Record-breaking performance: Lucky sets a new monohull record
The standout achievement of the race came from Lucky, a Juan K 88 skippered by Bryon Ehrhart. After 7 days, 20 hours, 34 minutes, and 41 seconds of intense racing, Lucky claimed Monohull Line Honours and set a new RORC Transatlantic Race Monohull Record, smashing the previous record set by Comanche in 2022 by over an hour. This victory also earned the team the coveted IMA Transatlantic Trophy.
Ehrhart and his crew raced under IRC Zero handicap and managed to stay ahead of the competition by pushing their boat to the limits. Despite some challenging moments, including unpredictable weather and sail repairs, the team’s performance was impressive, with speeds regularly hitting double digits as they sailed toward Grenada.
Tschüss 2 takes overall victory in IRC
While Lucky had the fastest elapsed time, the overall victory in IRC went to Tschüss 2, the Volvo Open 70 skippered by Christian Zugel. With an elapsed time of 8 days, 13 hours, 52 minutes, and 51 seconds, Tschüss 2 won on corrected time, clocking in at 13 days, 14 hours, 43 minutes, and 58 seconds. The team’s consistent and well-planned strategy, along with their impressive sail handling, made them the top performer in IRC for this year’s race.
The battle in the IRC division was not overly tight, with Tquila, a Class 40, finishing a little over 18 hours behind Tschüss 2 in second place on January 24. Despite the challenging conditions, Tquila still displayed a strong performance under IRC 2 handicap which put them in a competitive position, finishing with an corrected time of 14 days, 09 hours, 05 minutes, and 07 seconds.
Ino Noir battled IHC handicaps while also being handicapped by its sails. The crew sent a message via Facebook: “Hi from Ino noir! First 36 hours were brutal we blew the tacks out of two of our four spinnakers in some fairly short seas and big breeze off Gran Canaria. Fortunately we have Ruaridh Wright from Norths onboard who is most of the way through the hours of hand stitching the corners back into them now. Last two days have been much more pleasant, starting to get warm but not yet a total sweatfest. Beautiful sunny days and clear skies with a full moon at night… you still have shadows at 3am! Hoping to have the spinnaker finished tomorrow so we can test it in the lighter winds…. From tomorrow night it will get windier and windier to the finish. Can’t believe how little of the Atlantic we have crossed; this is a very different challenge on a monohull than a MOD70. Crew morale is good just trying to fight our way back into the positive on this war of (sail) attrition. Already dreaming of a rum punch.”
Although, Ino Noir, a Carkeek 45 skippered by James Neville, crossed the finish line before Tquila with an elapsed time of 10 days, 23 hours, 22 minutes and 57 seconds, under IRC rules they finished third, 6 hours behind on corrected time.
And along the way, the Spirit of Helsinki who finished 6th in IRC Line Honours, found time to go finishing, catching a whopper 16kg Wahoo.
Multihull action: Rayon Vert tops the field
On the multihull side, Rayon Vert, a Pulsar 50 skippered by Oran Nataf, came out on top. The team crossed the finish line on January 24, claiming Multihull Line Honours with an elapsed time of 11 days, 21 hours, 59 minutes, and 56 seconds. Despite some early challenges, including a blown gennaker, the crew kept their cool and sailed through the final stretch with speed and precision.
Following Rayon Vert was Finn, a Banuls 53 skippered by Jacopo Bracco, which finished in second place with an elapsed time of 12 days, 2 hours, 58 minutes, and 56 seconds. Pimomole, a Rapido 53XS skippered by Aldo Fumagalli, took third place after crossing the line on January 25 with an elapsed time of 13 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 56 seconds.
As the boats docked in Grenada, the camaraderie among the sailors was evident. From the youngest team in the race, Haspa Hamburg—which finished in 14 days, 4 hours, and 57 minutes—to the final boat to finish, Fujimo, which crossed the line on January 31 after 19 days, the spirit of the race was about much more than just the competition. Fujimo was the ‘sweeper’ making sure all of the fleet finished the race to Camper & Nicholsons Port Louis Marina, Grenada. Each boat, regardless of where they finished, was met with a warm welcome in Grenada, where the crews could finally relax and reflect on their journey across the Atlantic.
With the 2025 race now in the history books, the sailors and organisers are already looking ahead to the next challenges, including the upcoming RORC Caribbean 600 and the much . The Transatlantic Race, with its blend of fierce competition and the thrill of ocean racing, continues to be one of the premier events in the offshore racing calendar. As boats like Lucky and Tschüss 2 continue to break records, we can expect even more exciting editions in the future.
For now, congratulations to all participants.
