will attack with "Momo" in IRC 2. Before the Brinkmanns fly to Antigua next week, the skipper will seek advice on his own routings from someone who should know: Top navigator Robin Zinkmann was already there in February 2020 when Tilmar Hansen's "Outsider" celebrated the historic first victory of a German yacht in the Caribbean classic.
Looking forward to the new Pogo RC
For Tobias Brinkmann, the sporting challenge marks the start of an exciting sailing year: his own Pogo 44 will be sold in the spring. The new 10.26 metre Pogo RC will arrive towards the end of the year. Deliberately designed as a coastal rocket for long-distance classics such as the Rolex Fastnet Race, as well as short-handed races such as the Transquadra and others, the Pogo RC is equipped with a large sail area, but is optimised for IRC. See her square-top mainsail.
"We're really looking forward to the Pogo RC. I want to sail smaller long-distance races with my father in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, perhaps also in France and possibly the Middle Sea Race," says Tobias Brinkmann, before they are all challenged together in the Caribbean 600 from 24 February.
Ten registered multihull racers also want to ensure excitement in the multihull division. In contrast, only four teams are competing in the Class40. The elite will remain in France, where the season will open in February with the first Class40 training sessions.
REVIEW! The final film after the 15th RORC Caribbean 600 last year whets the appetite for regatta fun in the Caribbean:
