RORC Carib 600

[Halo]

In February I am doing this race as paying crew.
I have raced in the UK including Fastnet but not overseas.
Can anyone who has done it offer any tips
- appropriate KIT ?
- prevailing conditions ?
- what are marina facilities like ?
Thanks in advance
Halo

 

[dunedin]

What type of boat? Quite a few of the race boats on the ARC seemed to be heading for the C-600 also.

 

[Halo]

Farr 65

 

[Whiskey Jack]

Super race. Did it last year on a First 40. Typically 25-30 knots wind the whole way round, squalls, rain, 3 long brutal beats, a 100 mile power reach and some bucking bronco downwind sections. Bring your offshore gear - even though its the Caribbean it was cold and wet. On shore it can be eye-wateringly expensive.

 

[Halo]

Crikey
I thought it would be a cruise round in warm weather !
Thanks Jack

 

[Walther]

In some ways this race is easier than the Fastnet, in some ways it's more difficult.

It is not a pleasure cruise. The winding course is quite tactical and you may expect plenty of sail changes.

What to Bring

Like all races, most people bring way too much stuff. Err on the side of too little: you don't need more than a couple of changes of clothes. You may leave your sea boots and full foulies at home: deck shoes and a light jacket with hood will be quite adequate. You will certainly not need a sleeping bag.

The sun is truly punishing during the day. Biminis would be a big help, but we can't have those on race boats so bring a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of shorts, sunscreen, and a water bottle.

I realize that the above is different from what Whiskey Jack wrote. However, it would seem that he has only done the race once (?). Having myself done it several times, I can say that last year's weather was exceptional and that you are better off playing the odds and expecting hot, sunny conditions.

Marinas

Most if not all of the racing yachts will be at Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua Yacht Club marina, or Catamaran Marina. The last is a bit out of town but is cheaper and has relatively cheap shoreside accommodation (Catamaran Hotel).

At the heart of the action in Nelson'd Dockyard, the Admiral's Inn and the Copper & Lumber Store Historic Inn are both nice but very expensive.

General Advice

On the flight, or after arriving at the airport, try to establish contact with one or more people who are staying at or near the same place you are. The flat rate for the taxis is US$30 but they will apply this to each person if you have different destinations, even if the latter are just down the street from each other. If you have two or more people going to the same place, tell this to the woman at the taxi stand so she gives you the appropriate chit.

Falmouth has a few convenience stores (of which C.E. Bailey's is the largest), but does not really have a proper grocery store. If you need to provision, the two Epicurean stores
[https://www.epicureanantigua.com] are at Jolly Harbour and just outside St. John's. The latter is much bigger, and in my experience its staff is much friendlier.

Buses between Falmouth and St. John or Jolly Harbour are inexpensive and safe, but not an option for travelling to and from the airport.

Falmouth's restaurants range between over-priced to super-expensive. The Galley Bar inside Nelson's Dockyard is relatively cheap, and you can buy sandwiches at The Bakery.

Bring plenty of cash (US$) ... there is a small branch of a local bank at Nelson's Dockyard, but it has limited hours and to do any real banking you'll need to travel to St. John's.

Currency is EC$ but $US are widely accepted. In my experience, Antiguans are very honest in quoting prices in both currencies (i.e., there is no tourist mark-up for paying US$).

I have found that most Antiguans are quietly hostile to tourists (or at least yachties), in a passive-aggressive sort of way. However, there are exceptions, e.g. the ladies at The Bakery are very friendly.

Hope this is useful. Have fun!

 

[ridgy]

I don't doubt what you say but there is no sensible reason to "play the odds".
Given the choice between a slightly bigger kit bag and risk of being being cold and wet on the rail for 3 days (and then no sleeping bag to crawl in to)?

 

[Walther]

We all have to make our own decisions. The Carib. 600 does not involve high latitude sailing, but do feel free to bring full arctic gear if you consider that to be prudent.

 

[Halo]

Hi Walther,
Are you doing the race this year?? - if so which boat ? P.M. me if you prefer
Halo

 

[Walther]

Hello Halo,
No, I'm not doing the race this year. Don't let that put you off, it's a fine race and I've enjoyed it in the past. It's merely that one has only so much time and money to devote to racing and I've decided that this year I will give it a miss in favour of one or more other events.
Have fun, and do please prove a brief report on this thread once you return. I will be interested to learn how accurate or otherwise you found my comments & suggestions to be.
Regards, Walther

 

[geem]

My pal did it a couple of years ago on the smallest boat in the fleet. All of what Walther said is true in my opinion. We sail out here for several month of the winter each year. I have never worn full oiles. UV protection is so much more of an issue. See if you can get long sleeve UV proof lightweight tops in white or other light colours. Big hat, factor 50, several pairs of sunglasses. We dont do UK winters so we are acclimatised to the weather here but I suspect you will find it warm even at night.

 

[Walther]

All of what Walther said is true in my opinion. We sail out here for several month of the winter each year. I have never worn full oiles. UV protection is so much more of an issue.

Thanks!

I don't doubt what you say but there is no sensible reason to "play the odds".

A big part of racing is playing the odds (otherwise known as assessing contingencies and making educated guesses).

In preparation, one has to make the following sorts of decisions: what type and quantity of headsails should I bring? What spare parts and tools are vital, and which may safely be left behind? How many crew are necessary? What is the bare minimum of food and drink required, and what is a reasonable excess for safety? Etc.

One could say "be prudent, cover all possible bases, bring everything, plus redundant back-ups just in case". That approach might arguably work in long-distance voyaging - although even then I would suggest that storage space and load-carrying abilities are finite, and priorities must be established - but it has no place in racing, at least not if your boat has any pretence of being competitive.

 

[Walther]

So, the race is winding down and I see that Halo's boat has finished safely (currently in 34th place, with two yachts still to finish).
I hope that he will provide a post-race report on this thread.

 

[Halo]

Walther suggested I give a brief report on the Carib 600 for the forum and this is

This was a tough race - tough on crew and tough on equipment. I would rate it as harder than 80% of Fastnet races. There were several dis-mastings and before the race Argo flipped over. After the race most boats seemed to have damaged sails and a visit to North Sails on Antigua after the race showed the place stacked out with repairs to the extent they were being piled up outside the building. I suspect the predominance of carbon fibre sails and dyneema lines are partly to blame as there is no "give" in them ( tree that bends survives etc) but conditions were hard as I said earlier.

This is more an Atlantic race than a Caribbean one. Except in the wind shadows of a couple of islands winds were never less than 20kn and ranged to to 35kn. Seas were 6 - 12 feet meaning a very wet race for crew. It was really warm above decks and hot below them. I slept in shorts only and did not need a sleeping bag at all. Foulies were a good idea at night because of the spray and I needed long trousers / salopettes to avoid sun burn. Long sleeve shirts necessary for the same reason.

There were quite a few squalls about but with the aid of strong moonlight and daylight we were able to prepare. Despite this we damaged all our sails except No 4 ( which we lost overboard) and the code 0. The main was brand new but split in a gybe (not a vigorous one). We finished on a No3 foresail only and still managed to average 8 kn over the final beat for home.

If you want to test your skills and your boat then I think this is a great race and RORC are to be commended. It is a real tonic to get some winter sun and the Antiguan people are great.

The course is rarely out of sight of land and requires a lot of sail changes due to the winding course.

Overall Walther's comments were very sound and helpful.

 

[Walther]

Thanks Halo for your report. I'm glad that you enjoyed yourself and that my advice was of some use.

This was a tough race - tough on crew and tough on equipment. I would rate it as harder than 80% of Fastnet races. There were several dis-mastings and before the race Argo flipped over. After the race most boats seemed to have damaged sails ...

The course is rarely out of sight of land and requires a lot of sail changes due to the winding course.

Yes, I agree. Lots of people who have not done this race seem to believe that it is very easy: little more than a glorified pleasure cruise in the balmy tropics. That hasn't been my experience.

There are generally quite a few retirements (indeed, happened to our boat on my first Carib. 600), and finishing the race cannot be taken for granted. Well done on your result.