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The RORC Caribbean 600 is a race of fine margins. Across countless tactical corners, preparation, positioning and playbook calls will decide who thrives.
"The Caribbean delivers some of its most reliable and competitive racing conditions of the year around the Caribbean 600," says RORC Caribbean 600 Race Director, Chris Jackson. "The trade winds typically blowing in the 15 to 25 knot range are expected, giving consistent pressure across the course and rewarding well-prepared teams with tactical, high-performance sailing.
Sea states are generally moderate, with manageable swell offshore and flatter water in the lee of the islands. The combination of weather, sea state, islands and corners produces fast sailing with constant tactical choices."
Pressure over promise: Extracts from Brian Thompson's 600 Playbook
Multiple world record holder Brian Thompson has competed in 10 editions of the RORC Caribbean 600, including 2022 on board Jason Carroll's MOD70 Argo (USA), setting the Multihull Race Record of 01 day 05 hrs 48 mins 45 secs. Thompson reveals some of the tips and tricks in his playbook for the RORC Caribbean 600.
"The Caribbean usually delivers reliable trade winds, so most of the time it's about managing pressure and positioning rather than gambling," Thompson explains. "There are lifts, headers and acceleration zones around every island, but often the gains come from staying in consistent breeze rather than hunting for a flyer that may not pay.
At the start, which is frequently port biased, he warns against over committing to a risky port flyer with cliffs to leeward. "Clear air is king," says Thompson. "A small lift near the end of Willoughby Bay can help, but only if you are positioned well. Once you're in that long lane towards Green Island you can be stuck in bad air for miles."
Barbuda introduces subtle bends, explains Thompson: "You can get freed off at the south end of Barbuda and then headed at the north. There is the potential for a convergence line extending up to the Barbuda mark. Watch what the boats ahead are doing. You can often read the wind pattern from their gybes."
As night falls and the fleet heads towards Nevis, squalls and turbulence in the lee of Antigua add complexity. "You can gybe away from the back of a squall or use the front edge for a shift and extra pressure, but be ready. It's already been a busy first day and that's when mistakes creep in."
Around Nevis, St Kitts, Saba and St Martin, Thompson likens the airflow to water around a rock in a river: 20 degree shifts in the gaps, sudden accelerations and abrupt transitions from reach to beat. "Expect it. Have the right sail ready before the header hits, especially in the dark."
Guadeloupe remains pivotal, admits Thompson: "Arriving at night, Katabatic winds can flow downhill under the influence of gravity, so going inshore can work, but getting too far in can result in a disturbed airflow under the high cliffs. If it is after dawn on arrival at Guadeloupe, a local sea breeze can disturb the air flow inshore.
However, going offshore seldom works in my opinion, you sail extra miles and still have to manage the wind shadow to make the rounding. Just about every boat will slow down as they arrive at Guadeloupe, effectively a new race starts there."
Thompson's all-embracing advice? "Protect the boat, protect the crew, stay hydrated, get some sleep and sail in the best pressure you can find. The teams that manage transitions cleanly and stick to the solid options usually come out on top."
Theory meets reality on the racecourse
RORC Commodore Deb Fish returns to offshore action racing aboard Astrid de Vin and Roeland Franssens' Pegasus 50 Sedem (NED). Fresh from securing back-to-back overall victories in the RORC Season's Points Championship alongside Rob Craigie. The British pair and their Dutch co-owners, as well as Simon Bamford, are all usually double-handed sailors. This will be Deb Fish's fourth RORC Caribbean 600.
"The biggest challenge for Rob, Simon and I will be stepping back into the role of crew rather than co-skippers," says Fish. "But the advantage is that we all think like skippers. There's huge mutual respect, and I'm really looking forward to sailing with people I've raced against for years."
Preparation has been forensic. "We've stripped several carloads of cruising kit off the boat, worked through the Special Regs checklist, and familiarised ourselves with every system from VHF to electric winches."
On navigation, Fish is characteristically thorough. "I've got four sets of notes from past races and Roeland knows the course inside out. Every island has a wind shadow, and of course the big call is how to pass Guadeloupe. Astrid and Roeland have even anchored in its lee to study the conditions."
Learning Sedem quickly is key. "When Caribbean squalls hit in the dark, everyone must know their role. We'll sort sail crossovers and watch systems fast, though with so many corners, I'm not expecting much sleep! We're here to race hard, but also to enjoy Antigua and one of the great 600-mile classics."
