Now, after giving a masterclass in how to smash an ocean crossing and still arrive looking ready for cocktails on the Squadron lawn, Zugel and his 13-stong crew have just demolished the fleet in RORC’s west-to-east Transatlantic Race from Newport to Cowes.
Blasting out of Newport on 19 June and surfing into Cowes seven days, 15 hours and change later, the black-hulled flyer not only claimed line honours in the west-to-east Transatlantic Race but lopped a scarcely believable 30 hours off the IRC corrected-time record.
In the past 12 months the boat has cracked off a remarkable 22,000 nautical miles—roughly a lap of the planet—and still looks box-fresh.
“It was fast—way faster than I’d ever dreamt,” Zugel said dockside, grin as wide as the Solent. “It’s hard to put into words. You leave Newport in fog, thread your way through the Gulf Stream with bizarre wave patterns and bubbling 25°C water, and then make a break north just in time to ride a cold front across the Atlantic. I’ve flown over the ocean 150 times but sailing it is something else entirely.”
Key to the performance was a crew sheet reading like an offshore Who’s Who: co-skipper Johnny Mordaunt, Stu Bannatyne, Neal McDonald, Campbell Field, Nick O’Leary, Andrew Mclean, Christopher Welch, Edward Myers, Freddie Shanks, Pete Cumming, Trystan Seal, Stefano Nava.
Ireland’s O’Leary, who shared trimming and helming duties, reckons the secret sauce was the four-watch, two-hour rotation dreamed up by Bannatyne and McDonald.
“It means there’s always someone on deck who knows exactly what’s going on, and intel gets passed seamlessly,” he says. “When you’re helming in zero visibility, spray flying, pitch dark and fog so thick you can’t see two boat lengths, you’ve just got to trust the numbers. You’re trimming for VMG constantly.”
Trust paid off. Apart from a tanker that loomed out of the murk minus AIS—heart-rate spikes all round—the passage was incident-free. Even the North Atlantic wildlife obliged: dolphins in the wake, a couple of rogue fish that became impromptu ceviche, and a long-liner laying 40 miles of swordfish gear that Tschüss 2 politely radioed back to the chasing pack. There’s transatlantic camaraderie for you.
Co-skipper and boat-captain Johnny Mordaunt was proud to report just two minor breakages. “Virtually no equipment failures - just two minor issues, and neither were on me!” he says.
Mordaunt believes that the key to the campaign’s run of success has been the strength of the team.
“We’ve got some of the best offshore sailors in the world, each bringing a wealth of experience. That knowledge trickles down and creates a solid foundation. The crew know what to expect, how to stay safe, and how to push performance. It’s about discipline and consistency, and it’s worked again. We push hard, stick to our plans, and execute well. The boat was fast, the team was sharp, and we were calm even in tough conditions like zero visibility at 22+ knots of speed.
Next up for the Tschüss 2 crew is a quick turnaround and on to the Rolex Fastnet Race centenary.
“We’re picking up new sails tomorrow and heading into the most competitive offshore fleet imaginable,” says Mordaunt. “With the race’s centenary and the return of the Admiral’s Cup, it’s going to be an incredible event - truly inspiring, even for someone like me who’s been doing this for decades.”
This could be the biggest test Zugel's men have faced to date, with stiff competition in the Super Zero class from the 100-footers Scallywag, Leopard, and Black Jack – as well as the American turboed VO70 Pyewacket.
Should be a great battle for us all to follow on the tracker.
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