At the front of the fleet, the two MOD70 trimarans are already stretching their legs. regularly pushing into the high twenties and touching over 30 knots as the breeze builds.
Three days into the 2026 RORC Transatlantic Race, the fleet has committed fully to the classic southern escape from the Canary Islands, with every boat choosing to dive south along the African coast before turning west toward Antigua.
After leaving Lanzarote on Sunday, the fleet compressed along the North African coastline, gradually bending their courses southwest as the wind gradient improved. By Day 3, bows were firmly pointed offshore and the race had settled into its first major phase.
The two MOD70 trimarans are already stretching their legs. Zoulou and Argo have been consistently posting eye-catching speeds, regularly pushing into the high twenties and touching over 30 knots as the breeze builds.
As of 08:00 UTC on Day 4, Argo held an advantage of approximately 40 nautical miles over Zoulou, with both boats entering a stronger wind band that promises sustained high-speed running over the coming days. The pace is on, it’s like a firehose on deck, and the Atlantic is opening up fast.
Raven continues to assert her position at the front of the IRC monohull fleet, posting a 550 nautical mile 24 hour run (av. 22.92kn), while sailing a consistently higher mode than many of her rivals. This is at Raven’s best VMG angle and maximises the benefit of the foils.
Behind Raven, Palanad 4, skippered by Antoine Magre, is sailing a strong and measured race. Early in the race, Palanad 4 is leading overall under IRC corrected time.
Further back in the fleet, Jackknife, co-skippered by Sam Hall and Andrew Hall, is enjoying a solid start. Currently well placed winning her class and fourth overall.
The next few days promise stronger breeze, bigger seas and rapidly increasing daily mile counts as the fleet settles into the long rhythm of the Atlantic crossing.
