Sailing-Argo tears up the Atlantic as Carroll’s MOD70 smashes RORC Transatlantic Race record

By Ossian Shine

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo didn’t so much cross the Atlantic as carve it open, blasting from Lanzarote to the Caribbean in under five days to seize Multihull Line Honours and rewrite the record books at the RORC Transatlantic Race — a ferocious, trade-wind sprint that left the rest of the fleet chasing spray.

The American trimaran crossed the finish line outside English Harbour Antigua on Friday at 1231 GMT, completing the gruelling Lanzarote-to-Antigua route in a blistering 4 days, 23 hours, 51 minutes and 15 seconds.

Skipper Chad Corning led a six-strong crew including Pete Cumming, Sam Goodchild, Charles Ogletree, Alister Richardson and Brian Thompson in their record-breaking Atlantic assault.

The new Multihull race record represents a significant milestone for the RORC Transatlantic Race, with Argo's performance setting a new benchmark for future competitors on the challenging oceanic course.

A race record is distinct from a course record. The latter can be done at any time using a weather window, whereas a race record requires a specific and common start time.

The race changed its finish from Grenada to Antigua this year. The only other time the race finished in Antigua was in 2021 when the first boat home was Green Dragon, a Volvo 70 monohull, which took nine days, 18 hours, 53 minutes and 40 seconds.

Giovanni Soldini’s MOD70 Maserati holds the race record from Lanzarote to Grenada of five days, five hours, 46 minutes and 26 seconds. Argo’s track was roughly 300 nautical miles longer, complicating any direct comparison of elapsed times.

Erik Maris' French MOD70 Zoulou was hot on Argo's heels on Friday and expected to finish shortly.

The RORC Transatlantic Race, organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in association with partners including the International Maxi Association and the Yacht Club de France, has rapidly become one of offshore sailing’s most respected ocean races since its modern launch in 2014.

Held on a biennial schedule, recent editions have taken place in January, with the course starting from Marina Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and finishing in the Caribbean.

Covering roughly 3,000 nautical miles, the event draws a highly diverse fleet — from cutting-edge multihulls and grand-prix monohulls to powerful IRC racers and Corinthian crews.

The race is notable for bringing together elites of the sport — including Olympic medallists, America’s Cup veterans and round-the-world racers — alongside ambitious amateur sailors, all facing the challenges of sustained trade-wind sailing where preparation, weather strategy and endurance are as important as outright speed.