In less than 50 day, four of the world's most advanced offshore racers will compete across the 3,000-mile Atlantic Ocean. This promises to be the most diverse Royal Ocean Racing Club Transatlantic field in recent years.

Nineteen boats are taking part in the race, which will start on January 11, from Marina Lanzarote up to Antigua. However, four of them stand out as serious contenders. These include Yves Grosjean’s Neo 430 NeoJivaro; James Neville’s Carkeek Ino Noir; Xavier & Alexandre Bellouard’s Lift 45 Maxitude and Antoine Magre’s Manuard50 Palanad 4

The boats are a fascinating mixture of design philosophies, personal motivations and individual tastes.

Grosjean has been obsessively focused on crew endurance. This is his first race after an accident that kept him out of the 2025 edition due to a skiing injury. The Frenchman explained that "our preparation revolved around the simple fact that human endurance is just as important as boat speeds across the Atlantic Ocean."

The right mattress is essential for sleeping racks.

Neville is back with Ino noir, the boat he used to finish third in the overall rankings last time. It has been refined since then, after reliability issues.

The British philosophy is refreshingly pragmatic. "The slowest pace is actually more significant than the fastest." It's all about managing the boat. Managing the chafe and taking care of the sails. "It's all about consistency."

The father-and son Bellouard team from France brings Marc Lombard’s Lift 45 Maxitude to the world. It features a wide scow bow, which Xavier considers the future. "We are aware that people will be closely watching us, as the boat surprised many people during the Rolex Fastnet," says Xavier.

"AS FAST AS POSSIBLE"

Magre's Palanad 4 has a solid pedigree. Its predecessor won the race in 2021 and set the International Rating Certificate Record. The Frenchman is clear: "We want as much speed as we can."

A win for Magre would mean more than just a trophy. It would validate a design philosophy. "A recognition that the new generation of 50-footers influenced by scows represents a breakthrough for performance sailing."

Scow-inspired boats have a fuller and wider bow, which increases downwind speed as well as stability.

All four skippers are in agreement on one important point, despite their differences of opinion. Neville says: "The crucial speed is your lowest speed."

In a race in which average speed is more important than spectacular bursts of speed, the winner won't be determined by the crests or waves but rather the calm seas and the test of endurance.

The Royal Ocean Racing Club will celebrate its centenary year in 2025. It has evolved from a small organization into a global force that attracts thousands of sailors for its offshore races, and helps shape modern yachting.

The RORC was founded in 1925 and built its reputation with the Fastnet Race, a biennial race, and the Admiral's Cup. It expanded beyond its Cowes headquarters to host events throughout the Atlantic and Caribbean.

The RORC Seasons Points Championship is now staged, attracting more than 7,000 sailors during a Rolex Fastnet Year, as well as inshore regattas on the Solent.

RORC has expanded its reach by partnering with other yacht clubs and developing races like the RORC Caribbean 600, launched in 2009, and the RORC Transatlantic Race created in 2014 that finishes in Antigua in 2026.

The Yacht Club de France is also the leader in yacht rating. It co-developed the IRC system with France's UNCL. IRC, which is recognized by World Sailing as one of the most widely used handicaps in the sport, is jointly administered by RORC, in Lymington, and the YCF, in Paris. (Reporting, writing and editing by Ossian shine; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne).

(source: Reuters)