Inaugurated in 2009, the RORC Caribbean 600 is a relatively recent addition to the calendar of 600-mile offshore yacht races, adding to the list of established bluewater classics like the Rolex Fastnet and Sydney Hobart races. Its route, around 11 of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean, is one of the most navigationally challenging of the 600-milers.
Starting and finishing in Antigua, the race’s 12-leg, figure-eight type route stretches from St Martin in the north to Guadeloupe in the south, weaving a Caribbean course that is as stunning as it is demanding.
The consistent north-easterly tradewinds and the looping nature of the course will exercise every sail in the wardrobe, and rewards boats set up for performance on all points of sail. There is far more fetching and reaching in this race than in a typical Fastnet or Sydney Hobart, for example. The sheer number of legs and sail changes are also a great challenge for crews and navigators alike.
1 CARIBBEAN 600 START
The starting line isleg can still be very hectic, as boats battle for the convergence on the left under cliffs and headlands. There are a couple of rocks to look out for here, a particularly noteworthy one at Standfast Point, although this is well charted.
