The start of the inaugural RORC Transatlantic Race has been delayed. As predicted, a low pressure system arrived in Lanzarote in the early hours of this morning, Friday, November 28, 2014, bringing strong westerly winds of over 30 knots gusting up to 45 knots. The sea state in the region has been building all day. The forecast for tomorrow morning is much the same, however may abate by the afternoon.
RORC Racing Manager, Nick Elliott at the Skipper's Briefing for the RORC Transatlantic Race © RORC/James Mitchell
The Skippers’ Briefing for the RORC Transatlantic Race took place in the Cetacean Museum, Puerto Calero Marina and the fully focused audience was eager to hear the decision by the Royal Ocean Racing Club in relation to tomorrow’s scheduled start of the RORC Transatlantic Race.
RORC Racing Manager, Nick Elliott has been discussing the weather situation with competitors and the RORC Race Committee over the last few days and after careful consultation and analysis of the weather situation, tomorrow’s start will be delayed and the course will be altered.
The RORC Transatlantic Race is now scheduled to start Saturday 29th November 1500 UTC and the new course will be to leave Fuerteventura to Starboard and head straight out to the Atlantic, rather than race around The Canary Islands.
“We have been looking at the wind and the weather today and the forecast for tomorrow and we have been discussing what we can do to make the race run as smoothly and successfully as possible. At the moment if the the strong westerly winds persist, the yachts will not even be able to leave the harbour. So we are going to keep monitoring the situation and keep all of the racing yachts informed and it is possible that we might delay the start even further to 1700 and after that time, we would not start the race before Sunday morning,” commented Nick Elliott.
“We are very aware of the predicted wave height around The Canary Islands and as a result we have removed the part of the course that meanders through these islands. The new course will allow the yachts to broad reach south and get out of the weather system and then choose a lane across to Grenada.”
